June 11, 2021
Anti-Asian Hate Part 1
How have the recent attacks in the Asian community affected you personally?
“Personally, I think it is still a privilege that I am not what most oppressors will see to be assaulted physically in the public. But I have been more cautious and aware ten times more than I did back when COVID-19 broke out early March of last year. I have been followed more often, have received racial slurs, and there were incidents when I am in public buses or places where a person will not spit directly at me but close to where I am standing or sitting. I have also been accused of being of a specific Asian descent/ethnicity and had been accused that “I made the virus” and the saddest part about this incident was that I received this comment in the spaces of the UW building where current workers just yelled at me due to my race. Additionally, I think the reason why I am facing these incidents is because not only am I an Asian, but I am also a female which most people see as easy to target, especially verbally. I am more concerned about elderly people like my mother who are more likely to be attacked due to the patterns we have been seeing to be targeted in the Asian community, so I have been communicating with her often to make sure that nothing tragic has happened to her.”
-Jan
“As.a disabled person, I was always cautious of my surroundings. I know I’m not as strong-willed anyway, especially at night because of my disability. But, as the attack towards the Asian community, I have become more aware and sometimes scared to walk around even more. I have heard people yelling, “STAY 6 FEET AWAY!” I’ve been followed at night, and been slurred out in daylight. But, although this may be true, I’m also concerned for the elderly because of the fact that they have a greater risk of being attacked. Most of the elderly are first generation immigrants who speak little or no English. Also, don’t forget the stereotypes given towards us.”
-Lorie
“With the recent onset of attacks towards the Asian community, I have felt those attacks to be a lot more personal. I come from a background where I was adopted into a white family, thus race was never a prominent part of my identity. I have had the privilege to be treated as my white family members are when I am with them, but with the attacks I realized that it doesn’t matter ‘how’ I identify when it comes to my race, it doesn’t matter how much I know about my home country, and it doesn’t matter what I do versus not. I am always on the outside at the very least a Chinese woman and that is how other people will treat me. I have been more interested in learning about Asian American History and the discrimination they have faced through different policies and stereotypes. I find it hard to watch the violence caught on camera especially of the elderly when they simply were just minding their own business. Last year one incident of verbal harassment against an asian teenager, made national headlines in a park that I would go to every weekend and walk through to go home from school. It became very personal very fast and that took me off guard. Sometimes I still feel very removed from the situations, but it has opened my eyes to different types of activism and how it impacts other minorities.”
-Grace
What do you think needs to be done moving forward to address the racial issues in the country?
“I think there’s a lot to be done. It is especially harder I think for the Asian community to fight this problem of racial discrimination for we have been labelled and seen as “Model Minorities.” Additionally, what is more problematic is that the country has not been aware that there are many ethnicities within the Asian community but only three common ethnicities are known by the masses which is really frustrating because this influences media coverage. Also, the Asian community needs to be louder and not simply accept the racism we are currently facing therefore I say keep the noise going and make this even bigger because we matter. Though, I think the most important thing is to educate people that OUR RACE IS NOT THE VIRUS.”
-Jan
“It takes a conversation and allows Asian voices to be heard. I’ve seen the Asian community in a group with other ethnicities and be mute towards their thoughts and opinions. If you observe the room that speaks about racial equity, you are most likely to hear every race besides Asians. Therefore, I believe that they need to be given space and opportunity to speak regardless of where they are.”
-Lorie
“I think in addition to what was already said, I think we also need to reframe how we teach in schools about others’ history and cultures. The way in which we learn about it currently is very surface level without touching on the effects it has had on different communities. I think a lot of what is taught tends to reinforce stereotypes of those groups without taking into consideration the damage that can be done through that and limiting inclusion throughout our education. I also agree that when we think of minorities or minorities are discussed in the news there are often times when Asian individuals, ideas, opinions, thoughts, or voices are not taken into consideration. One way to address that is through providing more safe spaces for these types of discussions and normalizing the conversations.”
-Grace
Have you experienced discrimination before? (i.e. as a woman, asian person, or disabled individual)
“Yes, as an Asian immigrant who speaks a native tongue of Tagalog, I have been discriminated against for how I sound when I speak and have been questioned for my abilities. This happened not only when I was in school and received comments from my teachers. But I have experienced it here in UW in various places by various people, in my work in the past, and everything that I am currently involved myself with. I think minoritized communities not only Asians will always be seen as a threat therefore I think receiving discrimination will never stop until there’s a change from the grown up from this country for what we most experience is institutional racism.”
-Jan
“Yes, I have. As a disabled Asian woman, I have been discriminated against in all parts of my identity. Whether I was in primary school or higher education, I had to fight for who I am and what I’m capable of. Regardless of age, the Asian community and other minority groups will be looked down upon as unworthy of being wherever they go.”
-Lorie
“Despite having written this question, I find it hard to answer personally. I think there are different levels for thinking of discrimination for example some is systematic, while other incidences happen between you and a stranger. When I think of discrimination, I think of it as using a part of my identity against me. Personally as a disabled woman and based on my definition I provided I have blatantly been treated differently because of my disability especially since coming to UW, maybe I’m just noticing it more, but it seems to be more apparent.”