Trinity Jin, Period 1, 12/20/21

Trinity Jin

Period 1

12/20/21

What are your thoughts and feelings about issues of inequity, oppression, and/or power?

Since the beginning of 2020, there has been a significant increase in hate crimes against Asians due to the

arrival of Covid-19. Because of their fear of the unknown, people often look for something or someone to blame when they are forced into new and unexpected situations or events. We, Asian Americans, became the primary victims of their hatred and profanity. It became even more terrifying as this quickly escalated into threats, physical attacks, and in some cases, murder. Even before Covid-19, many Asian Americans, including myself, were subjected to racist microaggressions and stigmas that have since become normalized in our society, such as the act of pulling back the corner of the eyes to mock our Asian eye shape or simple name calling such as "ching chong." When it was revealed that covid was derived from bats in China, the link between the disease and China prompted an even greater increase in hate crimes that essentially used Asian Americans as a scapegoat to express institutional racism more openly and freely. According to the article by NPR, a national coalition known as Stop AAPI Hate, “became the authority on gathering data on racially motivated attacks related to the pandemic” and “received 9,081 incident reports between March 19, 2020, and this June.” Since then, this percentage of incidents has “increased from last year — 16.6% compared to 10.8%.” While these figures barely account for all cases, they do provide a glimpse into the daily oppressions that Asian Americans face as a result of the anti-Asian backlash and I hope people see it as a call for an immediate response to prevent further incidents, so that Asian Americans can stop living in fear.

Source:

https://www.npr.org/2021/08/12/1027236499/anti-asian-hate-crimes-assaults-pandemic-incidents-aapi

How do you reflect critically on your own beliefs, assumptions, values, and experiences, and how these can influence your perception of self and others?

Growing up Asian, I was subjected to a great deal of prejudice and discrimination in elementary and middle school, which had a significant impact on me, as evidenced by my internalized racism. I became envious and often found myself wishing I was white. However, with time and patience, I was able to overcome my self-hatred and learn to embrace the culture I'd grown accustomed to avoiding. In high school, I became a member of the Asian American Club, which gave me a sense of belonging in my community. I no longer felt the need to change myself for the sake of validation, and I found myself growing fond of the aspects of myself that had previously been mocked and ridiculed. Looking back, I’m proud to have acknowledged my internalized racism and I hope that in the future, I can help others embrace the beauty of their own diverse cultures as well.