Sean Zhao, Period 7, 3/24/2023

 Socio-political Consciousness

In our government and economics class, we were given a macro(no pun intended) view of the world. We were able to see the billions and billions of dollars that governments and powerful figures use as chips, each the collective sum of an unfathomable amount of human effort, under the control of a single person. The obvious question that’s raised is whether or not this is a just system. The government was created of, by, and for the people, yet the average citizen would be hard pressed to see any reasonable government action based on their opinion alone. And yet this view of inequity and inequality is limited by our own experiences. I’ve been extremely thankful that throughout my entire life, I’ve taken food, shelter, and personal safety(to an extent) for granted. To know that my next meal isn’t superfluous or that I’d have a place to sleep are factors that affect how I experience and understand inequality. Another angle to consider is racial discrimination. Again, barring some tasteless remarks hurled at me on the street, I’ve never experienced violence or oppression based on my skin. When lockdown first started, and many began to villainize China as the puppet master behind the pandemic, my parents expressed concerns about leaving our homes. Phones passed over dinner, emblazoned with headlines detailing the latest assault or restaurant vandalized. I’m sure these headlines reignited old fears they had when they first came over to America. The fear of being rejected, hated, or even attacked. We count our lucky stars that nothing has happened. 

I feel that my identity as a Chinese first generation American has led me to assume certain values. Firstly, success must only be gained through hard work and perseverance. Not a bad value to be instilled into you. I’ve always seen myself as self sacrificing to a degree. Sleep can be sacrificed for a higher grade. Days off turn into extra overtime. I put much stock into my attitude that I will be able to succeed. Yet, I can see how this sort of mindset sets me up for heartbreak. To work incredibly hard, struggle, and sacrifice all for nothing, would be one of my mayday scenarios. Another aspect of myself is my desire to stand out. It was emboldened by my experience applying to college. As a child, I (naively) believed that as long as I showed them my passions, I’d get in. Then came discussions surrounding affirmative action, equality in the college admissions process, and another source of prejudice against Asian Americans. Though I’m able to see the merit in diversifying college, and the wonderful opportunities it can create, I feel much of the discussion around it, on a base level, addresses the amount of Asians in college as an issue to be fixed. I do not want to take a stance on this issue, due to my lack of research and knowledge on this topic, but I feel that this is yet another avenue that has led to more discrimination and anger towards my community.