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There’s been a disturbing surge in racist attacks againstAsian Americans, sparked by misplaced anger over the pandemic.
And in Oakland, California’s Chinatown, a number ofviolent attacks on the elderlyhave sparked an outcry.
But Asian American stories are often not told or heard in the mainstream.
My father came to the U.S. first and a year later brought over my mother.
Chad Chisholm
While others put together chairs in 30 minutes, he’d make 10 in the same span.
My parents eventually saved enough to buy a convenience store.
I didn’t understand what that meant except it brought me shame.
And more so, that I didn’t need to be embraced.
This self-awareness at a young age pushed me to learn about Asian American history.
I’d pore over history that I was never taught in hopes of understanding my place in this country.
Asian Americans our rich histories, cultures, and contributions are part of the very fabric of America.
The violence against Asian Americans was real then and it’s real now.
It’s just now there are cameras and social media around to post about this.
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I understand that to make change we must enact and speak up.
I’m hopeful for one of the first times ever.
The beauty industry can listen, learn, and ally with Asian Americans.
Asians are not a monoliththere are 48 countries in Asia.
None of them speak the same languages or have the same exact traditions.
It’s only an excuse for those with anti-Asianness to act on their own hatred.
Violence has always plagued Asian Americans since the beginning of our histories here.
I want to know that we’re not in this alone.
We need our allies to support us as much as we voice our concerns and speak our own truths.
I do believe that it’s only through intersectionality that we move forward.
Anti-Asianness isn’t an Asian issue, this is an American issue and we’re all in this together.
We’re in this together.
Riding the subway, I could see people looking at me in disgust and actively avoiding my path.
I despised him so much for it, for dividing us with his words.
For encouraging blame and racist acts against Asians.
At the same time there was asurge of protestsinvolving the injustices our Black and Brown communities faced.
I was once again succumbing to the model minority expectation and waited for our turn to speak up.
If you see a racist act being committed, speak out and help them.
We must not work in a silo, and instead we must fight collectively against all forms of racism.
I’m here to say we do count.
Asians are people of color, we belong to the BIPOC community, and our experiences matter.
Ive experienced so many instances of blatant racism.
I was taught to brush it off, ignore it, and smile.
Keeping our heads down and staying silent was what our parents taught us and showed us.
Of course, I didnt.
End the model-minority myth, and start by educating yourself on the wide Asian American experience.
And I learned to speak English without a trace of an accent.
But I knew I was never fully accepted.
I was everyone’s pet: “Teeny-Tiny Tina.”
I wore heavy black eyeliner to make my eyes appear rounder and accentuated my lids with pastel-blue eyeshadow.
The few Asians at my schools were the typical quiet and studious kids of immigrants.
Instead, I was loud and demanded attention.
I spent a lot of time in detention.
They wanted me to know my place.
My family worried about me.
They thought I was a troublemaker, and I was: Little Tina wanted to be heard.
[How can the beauty industry help?]
Stop the fox eye trend.
It’s offensive, period.
We are not the “quiet minority” that will be passively silenced and continuously stereotyped.
The most important thing right now is that people are recognizing and acknowledging that anti-Asian racism exists.
End the model-minority myth, and start by educating yourself on the wide Asian American experience.
Its vast, layered, and a vital part of the tapestry that makes up this country.
The Asian American experience is very complex, and contrary to popular believe we are not all the same.
Volunteer with organizations doing their part, likeNAPAWF.
Support your local Chinatown andAsian-owned businesses.
Every little bit counts.
And speak up on the subject.
Racial injustice and hate crimes against Asian Americans are seriously underreported by mainstream media and underplayed by government officials.
The more people spread awareness, the more chance we have for real change.
Also, just stop policing our thoughts and words.
I was called out for referring tomy celebrationsas Chinese New Year.
Each Asian culture is beautiful in its own way, and very different.
I showed her my drivers license and she rolled her eyes.
We need to educate and share more Black-Asian solidarity in our community.
We need a seat at the table to even shake it.
We become stronger when cross-communities band together.
A few years ago, I took my kids to an exhibit.
When I was buying our tickets, the guy selling them asked where I was from.
I grabbed our tickets and walked away.
But for years before that, my default setting had been silence.
In Asian American culture, it’s often valued to put your head down and work hard.
And, sure, you could chalk some of it up to the behavior of immature kids.
But when I did speak up, our schools vice principal did nothing.
The bullies' parents did nothing (they insisted that that didnt sound like somethingtheirsons would do).
Adults and people in positions of authority simply didnt care to hear my voice.
So I learned to shut up.
And some of the most vulnerable among us, our elders and even small children, are being targeted.
But at the same time, I dont fit in either way.
And include all kinds of Asians not just the thin, porcelain white skin, jet-black hair beauties.
Growing up in the U.S., there were rarelyAsian modelsor celebrities that looked like me.
But as a medium-skinned Asian, I also did not fit the Asian standard of beauty either.
Let’s work together to set a new, more inclusive, standard for what Asian beauty looks like.
As the “model minority,” the Asian American experience is often discounted.
Asian includes many different races which are not all the same.
We have different cultures, histories, and we don’t all look the same!
Be curious and get to know the differences.
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