I’m Asian, now what?
Don’t put a target on my back.
For the first time in the 12 years living in Canada, I have never felt this scared to go outside.
The prevalence of Asian hate crimes in the United States definitely outweighs what we see here in Canada. But as an Asian living in Canada, we pay attention. Things that happen in the States always has a trickling effect into Canada.
Ever since I’ve witnessed Trump supporters protesting at Yonge-Dundas Square (downtown Toronto), throughout the whole election period and after, I became weary that there are people in such close proximity that don’t agree with me, and probably don’t agree with everything I am – Asian (Chinese specifically), Female, LGBTQ, Immigrant…
But I’m also a Singaporean Chinese. I’m a professional working in professional services. I’m also an actress who has aspirations, dreams, emotions, opinions and thoughts. I’m a wife, I’m a daughter, I’m a sister, I’m an aunt, I’m a friend. I have a particular love for food, and I can’t stand the sound of chalk on blackboard. I’m… human.
Watching America on TV is one thing, but knowing that someone walking down my street could hate me for simply existing is a whole new ballgame.
I started to feel comforted when I was scrolling through Tik Tok and people created a movement to take back #ALM (All Lives Matter) to make it Asian Lives Matter — this was when the hate crimes against Asians due to COVID-19 started to rise. I felt relieved that decent people were acting as human beings to support others in time of need.
But on Clubhouse — a social network based on voice where people around the world come together to talk, listen and learn from each other in real-time — more and more rooms are popping up where the Asian and Black Communities are fighting!
We can never truly understand what each other feel, or the level of oppression each race have dealt with. And the Black community has eons of oppression; so has the Asian community BUT probably not in the same extent. THAT ISN’T THE POINT RIGHT NOW. Why are we fighting about who was oppressed more? The sheer fact that people are dying. Just because the spotlight is currently on Asian crimes doesn’t mean that we forget the shit black people HAVE AND STILL go through.
Someone even said “Oh now you know how we feel worried about whether we’re going to live or die if we leave the house…?” Is that what you call empathy?
WHY ARE WE FIGHTING? Why can’t we simply stand together.
We’re allies without conditions. Some days we give, some days we need to receive. And some days we need to hold each other up together. Can you not see that there’s a common enemy — supremacy, oppression, systematic racism.
Sorry, I’m scared and angry.
Author’s note: All opinions expressed are of my own and do not have affiliations with any corporate entity.
