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We Can No Longer Be Silent About The Rise Of Anti-Asian Hate Crimes
I once heard that if you are a shade of brown or yellow, then it is inevitable that you will experience some form of racism in your life. It may be subtle, it may come across as a compliment, or might be downright insulting-whatever the intentions of the racist treatment are, the bottom line is you are being told you are not one of them and that you are different.
I grew up learning that these acts of racism were unavoidable, so I never thought much of it. I was aware it was only a matter of time till someone said or did something because of the way I looked, and I was prepared to take it in stride and not let it get to me. I was told it is wiser to be tolerant and avoid confrontation instead of starting a scene, just like Buddha.
No matter how much you prepare for that moment, it still stings a little when it happens. The sad part is that instead of fighting against the treatment, most of us accept it as a part of our lives because of who we are. It is not justifiable, but we justify it so we can continue living our lives. Perhaps pretending it is not a big issue helps some of us deal with the nasty behavior without taking it to heart. We don’t let it define us, but we also don’t want to start anything.
