A Gentlemans Visual Gallery

CHERIF

ANSWER -

You’re perpetrating dangerous stereotypes here. I’m going to assume it’s from ignorance, anon, because that’s what it seems like. I would encourage you to research after this post. Generalizing people can be extremely hard for people to avoid but it’s even more important to own up to it and be conscientious about the assumptions we make as we own up to our own faults. Have you ever heard of the model minority? The Asian culture means working hard for what we want. We know what hard work looks like and we go after what we want with that same work ethic. This may seem like we are seeking white validation and indeed some Asians are, but the majority are trying to push against the stigmatism of that concept. I have black friends whom so absolutely adore so to read you calling Asians “anti black” is not only insulting to Asians, it’s insulting to blacks who have Asian friends who support them and vice versa. I would watch what you say next time you ask annomously. I refuse to answer your other questions because I know nothing about the subject and I refuse point blank to answer what I do not know. Just know anon that not all Asians are sterotypical Asians. The media certainly doesn’t help with this stigmatism.

We live in a world where I have read about the discrimination towards us since the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. I have read about Chinese immigrants coming in from San Francisco working on the western half of the Transcontinental Railroad and not making out alive.

I went to a workshop about Asians and how we can stop being treated the way we are a few months before quaritine hit. We talked about the model minority a lot.

All of us were teenagers or early 20s and had decided we were going to do something about how to break the stigmatism about the model minority. This isn't only affecting Chinese Americans. This is now affecting all Asians because some Americans don't wish to learn the difference between the different ethnicities. Back to the model minority.

We keep our heads down because we have been taught by our elders to not ask questions about the injustice happening around us. We have been taught just like the black community to "just take it" because it's better than the alternative. Just because we get some leeway because we happen to not be black doesn't mean it doesn't happen. People need to take responsibility for that and white supremacists... Please listen up!

The model minority myth is just that... A MYTH! We have been taught to be "submissive and obedient" because that way we get ignored. Yes it's wrong and yes I don't believe in staying quiet. I've broken the model minority myth so many times I can't even count on twenty digits. Yes letting the black community take the heat is extremely wrong and gen z is trying to rectify the mistake of our elders (who knows if it will ever be fixed?) because we know what it's like to be discriminated against.

I stand with my fellow Asian Americans and say here that the model minority myth must be broken and we need to support the black community in their fight for equal rights for all! I will never stop fighting for equal rights for POC and it pains me to see America and other western countries just starting to try to fix their mistakes.

I am part of the Asian American community as many of you know now. I'm going to talk about my experience with the "model minority" to make this all real for you.

Asian Americans have grown up far too long passing down the mindset of keeping our heads down and nothing bad will happen to us. Well bad things did happen to us. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and the Japanese internment camps that happened during World War II are the most well known, but no one talks about the every day stigmatism we have to face day after day.

I have grown up with the assumption I have to be amazing at science and math because that's what was expected of me. I didn't get good grades in science. I don't do very well in math. I used to be one of the Asian Americans who stood by and let others walk all over me, but not anymore.

I couldn't watch my younger sister getting emotionally trampled on with "China eyes" or the fact that she was Chinese American like I was and expected to speak up in class because "Asians know all of the answers because all they do is study". Oh believe me, we do study. We are forced to study because our parents want us to uphold that honor of going to a top notch university.

Guess what? I studied my butt off and still aren't going to graduate with a 5.0 GPA, but I'm going to graduate with a fairly good, average GPA, just not "good enough for an Asian". I was expected to speak up in science and math classes because people believed I always had the answer. I didn't and I still never will. I still got into AMAZING universities which aren't Ivies, but are good enough for my major. I've been lucky to have parents who have supported my wishes and only pushed me to succeed to get to my end goal not theirs.

I used to be docile and put my head down and worked hard. Once I realized what the model minority was, I stopped. I trained myself to distance myself from the myth because it's based off of generations of people collectively agreeing it was better to stay out of the spotlight.

They never dreamed it would lead to things like what is happening now. We need to speak up and speak out because being docile and feminine is NOT an option. My experience has taught me to go out with guns blazing because history hurts too much not to try to change it.