A note on Asian privilege
As some of you know, I live in a small, predominantly white suburban town. Last week, I went to the grocery store and stood in line waiting to check out behind this old white couple. I noticed the nice conversation the cashier was having with the couple, and figured that we might have a similar exchange. So I went up to the cashier when it was my turn with a friendly greeting, but the moment she laid eyes on me, her expression completely changed. She immediately dove for her hand sanitizer and smeared it all over before she would even touch my groceries, and didnāt respond to my greeting. And even as she bagged my groceries, she refused to make eye contact, and kept a healthy distance between us, even with the glass divider already in place. And thatās when I realized that she wasnāt just being rudeā she was terrified of me. That even though I was born and raised in the US and have not stepped foot in Wuhan China, she was scared that I might carry a deadly virus and get her sick.Ā
I have experienced many condescending and outright racist insults in my life, both subtle (e.g.,Ā āBut where are you reallyĀ from?ā) and overt (e.g.,Ā āGo back to your countryā and other racist slurs), but never have I ever experienced anyone reacting to me with fear before. And when I told this story to my family, they were equally as shocked.Ā āWhy would she be scared?āĀ āBut youāre so small and harmless!āĀ I remember feeling strangely embarrassed by the encounterā like I was the one to blame for the cashierās fear of me. That I should apologize for the deadly coronavirus just on account of me being Asian.Ā
And thatās when I realized that this is exactly what Black Americans have experienced everyday for hundreds of years.Ā
That feeling of being seen as dangerous. Of others being afraid of you. It is gut-wrenching. And it is mind-blowing that no one in my family has experienced this until 2020 with COVID-19. This fear of Asians will pass, as COVID-19 either passes or becomes integrated into our daily lives. But the association of Blacks as dangerous criminals still continues, and will continue unless we do something about it.Ā
I am so beyond privileged that I can walk into a store without fear of being followed by a cashier or accused of robbery. That I can call police for help without fear of being shot or arrested instead.Ā
Asian Americans are called theĀ āmodel minorityā and some even wear this title as a badge of honor. It is not a compliment and should not be viewed as such. Itās a manipulative way to turn minority groups against each other.Ā āLook at how much Asians have achieved. Why canāt black/Latino people be more like them?ā Why? Because Asians already come from a place of immense privilege.Ā
We love to pat ourselves on the back and think of ourselves as hard-working underdogs who overcame the barriers of language and racism to succeed. I wonāt deny that there are hardships that immigrants and other Asians face. No one is saying that you didnāt suffer!! But your sufferings are in no way comparable to what Black Americans face on a daily basis. And thatās because most Asians come from highly educated or wealthy backgrounds. Think of all the international students you knowā whatās the stereotype about them? That theyāre filthy rich, huh? And whyās that? Because itās true. Asians currently have the highest SES and are the most educated of all ethnic groups in the United States. The only Asians who are allowed to immigrate to the U.S. are usually the richest or most educated. And there arenāt negative stereotypes about dangerousness or criminal behavior around us.Ā
My dad was a poor grad student, and I grew up in relative poverty as a kid. I remember watching him struggle to make ends meet. But even then, we were highly privileged. Both my parents already had their bachelorās degrees before immigrating. Do you know how rare that is? Both of them had decades of education and support that set them up for success in the United States. Sure, there was the language barrier, but they were offered free ESL classes from the university. And if all else failed, they could easily just go back to their homeland and find work there. And once my dad graduated with his graduate degree, he was instantly able to find high paying jobs that instantly launched us up to the middle class. Yes, I was poor growing up. Yes, my parents struggled. But they were highly educated, coming from privileged families, and could teach me and pass down those skills.Ā
The number one predictor of your future SES and income is your parentsā income.Ā
Itās not hard work. Itās not intelligence. Itās what privilege you were born with that determines your success. Now imagine if you had to start all the way back with slavery. Where you were just an object and had no rights or money. TheĀ āAmerican Dreamā is just a lie rich people tell to keep poor people in their place.Ā āIf you work hard, you can achieve success.ā And then they try to use Bill Gates or Zuckerberg as examples of thisĀ āAmerican Dream.ā Bullshit. Sure, Gates & Zuckerberg dropped out of Harvard to pursue their dreams, but they were privileged enough to get into Harvard in the first place. And I can guarantee you that I would have never gotten into my PhD programā wouldnāt have even dreamt of applying, if not for my family of academics.Ā
Asian Americans need to shake off the title ofĀ āmodel minorityā and stand with Black Americans. We might be seen as particularly well-behaved dogs, but weāre still dogs in the system. Weāve seen how fast the American public has turned on us during the COVID pandemic. I doubt thereād be even a fraction of this xenophobia and violent hatred if the virus came from Europe. Donāt forget that Japanese Americans were imprisoned in internment camps during WWII. Not even Germans, who started the war, but the foreign-looking ones. And donāt forget that the Chinese werenāt even considered human and werenāt allowed to be U.S. citizens until less than 80 years ago. The system is no friend of ours. No matter how they try to flatter us with all thisĀ āmodel minorityā bullshit. We are not special and we will never be seen as equals by Whites.Ā
Standing in solidarity with Black Lives Matter is standing for equality. It means that we will not put up with white supremacy and systemic injustices anymore. The system is broken, and I am sick and tired of seeing other Asian Americans do everything in their power to try to be perfect, unoffending citizens and appease white people in power. We have to fight for justice and equality. Not just because the tides can turn at any time and put us at harm, but simply because it is the right thing to do. And we, as a community, are in a unique position of privilege in order to make change.Ā
Black Lives Matter. And check your goddamn privilege.Ā
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