1. Have no agenda.

This is a big one. You are not here to assert your opinions, preferences, or frame of mind. Changing others or having them really hear and understand you will not actually give you anything you don’t already have. You are still just left with yourself in the end.

2. Be present.

This goes hand in hand with the lack of agenda. Your primary place in interaction is not to be there as a function or a role. The less you have an agenda, the more this becomes obvious. You are simply a conscious presence. If you find yourself getting lost in thoughts, reactions, or whatever, bring your attention to your breathing or your body. Come back to this moment.

3. Listen.

I would say about half the conversations I have with people simply involve their need or wish to be heard. Not only do they seem to have little interest in my own thoughts or responses, but they are just talking to talk. Let them. It’s usually when people are no longer struggling to be heard that you can actually have a good conversation with them.

4. Be compassionate.

Trying to be peaceful or respectful is just contrivance. Every conversation is different. If you can be open and kind without judgment, peace and respect will follow naturally from of that.

5. Be mindful.

No matter what conversations are happening, keep some attention within yourself. You should be able to feel your reactions as they arise, whatever they may be. By being aware of them, they wont unconsciously leak into your thoughts and words.

For all of this, daily meditation is crucial as well as constant mindfulness practice. Peace and serenity come from before the mind. They come from you. You don’t need to show yourself as you really are or worry about appearing as a different self.

Know yourself as you truly are for yourself. Others will only see you to the extent that they know themselves. If they know themselves through body identification and judgments, that’s how they will see you. But that doesn’t need to be the way you see them. You free yourself and everyone by coming to know the reality of existence. Then all are known as the living undivided presence that they are.

TW: discussion of hate crimes, attacks, murder, and police brutality

- Vicha Ratanapakee, an 84 year old Thai immigrant in San Francisco, was attacked and later died from his wounds.

- Noel Quintana, a 61 year old Filipino man, was slashed across the face in Manhattan.

- A 64 year old Vietnamese woman was attacked and robbed in January 2021.

- a 91 year old Asian man was forcefully pushed to the ground in Oakland.

- In July 2020, an 89 year old Asian woman had her clothes lit on fire.

- Christian Hall was shot by police, despite him having his hands up and complying. He called the police after having a mental health crisis.

According to the NYPD, there’s been an %1900 increase in hate crimes towards Asians since the coronavirus pandemic.

Asians are often seen as docile and submissive. Like we can be attacked and killed and no one will notice. WE ARE NOT GOING TO REMAIN SILENT.

DO NOT LEAVE ASIANS OUT OF YOUR ANTI RACISM.

this being said, being pro-Asian does not mean being anti-Black or vice versa. we are ALL fighting against the same enemy that is racism.