#thisis2016

So my biggest life lesson this semester so far, is when making your own personal brand [project], only you define you. There are numbers of those that graduate in comm des [graphic design] that have a passion in sociology topics, but I am the only one I know that was privileged to have the chance to combine my motives in design and sociology into an integrated study and campaign I care about. Gregory Bateson is amazing, and makes so much social prejudice in the history of America to 2016 make complete sense, but it's hard to get others to not look at me like I'm sprouting two heads when applying his principles in voicing my opinions. 

He is a highly genuine individual, but his research is not highly well known, since there is still a lot of ignorance about his game-changing interaction-empowered communication principles versus the ethically-modeled communication principles many societies use to this day. So much discrimination exists because the rules of language are still based on normalizing behavior by pre-determined ethics, not webs of interrelated scenarios, thought, and interactions that are changing and fluctuating constantly. The rules that determine what is right for women and minority are being fought because they're pre-determined and can be picked apart as single issues, the rules that determine how valid is the event of discrimination, stigma, or glass ceiling, is proven purely by the web of hateful thoughts, context of why the hate exists, and its interactions. 

It reveals these issues in it's entire evidence of crimes just as it reveals how capable we are of changing it, because under these rules, no one can hide under the evidence of “being ethical.” Genuineness stands for itself, but what I also learned is, should these rules be different, we are all actually more genuine than we have been taught to think. No matter what, others will suggest what they think is best even if #theydontknowjacksquat, but only you can put the pieces together on the nature of what you're passionate about, and advocate it. If a headline isn't the best option, go video. If a video isn't the best option, go with an interview transcript, and a Twitter campaign filled with journal quotes. How we express what we care about is up to us. 

A couple of weeks ago on a night out in London, I encountered a ‘genius’, which isn’t very rare when one has voluntarily ventured out late in the evening. This is especially true when one has chosen to spend the evening surrounded by geniuses who have only recently discovered their aptitude for being smart. I must mention that this particular genius was under the influence of a magical potion called ‘Alcohol’.

Forgive me for my sarcasm but as you read on you might understand my ‘irritance’ [sic] in this subject matter. As I made small talk with the said genius, in a cosy bar in Shepherd’s Bush, he made a rather brilliant hypothesis. He said to me with great confidence; ‘Your English is good’. It was like he thought of himself of a kind of Stephen Hawking on the verge of discovery, his entire theory based upon his judgement of me.

Asian-Americans share the racist comments they have received, in a social media movement called #thisis2016 Source: nextshark.com

Source: nextshark.com

I am aware English is not my first language, but I am also aware that this is not unique. Schools across the globe teach English as a language, sometimes even as their primary method of teaching. There seems to be a gap in their genius that forgets about how colonisation enforced the English language on native peoples and continues to have a social, cultural and political influence around the world.

Is there any surprise, then, that I speak English “so well?”

To make matters worse, by English was not only surprisingly good, my accent was practically inconceivable. My accent didn’t “fit” his commonplace perception of Asian accents- whatever they are. Honestly, this may have been my fault. A diasporic accent is what I get for moving from country to country. Even so, I found his judgements hard to forgive. But somehow, his elevated perception of himself made his judgement not only acceptable but justifiable, in his eyes.

There are people who will say I am being too sensitive. Not everyone finds such “blunders,” as they are neglected as, offensive. But if the social media campaign #thisis2016, in which Asian-American share the racist and derogatory comments they have received, should teach us anything, it’s that there are people out there who do, even if they’re not willing to admit their discomfort to your face.

Perhaps people will always try and make the shoe fit the other way around. “What if I told someone who wasn’t Nepalese that their Nepali was good? Would that be offensive?” To answer it simply, no. Nepali is not a universal language. It’s not something that’s taught in schools. So to have fluent knowledge of a language that you have not been exposed to is impressive.

It was only as my conversation with Mr Genius was coming to an end that he realised I was offended by his comments. What perhaps made it almost laughably escalate was that he was offended by the fact that I took offence. With this, I realised my efforts at trying to explain were fruitless. I left Mr Genius wondering what it means to express yourself in our society today. There are some things that you just can’t say anymore. It seems that anything you say, anything you tweet, someone will take offence. Maybe it’s the disease of a liberal society, but I think it’s a problem of misunderstanding. Cat calling, for instance, once seen a reason to be flattered, is today understood as not being a compliment at all. As society changes, the way we communicate and express ourselves needs to also. After all, this is 2016.

“New York Times editor Michael Luo wrote an open letter to a woman who told him to “Go back to China” in October and started the hashtag, #thisis2016. Asians/Asian Americans across the nation responded to Luo and his encounter by using the hashtag and sharing stories of their own racist experiences. We decided to respond to the hashtag as well on Bowdoin’s campus. These are all real statements, quotes and encounters that Bowdoin students have experienced recently. This is our version of #thisis2016.

Video: http://nyti.ms/2e0F76M

Co-sponsored by ASA & SASA

The photos are currently on display in Smith Union and will be there until mid December.”

Yep. This happens guys 👌. And this campaign by Bowdoin Asian Students Association is really well done. I've been made fun for "slanted eyes" all the way to hs, though the poor guys probably have a problem with describing geometry. Because like all humans with a Punnet square & varied genetic traits, "ethnicity" is geographic & doesn't determine eyeshape ;). Otherwise I wouldn't have inherited the shape of my eyes, which are really round, #LikeAlmonds #derp. Yah I squint my eyes in direct sunlight, and I'm sure other people do too ❤️. But that is far from the point. I am proud of being Asian, but something like this is not pro-Asian. I do not condone bullying of others for any cultural label, or physical feature of difference. That is what this is. This woman is many times more than the people needing to use a stereotype to make themselves feel better around her. And from what I can see, her eyes are not "Asian slits." It wouldn't even matter if it were. And there are many things against women & minorities that had become a social currency for #secondclass. Asians have been saying for a long time that #WeAreNotAModelMinority. Lol. #ThisIs2016.

Check out their full photo series here: