Every time I go to visit my hometown, I have to hear, “You have gotten darker.” When I laugh and ask, “Why does the fairness of my skin matter?” I am being “rude” by not agreeing with the elders. Every time I go to visit my relatives, I am asked, “What is your height?” When…
Internment (n.): the imprisonment of people, usually for political reasons and targeted towards a certain group of people. On February 19, 1942, following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, an order that allowed for the evacuation of anyone considered a threat to national security, to desolate places…
Officially, the model minority myth is the belief that all Asians are naturally high achieving. Unofficially, it meant that my childhood was a constant barrage of jokes about having to go to Harvard and become a doctor or lawyer. It meant stepping into a room and knowing that people already made assumptions about me and…
Entrepreneurial niche (n.): a particular type of business APIDA ethnicities are known for specializing in. Usually associated with stereotypes, these small businesses have recently become targets for racism and vandalism. As we walk past small businesses and mom-and-pop stores in our neighborhoods, many of us in the APIDA community can’t help but wonder if the…
It seems that people are gradually adapting to life under the pandemic, and I’ve seen fewer people panicking on social media over toilet paper shortage and more sharing their daily activities such as taking online classes or cooking. With society’s attention diverted toward the election and the approaching holiday season, it is easy to neglect…
Internalized racism (n.): the internalization, by racially oppressed groups, of the negative stereotypes and beliefs about themselves Unlike racism, internalized racism is a much more subtle and complex phenomenon that doesn’t stem from one’s conscious mind or deliberate ignorance. Internalized racism is a result of all of the racial inequalities ingrained within our society. It’s…