The Silent Suffering of the Asian-American

Originally published at: The Silent Suffering of the Asian-American | Boing Boing

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If you can, donate your time to any Asian family/business in your community. They need to see American’s offer of unity, they are Americans, our Sisters & Brothers all. Just checking in does a world of good, they need us, it’s time to give. My Dear Wife and I are calling all the Asian owned businesses in the High Desert, offering support in their time of need. We are organizing a take out day for the Asian food industry. Thanks BB’ers.

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Y.E.S.

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thanks for sharing this. This speaks clearly to my own experience.

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The fact that you needed to include this in your article is deeply saddening. The idea that talking about the bigotry and discrimination directed against Asian Americans is somehow taking away from someone else’s oppression is a load of deeply fucked up nonsense.

The USA was putting some Asian Americans in concentration camps within living memory and that’s supposed to be ignored because some of you are successful now? Nonsense. Anyone peddling hatred and bigotry needs to be opposed, 100%.

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Being a Biracial Black woman in America, this statement resonates strongly with me.

Thanks for posting this thoughtful piece.

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So good to see BB hosting your voice.

I hear you, and I’m seeking out ways to help.

Also:

(Apologies if any names are misspelled.)

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Thank you for writing this.
I know the term “intersectionality” gets thrown around a lot nowadays, but you nailed it.
I hear you. As a biracial, first-gen American, I recognize my lived experience in yours.*

Re: silent suffering of Asian-Americans…

"No one knows this except Asian American men: at least for a portion of our lives, we walk around with, in our pocket, is a clenched fist. "–John Cho, March 17, 2020

This. So much this.
The hallmark, the modus operandus of every fascist, everywhere.
Thanks for calling it.
We must recognize it, and get better at recognizing it.

Truth.

I have found it an obstacle sometimes, getting in the way of taking a place one’s own community. I know I don’t match what a model minority “should be” and folks–and I include my own parents in that “folks”–seem to carry a carry mental picture of… yet another obstacle.

My thanks to bOING publisher @jlw for platforming this contributor.


*

My off-the-boat Chinese and German parents married 4 years before U.S. miscegenation laws were struck down.

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And then there’s Mark Wahlberg

Training, events, organizations to support:

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“What ARE you?”

Don’t miss those days.

Interestingly, the U.S. flags have been at half mast in rural Indiana in honor of the Atlanta victims. Rural Indiana. I would have lost that bet.

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Yep, someone hit my daughter with that one when she was about three years old and in the company of her daycare provider who was much darker in complexion.

SMH

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Where are you from?

. . .

No, where are you REALLY from?

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But this is a little better.

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Seconded, as a very Asian looking hapa.

Also on this:
" The idea that Asian-Americans have managed to assimilate into white culture diminishes the discrimination we still face. Additionally, it pits minorities against each other, keeping us distracted from real progress. "

This may not be a super popular opinion, but every Asian knows this is true. You know who’s super racist against Asians? Other Asians. There’s obv. a super long history of everyone being horrible to each other, and those hatreds got brought over with everyone’s immigrant ancestors. I’ve known Chinese parents to flip out when their son is dating a Korean girl, Korean parents that actually disowned and kicked out their 16 year old son when they found out he was seeing a Japanese girl (who was an honor student), not to mention the casual stuff that goes on more or less constantly.
A big part of getting social influence is going to be not tearing each other down all the time, and actually cooperating. Realize that tRumpsters don’t give a rat’s ass whether you’re Thai, Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese etc… I can personally attest to that as I think I’ve been called “gook” and “chink” more than I’ve been called the more accurate epithet of “nip” or any of the more generalized slurs…

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Thanks for posting this.

Here are the Chinese and Korean victim names, followed by pronunciation.

Xiaojie “Emily” Tan (SHAW Jee-eh Tahn)
Daoyou Feng (DOW Yo Fung, like saying “hey yo”)
Soon Chung Park (박순정 SOON Jung)
Hyun Jung Kim (김현정 say “Yun” like “sun” if Hyun is hard)
Suncha Kim (김순자 / SOON Ja)
Yong Ae Yue (유영애 YOUNG Eh Yoo)

Second syllables of Chinese and Korean names are not middle names and should not be initialized.

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This has been going on for a long time. Much like current Nazi thinking even in today’s world. We cannot continue to allow this deranged thinking to get buried again. Shine light on it and the roaches will scatter, but we need to stop them somehow.
https://www.tacomamethod.com/the27

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Spotted this yesterday, I was moved.

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To send to my daughters, or not to send?

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Makes me think of a scene near the end of Do the Right Thing. Sal’s Pizzeria has been destroyed and the angry crowd turns its anger toward Sonny’s Korean market across the street. Sonny pleads with the crowd to leave his store alone and that they are more alike than different. After a few tense moments Coconut Sid finally interjects and says that the Koreans are alright and tells the crowd to move on.

It’s been many years since I last saw that film, but that scene has really stuck with me.

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