| Thanks for sharing your story. It's rough for immigrants and I can certainly sympathize. I've seen the news of extremely racist things done to Asians in America due to this virus. Let's unpack what you said here: "you're going to be treated just as badly as me, because they can't tell the difference between us" 1. That's an assumption of yours that I simply don't agree with. IDK where in the US you are, and it sounds like that's going on where you are, but I haven't seen it where I am and don't expect it. The US is HUGE and you can't just extrapolate like that. 2. I'd be careful about your usage of the word "they" and "us" in this sentence. Are you generalizing that most non-Asian Americans are racist ("they"), and defining "us" as the Asian Americans? Because if you start assuming that, that's just very negative and if Asian Americans ALL start acting that way, it can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. That's why I said I'm not on your "side", because I don't want to see sides. I prefer thinking of us all (all Americans, regardless of race) as "we". Sure there are some racists, and I react accordingly, but I don't just assume that. Ultimately, if you are dealing with a bunch of legit racists and can't change them, then maybe you should ask yourself why you want to continue living and working where you are, and dealing with those. Lots of options in America. Where I am, I rarely feel that I am mistreated and have no reason to expect it. That's my data point for you. |
When I say "they", I mean people with power, such as politicians and journalists. Naturally, this is a category that excludes Asians, by design. I'm willing to bet that I've interacted with these people far more than you have, and I can assure you that they're far more racist than ordinary people. Unfortunately, they also are in charge of telling ordinary people what to do and think.