Tony

As an Asian American who’s endured lifelong racism, I didn’t fully wake up to the discrimination until the 2020 pandemic triggered a surge in anti-Asian hate. The former president’s incendiary rhetoric about China opened my eyes to pervasive biases I’d taken for granted. Now I’m speaking out so the next generation can recognize the signs and stand up to injustice.

Like many Asian Americans, my family’s presence here results from past US conflicts abroad. Yet we remain perceived as perpetual foreigners and threats.

As a young student, I experienced both overt and subtle racism from classmates. Later as a professional, I faced marginalization and harassment from white supervisors.

My previous employer was the federal government. Although my background is in technology and my legal background is somewhat limited, I wished I had pursued further action against my employer. However, I was mentally exhausted and couldn’t find any easy to access resources. 

Since this happened to me and others from my generation, I’m more worried about future generations of Asian Americans. What will they encounter? Will they pick up any red flags of potential anti-Asian hate? I share my story to help warn the next generation of Asian Americans to be prepared. 

Anti-Asian hate is happening everywhere. In Canada, Europe and Australia… not just the U.S. I hope we Asians can change the narrative soon for the sake of the younger generation.