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Thread: There’s been a lot on what’s been said today so let’s get some things straight from a non-academic plebe like Yours Truly. 1) This country was founded by immigrants on stolen land. #COVID19 #HateIsAVirus
I’m not smart enough to reconcile the robbery, but I do know this: the fundamental promise of America is that differences live free—not that we must become the same.
It is in those distinctions that new industries, new companies, and new people are literally born (h/t mixed-race births outpacing non-mixed race births). This blend of historically-disparate elements is what has made us great. And it is the only way new things arise.
2) Does anyone actually believe the racism befalling us is our fault? Of course not. It’s the fault of bigots who learned racism (since racism has been empirically proven to not be genetic), hurt (people hurt people),
...and concern that the evolving and inevitable “face” of America doesn’t look “the same” (we are the fastest-growing immigrant population and will be one of the two largest minorities within the next two decades). Punchline: we are here, growing, and not leaving.
Should it be our job—the victims’—to teach perpetrators what’s right? It shouldn’t be—but as my mother often says: we are handed problems we never asked for and expected to solve them. Not because we should—but because we have no choice.
Unfairly, we have to often be the ones we've been waiting for. Expecting others to solve your ills is something we should’ve outgrown in middle school. If you haven’t learned yet: life will fuck you then it will fuck you and then what? It’s incumbent on you to stay standing.
There are still two (improving) gaps here with the Asian community. First, we need to more consistently and holistically speak up against racism but more importantly, be smart about who we’re targeting.
Are we reporting incidents to @A3PCON's crisis tool or just to our circuitous Facebook echo chamber? Are we promoting @NextShark and its abundance of strong coverage? Are we collaborating with local authorities? Etc.
3) This is a harsh wake up call. The overt racism, violence, and more are ills the befall other communities daily. From Trayvon Martin to Michael Dean, the Black community faces murder on too many days of unarmed citizens who never asked for anything more than a right to live.
The Muslim community—still to this day—cannot walk into every airport without an unwelcome look. Oh, and try being a Woman in a Board room.
I’m not implying we deserve this prejudice and a shortage of support—several from Cardi B to Rza to Drake and more have voiced their opposition to what’s happening. I’m also not implying that one community’s hardship reduces or enhances another’s—they are always different.
But what I am implying is this is a wake up call that what we’re facing in the past few months is a daily reality for so many others. So 1) we need to proactively reach out to other communities and ask for guidance and help and
...2) when they’re in need, we shouldn’t have to be asked for our mouthpiece, our money, and our time. As we used to say in Tennessee, if you want your neighbor to drop their everything for you, you’d better come with some sugar.
4) The days of silence have been long over. I’ve been so encouraged and inspired by the myriad of journalists, activists, and platform makers who’ve forced conversations into the mainstream.
But our community still lacks two fundamental needs: 1) we need to be more consistent and holistic in how we tackle issues. I’m always in awe of how Black Twitter lights up immediately and ostensibly cohesively. Where is our that?
...2) speaking up is not weakness—it’s awareness. So thank you to the many who have. But only speaking is just a noise. Tweeting #RepresentationMatters does little unless you buy a movie ticket. Claiming that #HateIsAVirus does little unless you’ve donated to the GoFundMe.
We cannot just speak up—we must show up. We have to be complicit in productive solutions over and over again. Anyone can cry and yell and yes; that does make noise. But in order for it to echo, it needs a chamber to follow through.
5) @AndrewYang is a good man. I’ve spoken to him extensively and I assure you that a well-meaning message is just sometimes put the wrong way. That doesn’t exonerate anybody. But we all boo boo sometimes—and we’re all also allowed to learn, grow, and receive forgiveness.
6) Everyone—and I mean every Human—is at odds right now. My therapist calls it “collateral PTSD”: #COVID19, though I’m in a relatively privileged position, is causing all sorts of undue stress, lack of sleep, etc.
I worry about my stubborn 68-year-old mother who still insists on taking walks outside. I worry about my many friends whose dream companies they built from scratch are going under.
I worry about my many friends who secretly have chronic conditions with even higher stress levels which puts them at even greater risk. I worry about my mentees who are buying guns. I know. This isn’t one of those times where we can “hope for something better.”
Because no one has the right answers. Because it’s not going to get better anytime soon—it’s likely going to get worse first. Hope is a four-letter word right now.
So this is not about screaming and it’s not about hoping. This is about surviving. This is about making it to the other side. And we’re only going to get there if we’re vocal but also productive.
Alright; that’s enough. I’m tired of reading my own words. I’m sure there will be more to come as we’re all taking this day by day but I need to save Hyrule again. Nighty night.
