My story is one of prejudice turned empowerment. As a Chinese American girl growing up in a primarily Caucasian city, I always felt out of place. As a kid, I knew I was different, not only from my own observations, but because of what others would say to me and how they would treat me. I became insecure, self-conscious, and ashamed of who I was.
As an adult, I began to grow into my own and started to feel more comfortable with who I am as a Chinese American woman. I let myself open up old wounds and process the words and actions that I experienced. I began to uncover misperceptions about the Chinese culture, caused mostly by the media, that provoked people to treat me negatively despite not knowing me.
Further, I began to realize the importance of educating others about my culture and empowering people who face prejudice to share their story and break down barriers. The more I shared and talked about being a Chinese American woman, the more I felt encouraged and obligated to speak up.
Below are the three main societal perceptions that had the strongest effect on me. My hope is that I can break down each one and turn it from prejudice to empowerment.
One: Asians are quiet and submissive.
”She’s just shy.” I have heard this statement time and time again growing up. Yes, I was a quiet girl, but it wasn’t for the reasons many might assume. It’s not that I didn’t have anything to say, I definitely did. However, I was always told not to speak up and to respect my elders. I was scolded if I cried or showed too much emotion. At the dinner table, we didn’t speak. No one in my family ever asked me what I was thinking or how I was feeling. As a result, I was conditioned to hide my voice.
Additionally, unconscious bias taught society to view me in this lens. Looking into the media’s representation of an Asian woman, the personality traits associated with movie characters or news articles are weak and passive. They are overly sexualized and are always at the service of men.
Asian women are seldom portrayed as the strong leader or in place of power.
Consequently, I was never asked about my opinion, and if I did speak up, I wasn’t taken seriously. If there was a choice between me and my Caucasian counterpart, I was not chosen. I was only ever acknowledged for being hardworking, but never for my beauty, innovation, or creativity.
Encouragement: Asian Americans, find your voice. Don’t succumb to the claim, “she’s just shy.” There are cultural pressures that might be holding us back. We might have been told to keep our heads down and just work harder, but take the time to say what you think and share your story. Be confident in who you are and what you have to say because it’s valid and powerful.
Two: Asian is Asian.
I have been identified as almost every East and Southeast Asian ethnicity in my lifetime. While I’m not offended by that in itself, I realized that society had deemed the Asian race as a monolith. I was subjected to stereotypes against Koreans, Filipinos, Vietnamese — the list goes on. When correcting people and stating that I’m actually Chinese, it wasn’t often that I was asked to explain the difference or shown any interest in not wanting to make the same mistake again. I also found it fascinating that people categorized “Asians” and “Indians” separately, despite grouping every other Asian country together.
As a result of the monolithic mindset towards the Asian race, I was repeatedly mixed up with the one or two other Asian students in my class or coworkers at the office. I was left feeling unseen and forgotten. I was just “another one of them” rather than a unique individual. Yet in reality, there is a vast difference between traditions, food, beauty, and overall culture from country to country.
The implications of feeling invisible caused me to lose my voice and be ashamed of who I am. The world didn’t care to know and celebrate my culture, so why should I?
Encouragement: Acknowledge and celebrate the unparalleled qualities that come from each country. Celebrate your fellow Asian Americans and learn about their culture. Use conversations to educate people on your traditions and don’t be embarrassed even if they’re unordinary!
Three: There is no discrimination against Asian ethnicities.
In my experience, this misperception stems from a combination of challenges the Asian community faces. First, I have not encountered a cohesive movement against racism towards Asian communities likely because we were conditioned to keep our heads down and work hard (although it is on the rise amidst COVID-19).
Second, the model minority myth regards Asian Americans as a wealthy people with high achievements (think Crazy Rich Asians). This identification leads to the assumption that all Asian Americans are doing well in society and don’t face challenges due to the color of their skin.
Lastly, many Asian Americans are immigrants or second generation immigrants, and have prioritized survival. Our culture has conditioned us to think that good things only come from hard work. Emotions aren’t welcomed, so it is uncomfortable to raise our voice against situations that make us feel inferior.
Takeaway: Be willing to stand up for yourself and with your Asian American communities. Continue to empower them to share their stories and speak out against discrimination. Hold officials in power and the media accountable to sharing our story too. We all have a voice to be heard!
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This journey for me is far from over — I still hesitate to be proud of being a Chinese American woman. Yet, my hope is that my story will inspire people to feel safe in sharing theirs, and do the work of educating people and encouraging others to speak up.
