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This Is What a Solidarity Text Looks Like
In the wake of anti-Asian hate, this text from my white friend was genuinely helpful
This year, I’ve watched more viral videos of elderly Asian people being brutally attacked than I would have liked to. This year, eight women were murdered in three massage parlors in Atlanta because, as the sheriff’s department put it, the gunman was having a “really bad day.”
If anything positive has come out of all of this, it is the elevation of Asian voices. Not that discrimination against Asian Americans is anything new. My Japanese family lived in Hawaii during World War II, so I have grown up hearing stories about America’s knack for xenophobia.
Yet, finally, Asian people are speaking out about the discrimination they have faced, and people are actually listening. I found myself relating to a lot of these experiences, especially those specific to Asian American women.
The frustration with performative activism
Yes, I believe it’s a good thing that violence against Asians is receiving attention. Yes, I do agree that this social movement has an overall positive effect on society.
However, just like with every social movement, I feel annoyed with the amount of performative…
