Where do we stand with all that is going on?
I feel like this post is something I’ve been wanting to write, but honestly… I’ve been so nervous to say the wrong thing or be misunderstood. So I’m going to preface this post with: I’m trying to learn. As a non-black person of color, I do have experience in what racism is like, but definitely not to the extent that Blacks have had to deal with. Trying to find the right words to relay how I feel about all that’s going on is hard. I’ve been ear-deep in podcasts, and I’ve probably read more history this past week than I had to in high school.
There’s so much that goes into the movement for equal rights and against police brutality. Far more than what I could learn in a couple of weeks.
It’s hard to even try to find where to begin. As a second-generation immigrant, my parents moved to the United States in search of a better life than what they had in the Philippines. Both of my parents joined the military and made sacrifices to make a better life for our family. America is where it’s at, right? Then why does it seem like life is just a tad bit better living elsewhere? I’ve lived overseas more than half of my life, to include the Philippines, Germany, Japan, and Korea. I remember when I was a kid, everyone would get so hyped to fly back to the states for vacations, me included. Filipinos break their backs over work visas or school visas just to come to the states, and I’m sure that’s the case for other countries as well. It’s the land of opportunity where you can “chase the American dream”. Well I want to inquire with y’all…
What the fuck is the American Dream? Cause I know this ain’t it.
Making something out of nothing? Pulling yourself up by your boot straps to keep on truckin’ along? Fake it until you make it? Big house with a wrap around porch and picket fence? I don’t know. I honestly don’t know. What I do know, is when I pictured the American Dream, I didn’t picture it being so much harder for BIPOC to achieve the same goals that non-BIPOC people have. I didn’t picture a life where people were rude to each other because of you having a little more melanin and a lot more curl to your hair. I didn’t picture the bullying, segregation, and discrimination that still happens today. And I think that I’ve gotten so complacent on policing people for their discrimination. It’s sad to see that it’s a norm for BIPOC people to be treated differently. Well, I notice it, and I admit to have had the thoughts: “I guess this is just the way things are.”
I feel awful not doing anything because “it’s just the way things are"
Graphic by @KristinaMicotti
I’m done being complacent, and it’s time to use my voice and stand up for equality.
I think this covert-racist behavior is so deeply rooted in my upbringing of literally being white-washed with Papaya whitening soap and Eskinol that I’ve just accepted this stupid socially-made hierarchy of skin color. And I think that’s why I have to start with myself and changing my behaviors. It’s active work to become an ally for Blacks.
I learned a lot when I became an Equal Opportunity Leader back in Korea, and that’s when I began looking into my biases that I kept in “my bag". It’s time for me to empty that bag. I do appreciate all of my friends who have been posting helpful articles, websites, movies, documentaries, and various resources to learn from. What I do know is that police brutality is very real and it can be very scary at these protests that have the potential to turn violent. I know that so many people did not deserve to die the way they did at the hands of people who are employed to protect the community. I know that the life my Black brothers and sisters lead are different than my own, and I don’t want them to have to raise their kids to “be a certain way” so it “doesn’t happen to them.” That’s fucked up.
That’s not the kind of world I want my son to live in. Looking back at these MLK Jr. photos and Civil Rights Movements, you’d think that it was way before our time… but it wasn’t. For some of our grandparents it could be a “seems like it was just yesterday” kind of story. It’s time that a proper reconciliation happen.
Listen to what BIPOC have to say. Fight to end police brutality. And say their names.
Graphic from NPR Code Switch, “A Decade of Watching Black People Die”
