America has a fetish for Asian women. The conversation starts there. When the word ‘Asian’ gets added to ‘woman’ there’s a little extra stimulation to the wrong kind of men. Trophies to brag about, toys that don’t sass back, dolls that promise a happy time. It takes brass balls to be an Asian woman in America and I would not have the guts to walk in their Jimmy Choos. The consolation prize for tragedy is...
Most of us start out as liberals. Not a real liberal, or a leftie, or some kind of socialist, but the ideal kind. The kind where liberals are a special group that strive together to end racism, punch Nazis, and elect a black president. And then I realize that was a crock of shit. Of course, it wasn’t liberalism’s fault. I never bothered to look up the movement, only defined it as what it was...
America has a fear-based relationship with China and I blame America. For the longest time, we’ve been in denial about an unspeakable truth: China’s brand of communist-capitalism, as a government system has been more effective in modern times than democracy, or what America actually has in reality, a corporate oligarchy. It’s as ugly a truth to accept as the bad guy getting the girl or the rich kid getting off by the cops. Things shouldn’t...
You’d be forgiven if you haven’t heard of Vincent Chin. You’d also be forgiven if you’re Asian and don’t believe that racism happens either. Those two sentences are co-related. So many of us don’t know much about our own history and it will continue to happen until we begin conversations with stories like Vincent Chin. Thirty-eight years ago, Vincent Chin was murdered. It happened in Michigan during the collapse of the American auto industry, during...
Let’s get this out of the way: Tou Thao is a despicable human being. M.P.D. Badge #7162 has a history of excessive brutality and a settled out-of-court case for $25,000. He’s the Asian cop in the infamous George Floyd murder video and his immoral professional choices should absolutely be condemned. The defend-Asians-no-matter-what crowd is wrong here; put the tribalism aside and sit this one out. What disturbs me is that in America, if someone who...
So, I’ve got a story to tell. In these times of violence against Asians, I don’t feel it’s “right” to speak negatively against my kind. But then again, that’s always been the problem. Taking sides means seeing the world in black and white, and while articles about harassment and saying China Virus is racist are abundant, I’ve been a witness to a problem started by our community that’s been under spoken. Since December of last...
In the Western world, everything has to be put into a prism of race, including, ironically, a virus that indiscriminately kills people. Asians have been talking about xenophobia as though it either didn’t exist or it only happens to other communities, but now that it’s here, we’re stepping on our soapboxes and educating the world as if it didn’t already know. In New York, an Asian was assaulted for wearing a face mask, in Los...
When kpop singer Sulli killed herself, there were many articles that talked about it and they basically went like this: 1.) Sulli was outspoken 2.) Sulli created controversy because she didn’t wear bras 3.) Sulli was cyberbullied. Neglected in their explanations was the most terrifying aspect of her death: she was heavily punished for bringing up her mental health issues. For those unfamiliar with the cultures of the Far East, it’s difficult to imagine how...
Dear Chanel, I read your book “Know My Name” and acknowledge that I am part of the problem. In your book, you mention about Trump and his “grab ‘em by the pussy” outburst, though I think the bigger problem is Billy Bush. Billy Bush was the guy listening and laughing along with Trump in that infamous video and months later, Billy Bush said he didn’t agree or condone with any of Trump’s “locker room talk”...
SNL excited us with Bowen Yang, but the news of the show’s first Asian-American cast member lasted about as long as a Venus sunny day. Within hours, audio from Shane Gillis, another newly casted SNL member, surfaced and clouded over our victory parade. Check out his comments on full display here: Gillis quickly apologized after the video went viral, but the incident offered an opportunity to discuss an under-spoken topic: Bigotry against Asians is more...
