It has been a constant struggle to grow up as a Korean American woman in the United States in the context of white supremacy and always being perceived as a stranger, a foreigner and being fetishized in the country of my birth. It’s a long story, still in process but thanks to a strong family and enduring connections to my culture – a positive one. As we close out AAPI month, I implore all of us to be steadfast in our opposition to white supremacy and oppression where and whenever we can. We must stand with each other not only during these “awareness” months but all of the time, otherwise we do no more than engage in performative acts of superficial unity. I thank Tina Tchen for sharing one shared example of how bigotry impacts and makes us invisible even at the highest levels of power.
