March 16, 2021. Six Asian Americans killed in a hate crime shooting in Atlanta, Georgia.
Their families, friends, pets, anxiously awaiting their arrival home.
Yet receiving tragic news of their loved ones.
As an Asian American, I fear for my family and myself.
I listen to the news, and wonder if I would experience something like that one day.
My blood starts boiling – hearing the ones who are supposed to protect us,
justifying the actions of this murderer.
Was it just a bad day?
Two weeks ago, an Asian American boy walking past my middle school,
spat on and called racial slurs –
hearing about this, my stomach churns and I clench my fists in anger.
I am disgusted. I am speechless.
How could this happen even in my own neighborhood?
That could’ve been me or my sister.
As Asian Americans, drowned in the stereotypes of the model minority myth,
we are thought to be silent,
to not stand up for ourselves.
This is changing.
Few weeks ago, my family and I attended an Anti-Asian American hate protest
because we are no longer silent.
People are dying. This is real.
I was amazed.
Our fellow brothers and sisters of the black community and other communities were there supporting us,
fighting for equality together, because we are all AMERICANS.
Because the promise of America is to protect equal rights of all PERSONS!
Because nobody deserves hate due to the color of their skin!
3 thoughts on “Hate Has No Home”
Sophie,
In 2013, on ABC “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” a television talk show, Kimmel asked a group of children how the United States should pay back the $1.3 trillion debt it owes to China. A 6-year-old said, “Kill everyone in China.” Kimmel replied: “That’s an interesting idea.” If to kill people to solve a problem was an interesting idea, no wonder a man who had a bad day killed 8 women to solve his own problem. The same reasoning is behind so many hate crimes and incidents, which were conducted by cowards who couldn’t face their own problems. You have the courage to speak up. That is a solution to solve this Asian Hate problem.
Xi
I like this prose poem and especially like the reference to the 14th amendment in the last paragraph as it stipulates the equal rights of all persons. By referencing that, you elevated the message of this poem. Well done!
The personal experience part (in the neighborhood) is very good.