by Joo C.
Many Asians have experienced racial discrimination from Western countries. Some people thought Walnut Creek is a safe community and people are nice. I met a lot of nice people and I appreciate all of the good people around me but racists are everywhere.
For example, I went to the DMV to get a written test. I printed some prediction questions for tests on the internet. At the DMV desk, I tried to enroll in the written test. But a white woman who worked there got angry and yelled at me about the papers. I explained that I printed out the predicted questions from the internet and I didn’t get any test paper yet. But she didn’t hear me. She took the papers in my hand, went through my bag, and took all my printed papers. She looked like a cop. She took the paper to her supervisor for confirmation and she knew she was wrong. I told her to apologize to me but she didn’t apologize to me in the end.
The second episode is about a spam call. I tried to hang up quickly so I told her I was so busy. However, the person mocked me with a high emphasis on shouting, “Go back to your country!”
Third, I often go to the supermarket. Most times, there were white people in front of me and white people behind me. Many cashiers kindly greeted and joked with the white people around me but not with me. When it was my turn, they didn’t say anything to me, didn’t look at my eyes at all, and suddenly worked hard to get away from me quickly.
Many people are uncomfortable talking about this topic. Even Asians don’t want to talk about being racist. Because it’s about getting their private ideas out and hurting. Asian are called the model minority in the U.S. because they live a successful life more than other minorities. And everyone thinks they should not complain.
When the Coronavirus started in China and moved to the United States, racial discrimination increased by 152% in San Jose, by 833% in New York. Most violence occurs to elderly Asians or Asian women. There was only one thing I could do. When I meet racists, I speak up clearly in front of them. Being aware of problems is the beginning of the solution.