Being Called American Isn’t The Ultimate Compliment You Can Give Minorities

In a continuation of the number one most asked question towards me ever, my Languages of Communication professor was going around the table last week, asking every minority “where they were from”.

“Well, I’m from here-“ I started.

“Right” he laughs, “From Colorado or something, right?”

“…But my family is from Hong Kong.”

This has become my answer crafted from years of being subject to the gamut of everything from “what ethnicity are you?” to the even more eloquent “what are you?” 

Frequently Asked Question: Who Cares?

“You put so much emphasis on race, why does it even matter so much to you?”

“Why do these situations make you so upset?”

“The more we talk about racism the more power we give it”

“Give me one reason why you care about racism so much”

That is a dose of friendship realness that I have received over the years about my passion for the Asian American community, racial politics, and my overall loathing of racism. 

I, for one, think it’s an outrage that people are not more outraged.