19 Mar Stop Asian Hate Message

This poem and art by Natalie Nong, a 10,000 Degrees Asian American high school student in our community, expresses the heartbreak, fear, and pain that too many Asian American and Pacific Islanders across our nation are suffering due to an alarming rise of white supremacy, racism, and racist violence against our AAPI brothers and sisters. 10,000 Degrees stands in solidarity with our AAPI students, families, and communities, and we encourage everyone to commit to working to end the pervasive patterns of hatred and violence that are fueling these deplorable acts and injustices. We see you, we hear you. 

To learn more or on how to take meaningful action, visit https://stopaapihate.org, http://hateisavirus.org, and https://lnkd.in/dkZvJFn. 

healing for the young asian girl 

by Natalie Nong

to the young asian girl
who is struggling with how
to process your pain right now

i want to tell you that it’s okay.
that the anger or hurt you may feel
is valid and that you deserve
to be acknowledged and seen.

to the young asian girl
who wants to speak up
but finds that your voice
gets lodged in your throat,
and you feel as though
you can’t breathe,

i am sorry. 
i am sorry for the pain you are in right now
and i know that you hate crying
but it’s okay if you have to.

crying will not make you weak
and you will not be playing
into that sick stereotype of a submissive asian woman.

so allow yourself to feel,
to scream,
to rant.
allow yourself to heal
because you deserve it.

to the young asian girl
who feels fetishized
and sexualized,

you are human.
you deserve to feel safe in your own skin
and I’m sorry that that sense
of security was stolen from you
but know that you can take it back
because you are stronger 
than what you may think
right now.

to the young asian girl
who feels ignored,
who feels like people
won’t listen to your warnings
or protests unless
someone gets hurt or ends up murdered,

your voice matters.
it always has and always will
and people will eventually
be forced to listen to what you 
have to say
so do not silence yourself
for the comfort of others.

to the young asian girl
who knows that this type of violence
isn’t new,

who knows the history of yellow peril,
the model minority myth,
the chinese exclusion act,
and the countless other times
asian bodies have been brutalized and beaten throughout history

please stay strong.
it may feel like you want to give up,
that people will forever choose to stay ignorant
but in that case,
please put yourself first.

it is not your job
to educate others on 
your pain or your history.

you are not a resource.
you are a human being and deserve to be treated as such.

to the young asian girl
who feels exhausted,
and drained,
and can’t help but feel like,
you’re drowning
in the news of the daily
hate crimes you see online,

it is okay to unplug.
to log off.
to return to yourself
and find peace with your loved ones.

to the young asian girl
writing this poem
as a form of healing
and processing,

know that you are loved.
that you are appreciated.
that you are not a model minority.
or a scapegoat.
or a fetish.

know that feeling pain doesn’t make you weak.
know that you are allowed to rest and heal for however long you need.