January Study Challenge

i'm trying so hard to finish reading the ortho chapter but it's so long i want to give up

some notes on anti-asian racism

look. other people have commented on this before, but it seems like it needs to be said again because some of y’all aren’t getting the message. 

asian people are a marginalized minority. what about this do people not understand. asian people are marginalized because we live in a system of white supremacy and in this system, asian people will never be white and will never have the power of white people. just because a lot of asians are relatively well off financially does not mean we are not marginalized; there are other ways to be excluded and treated as unequal besides in terms of money, and this completely ignores the millions of asian people who are poor and working class, including the women who were killed in atlanta. asian people are not basically white- we look different, so we are treated different, just like any minority. it’s that simple. if asian people were not marginalized, why else would hate crimes against asian people rise dramatically in 2020. why else would we be attacked in the streets. why else would people tell us to go back to where we came from. why else would the chinese exclusion act be passed, japanese american citizens be shipped to the midwest during world war 2, vietnamese people massacred by american soldiers in the 70s. asian people are being killed now. if we are not marginalized, why are there targets on our backs for existing. 

black lives matter and stop asian hate are movements for social justice that have the same root cause: destroying white supremacy. black and asian communities have often been pitted against each other by white institutions seeking to take advantage of sowing discord between minority groups, but there is a rich history of black-asian solidarity during the fight for civil rights in the late 20th century. yes, anti-blackness is a real issue in asian communities, especially among older asians. and yes, asians also experience racism from black individuals- see these examples of cardi b using an anti-asian slur, this incident that happened yesterday of a black man pouring unknown liquid on an asian woman. neither is acceptable. supporting one movement does not negate your support for the other. you can do both, in fact, you should do both. realize that we all have a common enemy here, and it’s the system of white supremacy that has oppressed us. we are not free from white supremacy until it is all entirely eradicated, for everyone. 

just because i speak in the collective sense about asian people does not mean that all asian people are the same. even though some of us may look similar, with black hair and “small” eyes, that is only a representative image of some east/southeast asian people. asia is vast and incredibly diverse, and each nation has its own culture, language, and traditions. in addition, the asian diaspora is huge. asian people live all over the world, in varying economic, social, and political situations. different asian people in different areas have very different problems, even within the same country. an asian in a small town in nebraska will have a very different experience than an asian in paris. a korean person will have a different experience in a given place from an indian person. i don’t know how many times in my life i’ve been asked, “are you chinese?” the answer is no, i’m not, and a lot of asians aren’t chinese. tied into this is the mistaken belief of some nonasians in the western world that all asians are still allegiant to the country of their heritage and speak the language of that country, which manifests in comments like “oh your english is so good!” or “are you, like, communist?” first off, it ignores the very real possibility that an asian person could be born outside asian countries, and second, being from a certain country by no means determines whether you’re loyal to it and agree with its policies. i just saw this with an anon claiming all chinese people support the government’s reeducation camps for uyghur muslims. this is absolutely preposterous. 

finally, a word on allyship. i have zero faith in nonasian people- and by that i mean white people- to continue talking about this and spreading awareness about anti-asian racism. part of it is this model minority myth, that asians are basically as well off as white people, at least financially and academically, so they can figure things out by themselves. no. absolutely not. we cannot get out of the hole white supremacy has put us into without white people making a genuine, legitimate effort to confront their own biases. your white tears, your prayers and thoughts, they mean nothing when the blood of our families and friends runs in the streets. they mean nothing if you haven’t bothered to learn a single thing about your own prejudices. i hope to god that i am wrong about this. i hope for my family, my friends, and myself that y’all will continue to be loud about this, because we are tired of screaming for help in a crowd where we are invisible and no one cares. but i’m a skeptic for a reason, and it took a massacre for people to notice what was happening. i don’t know if i’ll ever be proven wrong. 

here are some links and posts below where you can learn about this issue and donate: 

anti-asian violence resources

61 places to donate to help asian americans

donation links 

microaggressions against asian people

twitter thread of resources

asian therapists in the us and canada

asian hate coping resources (in several different languages)

Asking for a Letter of Recommendation

I’ve seen some people post about being nervous/scared of rejection/etc so here is my strategy for requesting a letter of rec:

1. Title the email clearly, so recommender can access later: “Recommendation Request for NAME LASTNAME”

2. Greet them formally: “Dear Dr. X,” (I tend to do this no matter how close the relationship is)

3. Make the request: “I am writing to ask if you would be willing to write a letter of recommendation to support my application to WHATEVER THING.”

4. Tell them the deadline: “I would need the letter by MONTH/DAY/YEAR.” (If you want to give a reason, you can also say that the application is due, or that you are hoping to submit your application by that date.)

5. Why Them?: Share 1-2 sentences about why you think they are the right person to recommend you, or what they might add to your application. “Given your role as my advisor/mentor/colleague/etc, I believe you could offer a clear picture of my interpersonal skills/research abilities/developing strengths/academic abilities/etc.”

6. Offer to Help: Let them know that if they accept the offer, you will provide guidance and support in letter-writing. “If you are willing to write the letter, I would be happy to share more information about myself and my experiences, as well as information about where to send the letter.”

7. Help them decide if they are the right fit: Attach your CV, so they can take a look and make a more informed decision about whether they can confidently recommend you. “I have attached my CV in case you would like to review it.”

8. Thank them for their consideration and/or time

9. Sign off: Make sure your contact information is included in your email signature.

i want to study literature but i want to study psychology but i want to study architecture but i want to study linguistics but i want to study sociology but i want to study philosophy but i want to study chemistry but i want to study history but i

sorry i just really love the sky 🥺i finished the five people you meet in heaven aaaand cried. the message is just so sweet and i really connected with it

death star waffles! and grape juice and bacon :)

currently reading this! i’m enjoying it but it’s not a very quick read.

January Study Challenge

forgot to do day 4 so i’m just gonna skip it 😬

day 5 - why did you choose your major, or if you’re still in the process of choosing (or if you haven’t even started), what’s your thought process in choosing one?

i’m still in hs, so i definitely have not chosen a major yet! but i’ve thought about it plenty. i want to become a surgeon (or at least some kind of physician) so i’m going to have to go to med school. i’ve read that you can really major in anything as an undergrad to go to med school, but i feel as if biology would prepare me best, so that’s what i’m gonna major in! preferably human biology or something similar.

i’m definitely going to minor in comparative literature or english though! i adore fiction :)

thanks for tagging me @autumn-rain-coffee :)

rules: answer the questions and tag some people you want to get to know better/catch up with.

~~~~~~

three ships: 1. Wanda Maximoff + Vision 🥰

2. pricefield (yes i am stuck in 2015)

3. Eleanor + Chidi from The Good Place :)

last song: The Man with the Axe - Lorde

last movie: The Suicide Squad

currently watching: rewatching Parks and rec + The Good Place, watching Free!

currently reading: just finished Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse & about to start Armada by Ernest Cline

currently craving: some really good watermelon

i’m tagging @mymessystudyblr @cafeconlleche @marsoundsbetter @alexis-hrt and @study-for-your-dream