Michael Luo, deputy metro editor for the New York Times, was yelled at by a woman on the street and told to "Go back to China!"
This is 2016. This happened in a major city with a very large Asian American population.
Here is Michael Luo's open letter to the woman, which was on the front page of the New York Times. In addition, this is an article with some of the many responses to the open letter and a video of several responders. (Warning: The video contains vulgar language and racial slurs. The language is from the comments made to Asian Americans.)
I won't deny that this hit me hard. I have my own set of stories to tell from childhood and adulthood of being mocked and made to feel ashamed of my ethnicity. Some remarks were subtle and patronizing. Others were not. I also remember what I said and did to make the point that I was as much an American as the next person. In some instances I tried to fit in as much as possible which meant acting like the predominant culture. In other words, acting "white." But no more.
No more
I am not suddenly turning into a social justice warrior. But as a Christian, my faith isn't worth much if it doesn't change me and directly affect how I treat and respect others who are different from me. Racism stems from more than the lack of enlightenment or a failure to be color blind. It is a sin and a violation of the 2nd greatest commandment.
But this is a touchy issue. It makes us defensive. It makes us uncomfortable. It may reveal the prejudices we hold inside that we don't even know are there. But sweeping it under the rug is not the answer. To borrow from a brother (my paraphrase), "Why is this the only sin we think will go away if we don't talk about it?" I think the time to talk is long overdue. I'm willing to part of the dialogue. I hope you are too.
Of note:
In my opinion and based on reading, color blindness only serves to maintain the status quo. For further reading, I recommend - Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America by Michael Emerson and Christian Smith. Even though the book is about the black/white divide, it can apply to other race relations as well.
Update 10:08 am:
Another video from the NYT. This is excellent - A conversation with Asian-Americans on race.
This is 2016. This happened in a major city with a very large Asian American population.
Here is Michael Luo's open letter to the woman, which was on the front page of the New York Times. In addition, this is an article with some of the many responses to the open letter and a video of several responders. (Warning: The video contains vulgar language and racial slurs. The language is from the comments made to Asian Americans.)
I won't deny that this hit me hard. I have my own set of stories to tell from childhood and adulthood of being mocked and made to feel ashamed of my ethnicity. Some remarks were subtle and patronizing. Others were not. I also remember what I said and did to make the point that I was as much an American as the next person. In some instances I tried to fit in as much as possible which meant acting like the predominant culture. In other words, acting "white." But no more.
No more
- pretending to be something I am not.
- being less than honest for fear of what people will think.
- being ashamed of the ethnic heritage that God has blessed me with.
- feeling obligated to conform to any cultural ideal that is extra-biblical especially when that culture is not my own.
I am not suddenly turning into a social justice warrior. But as a Christian, my faith isn't worth much if it doesn't change me and directly affect how I treat and respect others who are different from me. Racism stems from more than the lack of enlightenment or a failure to be color blind. It is a sin and a violation of the 2nd greatest commandment.
But this is a touchy issue. It makes us defensive. It makes us uncomfortable. It may reveal the prejudices we hold inside that we don't even know are there. But sweeping it under the rug is not the answer. To borrow from a brother (my paraphrase), "Why is this the only sin we think will go away if we don't talk about it?" I think the time to talk is long overdue. I'm willing to part of the dialogue. I hope you are too.
Of note:
In my opinion and based on reading, color blindness only serves to maintain the status quo. For further reading, I recommend - Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America by Michael Emerson and Christian Smith. Even though the book is about the black/white divide, it can apply to other race relations as well.
Update 10:08 am:
Another video from the NYT. This is excellent - A conversation with Asian-Americans on race.
Thanks Persis. As a member of the most privileged group--it is good to hear this from someone with a solid Christian perspective.
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