By Anjuli Niyogi, Thunderbolt Editor-in-Chief

As an Asian-American, I almost always identify as a minority when entering a room. I’ve been told that I’ve drifted too far from my Southeast Asian roots, and on the other hand, that I don’t belong in this country, but my personal experiences with racist encounters do not begin to compare to the deep fear and discrimination that African Americans experience today. I have never had to worry about being unjustifiably killed by police officers after being pulled over or being shot while out for a run around my neighborhood. 

My minute encounters with racist comments are what I believe to be side effects of the internalized racism ingrained so deeply in our society. This same internalized racism resulted in the deaths suffered by George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Rayshard Brooks, and countless others. In other words, killing another with racist motivations, in a sense, is one and the same to call someone a “chink” or to tell them they don’t belong in this country. As Asians, we experience prejudice in America, but this fight against it is being fought through the Black Lives Matter movement. 

Hours after I first watched the video documenting George Flloyd’s deadly encounter, social media platforms across the internet were overwhelmed with the information, opinions, and opportunities supporting a new wave of activism. I noticed many of my fellow Asian-American classmates posting about supporting the movement. Some were even designing and selling products to raise money for organizations supporting the cause. Many were posting information on how to support the movement as Americans, but I was shocked and proud that some were even posting about supporting the movement as first-generation Asian-Americans. They were encouraging others to use their identity to talk to their less involved Asian-American immigrant family members. 

Some Asian-American families can be very anti-black, encouraging their kids to never bring an African-American partner home and to watch their backs when passing them by in grocery stores. But these black people are our neighbors, our classmates, our co-workers, our friends, and for some, our family. It’s time we educated our less-inclined family members and started these difficult conversations. The point of these conversations is not to force them into believing what you believe but to merely let them, with a little guidance, understand for themselves, one reason why they just might support this ongoing movement. 

Of course, this centuries-old movement is not going to end tomorrow, but your contributions do matter.

What you have been taught growing up, how you choose to act given this foundation, and what you choose to teach the next generation plays heavily into what becomes tomorrow. So first and foremost, educate your family with the facts. Many African-Americans have been shot, jailed, harassed, and beaten while fighting for the rights that we, as Asian-Americans, enjoy today. Help your family empathize with those who have lost their lives and loved ones while fighting for these rights. Give them a reason why this fight is also a fight against any prejudice they have ever experienced in their lives. 

I applaud my classmates who have already educated themselves, attended protests, signed petitions, donated, and especially those who have begun to have difficult conversations with their families on why this fight is also a fight for Asian-Americans. And if your family members still don’t want to think of themselves as an Asian-American supporter of black lives, maybe they’ll be a person supporting the chance to save lives.

Photo Credits: Anjuli Niyogi