Opinion | Despite Joe Biden’s actions on hate crimes, Asians in the US see little to celebrate
- The past year has made it abundantly clear how difficult it is for Asians like me to feel they belong in the US, no matter how long they have lived here
- Suggesting anti-Asian violence is connected to the pandemic ignores the reality that such biases and many violent incidents predate Covid-19
Every May since 1992, the United States has observed Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. When I first arrived in the US in 1949, there was no such commemoration for Asian-Americans, most of whom did not even have full voting and citizenship rights.
I was not aware of the prejudices that tainted the Asian experience in America, and for a while I remained oblivious.
My father, one of Chiang Kai-shek’s most trusted generals, led the first Republic of China military delegation to the US from 1939 to 1941. My brothers accompanied him and attended colleges in California, and one served in the US Army during World War II.
The stories my brothers and father told of their time in the US fuelled my desire to study there myself, and I never questioned whether America would be a welcoming place for Asians.
04:04
‘Is this patriot enough?’: US veteran shows military scars as he addresses anti-Asian violence
