To the
author Liz Lin: Your account on the reason why Asian Americans remained silent
about the Ferguson case is really compelling. As an Asian myself, I totally
comprehend what you’ve described as “the power of cultural tradition”. To some
extent, the status of Asian Americans on the so-called racial “food chain” is
really fluid and kinetic. If someone in the United States have been
characterized as an Asian American, their racial identity is destined to be
vague, and in many occasions, awkward in the context. Personally, I would
attribute the reason why Asian people remained silent in the face of injustice
like that of the Ferguson case in that people themselves feel isolated and
alienated within the society, and when other minorities suffered from in
justice, they tend to keep a distance and remain silent about it to gain a
sense of security and superiority. When Asian people are characterized in
stereotype as the “model minority”, a huge number of Asian Americans graciously
accepted it, for from this term, they sniffed a sense of belonging and
acceptance, although fake. This kind of mindset, combined with the conviction
that whoever is the first to stand up will be shot, it is reasonable to reach
to the conclusion of why people remained silent. I am also approve of your
statement that “to remain quiet in the face of injustice is to inherently
perpetuate it. When a whole group of people fell into the abyss of “mindlessness”,
as the famous Chinese writer and revolutionist Lu Xun has described, there is
just no way to get out of it. Just as the prevailing poetry about the Jews under
that Nazi reign during WWII has described, “when others are harassed, I remained
silent; when the blades are waving at me, no one stands up for me.”
Letter to Claudia Rankine
Dear Claudia Rankine, I really liked the way you formatted your book by telling different stories from the perspective of a person of color or on the behalf of another person of color. I found it interesting how the first chapter (and others throughout the book) were written in the second person. It is a very unusual writing style, but I found it an effective way to articulate your message, as the readers can better understand the discrimination people of color face and the emotions that follow. I'm interested in knowing how you came up with this method of portrayal. A story I found especially captivating was the one about Serena Williams. I thought I "knew" about the discrimination she faced as a black women in a traditionally white sport, but I never realized how it was evident through refereeing and increasing progressed through the years. I also didn't realize the effect it had on her emotional attitude on the court, and as a result, I have much more...
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