In Los Angeles, Asians and Asian Americans find power in Healing Our People through Engagement (HOPE), a program aimed at changing the way our communities heal from racism, discrimination, and hate. During a time of increased hate, we encourage you to read stories of healing and hope from our communities.
*Some names have been changed to maintain confidentiality.
Combating Workplace Discrimination
Abbey had just immigrated to America three years ago. She was happy at her new workplace until she noticed her coworkers treating her differently. She overheard her coworker complain to her supervisor, “Why did you hire a Cambodian person to work here?,” after she had made one mistake. Hurt and upset, Abbey kept her head down and continued to do her best at work. She knew she had a heavy accent when speaking English, so she felt humiliated being treated differently. The HOPE program built up her confidence, and she was able to share her experiences with the group after three sessions. Abbey now shares her story with friends and family, hoping to spread awareness on combating discrimination in the Cambodian community.
Addressing Internalized Racism
Crystal grew up hearing “You should marry a white man, you’ll be better off.” As someone who is half Japanese American and half Chinese American, she often felt othered. Some friends said she “wasn’t attractive” because she wasn’t Wasian (white and Asian) like they were. When Crystal started dating, her white partners would fetishize and reduce her to her Asian identity. She couldn’t share this with anyone, and when Crystal moved to rural Ohio for college, she felt even more isolated. Through HOPE, she connected with a diverse group of Japanese Americans and cultivated solidarity amongst others who held similar emotions. Crystal realized the impact of her childhood and the constant appeal to whiteness. “HOPE brought this issue [internalized racism] to light for me. I’m determined to address the root of my childhood trauma to become the best therapist I can be.”
Becoming Whole with Heritage
Growing up in the midwest, Taylor was often called “exotic” by classmates, teachers, and neighbors causing her to feel alienated. On top of that, Taylor doesn’t speak Tagalog as a first-generation Filipino American. She began feeling disconnected from herself and became an angry person, without the words to describe why. After the HOPE program, Taylor learned more about her heritage and found community with other Filipino Americans who shared similar experiences. “I always felt like I was in the middle and not meant to be who I want to be. I was never meant to be American. I was never meant to be Filipino. But, now I see that being proud of my heritage is who I want to be.”
Speaking Up Against Bullying
20-year-old Lian immigrated during the rise of violence and racism against Asians in 2020. As this was her first impression of America, Lian believed it to be the status quo. At school, Lian was hyper aware of her accent after a group project. Her classmates avoided her and chose someone else to present the project because they felt “her English is not good enough”. After joining HOPE and hearing others speak freely, Lian began to open up. “I guess my accent isn’t so bad… It’s okay for me to speak up.” HOPE shifted Lian’s mindset and empowered her to advocate for not only herself, but her friends who are also victims of bullying.
Healing Through Activism
At the height of anti-Asian hate, a man on the bus yelled, “Ch-nk, speak English!”. Joy sat behind the target of these slurs, Chinese ladies speaking in Cantonese, who didn’t understand what was going on. When the man began muttering racist sounds “resembling” Asian languages, Joy stood up to defend them. Thankfully, the man backed down and got off at the next stop.
As an activist, Joy is determined to advocate for others but never stopped to heal from her own experiences. “Hey! Jackie Chan!” her “friend” taunted while slanting their eyes and throwing rocks at her. After completing the HOPE program, Joy “healed her inner child” who had to hide in bushes to avoid bullying. She connected to the broader Asian community and related to others’ journey in healing from similar experiences. “We were taught to minimize our feelings. HOPE is the opposite of that, we’re doing this radical act of sharing emotions and becoming stronger.”
Moving Towards Radical Healing
Linda was waiting for her husband to return when she heard yelling outside. She came out to see a man circling her husband. “Asians are ugly! What’re YOU doing in THIS neighborhood? You don’t own this property!” The man berated them as he followed them into the apartment complex. Scared, Linda called the cops. When they arrived, the man had left. Linda tried to file a police report only to be met with “People are allowed to have opinions,”.
As a Japanese American woman, whose grandparents survived the WWll internment camps, she knew this act of hate wasn’t merely an opinion. Linda and her husband began taking extra precautions. They installed security cameras, carried a bat in the car, and stopped running errands at night.
After joining the HOPE program, Linda realized that her and her husband had only been coping, rather than truly healing, from their trauma. The shift in mindset empowered Linda to take action towards radical healing. “It fired me up! I even started a podcast to share Asian American experiences.”
Shedding The Pain of Racism
Kathy is a first-generation immigrant who was bullied for her cultural differences and accent and was outcasted in her neighborhood. During the HOPE program, she had an emotional and cathartic moment as she revealed an incredible amount of pain for the first time. Kathy was able to share freely and without interruption or problem-solving from other participants and facilitators. Tears were shed as she shared how these microaggressions severely affected her mental health throughout her life.
