How I Learned to Speak Up About Anti-Asian Racism

As a psychiatry residency program director of Asian descent at a historically Black institution, I provided forums for my majority-Black residents to process their feelings about the racial turmoil of the past couple of years. At the same time, I was downplaying anti-Asian racism. This tendency slowed my response to the recent rise of anti-Asian violence and how it affected my Asian residents and others. It comes in part from the flawed stereotype that Asians are model minorities, which influences both Asians and non-Asians alike. I was aware of this stereotype and educated others on it years ago, but it still led to me suppress my own feelings about the violence. Reviewing my past experiences with racism and discussing these issues in my various communities helped me acknowledge my feelings and learn to speak up about this significant issue. Taking anti-Asian racism seriously will validate the experience of a significant proportion of the American population and the medical workforce, and it is one of multiple steps necessary to address it.