I came to America 34 years ago with two suitcases and a dream - the American dream that opportunities for all people regardless of their race, gender, national origin, or any other personal attributes.  My journey has not been easy but worthy. I tried hard, cried hard, and laughed hard.  I worked two jobs for years to put myself through school.  Today, I am a proud US citizen, a college professor, a taxpayer, a homeowner, a mother, and yes, a soccer mom.  

My story is an American story a story of millions of immigrants who came before and after me to this land now we call home It is the story about those who boarded the Mayflower crossing the Atlantic Ocean in the year 1620, those who fled the Irish Potato Famine in 1845, the Jews who escaped from the Nazi prosecution in 1933, or the refugees from Somalia and Syria in more recent years. Our differences are only skin-deep. We all believed in the American dream. 

But the American dream for many Asian Americans is under attack. With the open permission of anti-Asian rhetoric such as “China Virus” and “Kong Flu”, anti-Asian hate crimes and incidents have skyrocketed. Words matter. More than 3,800 cases were reported in last year alone.  

You may think to yourself, but these incidents do not happen in the suburbs like ours. Discrimination and bigotry come in all shapes and sizes. How many of us have been bypassed for promotion despite having an excellent performance review year after year?  When one member posted her concern after the mass shooting targeting Asian women in Atlanta on a neighborhood social media group, she was dismissed by someone saying “can we keep politics out of it? I just want to find a good plumber”. Only one neighbor came to her aid supporting her rights to express herself.  Silence matters too. I can go on and on. 

We must tell our stories. We must have our voice heard. We must unite to condemn hatred, racism, discrimination, bigotry, and Xenophobia. We must build a safe community together.  

We must keep the American dream alive!

By Nina Gao