Advocating after Tragedy | We Need Space to Process and Regroup

One of the most challenging and emotionally tiring things to happen since the Atlanta shootings is the increase in the amount of conversations surrounding race and how to be anti-racist I am having. 

If it were up to me, I would advocate on my own time, on my own platforms, and by my own choice. Instead, and this happens after every racist attack, is the community comes to the marginalized group to be educated. 

I don’t want to educate right now. I don’t want to advocate right now. I want to have time with my AAPI and BIPOC communities and reflect. I want us to process and take the time we need to regroup and keep fighting. 

I have had so many reach out with good intentions, but it often puts me in a vulnerable spot. 

“Has this happened to you?”

“What should I do?”

“Please, teach me how to be anti-racist.”

I do appreciate those who reach out. But asking one to be vulnerable to you when you’ve never reached out before is uncomfortable. Asking a BIPOC to educate you when there are countless resources out there for you to find is exhausting. 

The last week has been hard for the AAPI community, but it has been made harder because many of us are looking at people who have committed microaggressions and racism against us and we must tell them we cannot be their resource right now. 

We are being forced to say, “I do not want to open up to you about my trauma because there have been instances when you contributed to it.” 

The hurt didn’t just happen on March 16th when the AAPI community was shaken to its core. It continues to hurt as we recognize who is our genuine support and who isn’t. As we are reminded of our past traumas and are forced to face those who hurt us. As we see that even after this, people refuse to acknowledge anti-Asian racism. 

The work never ends. We are not going to go away. We need compassion. We need space. We will keep fighting.