A Personal Journey — Becoming an Ally
Last year, March 2020, was eye-opening for many reasons. Not only did the COVID pandemic hit, but we had a “President” that used racially and socially unjust terms such as “Chinese Virus” and “Kung Flu”. The impact was immediate as our nation’s Pan Asian communities experienced a huge rise in negative, violent, and racist attacks that continued to worsen and unfortunately still exist today.
Backtracking to last year, it seemed as soon as I started learning more about the alarming and horrific number of Pan Asian incidents of racism and violence nationwide, the George Floyd incident occurred. I was concerned and wanted to learn more. I remember searching for and finding a video clip of what had transpired. I was horrified to see so many police officers in the vicinity who failed to stop the main officer who had his knee to George’s neck, while hearing George repeat over and over again that he couldn’t breathe. The main police officer continued to hold his knee on George’s neck resulting in George’s death. The video of George’s death brought me back to stark, horrifying memories of Rodney King who was brutally beaten 30 years ago by 4 Los Angeles police officers with an LAPD helicopter hovering over the incident to provide light while other LAPD bystanders allowed the brutality to continue. I kept thinking to myself, not only how horrifying the incident itself was but how horrifying it would be if no one had caught these incidents on the video to bring these huge, racial injustices to media attention. Furthermore, what if this had happened to non-English speaking victims without any video clips, and what if the victim(s) didn’t know who or how to notify the proper authorities re: unjust, racial attacks? How many victims and attacks have been undocumented daily, weekly, monthly, or annually? No one knows. It saddens me to imagine that whatever the annually reported incidents of racism and violence are in our nation, the actual true numbers are much higher.
After George Floyd’s death, I started tuning in to CNN, U.S., and Local news sources more frequently. I continued hearing and learning about many racist attacks on Black Americans.
Black American bird watcher, Christian Cooper, who politely asked a Caucasian woman to put her dog on a leash due to NYC Central Park regulation. Instead, the Caucasian woman called 911 and lied saying that Christian had threatened her.
Black American, Ahmaud Arbery, was out jogging in Georgia and was shot and killed by 2 Caucasian men claiming he resembled a wanted burglar.
The more I listened and learned, the worse I felt for Black Americans. Like many people, I became painfully aware of my unawareness and ignorance. I felt helpless and with the combination of this and the continuing anti-Asian rhetoric, I was sad for humanity. I’m sure that many of you may have felt the same way. I wanted to do something or try to support and help, but I didn’t know how, so on my own accord, I decided to join my company’s Black Professional Network (BPN) for the 1st time in my 20 years with my company. I had joined the Pan Asian, Latino, and Professional Women’s ERGs in the past to attend their Cultural and Professional Development workshops, however, I had never joined the BPN ERG.
Soon after joining my company’s BPN ERG, I attended a virtual Zoom BPN Panel Event where I again became painfully aware of my lack of knowledge and ignorance. Our Black professional panelists were courageous and brave to share hardships they faced growing up, at work, and more. I started to become an “Ally” for the 1st time, learning about and becoming aware of so much via the personal stories that our Black professionals shared. It was also the 1st time I had heard of and learned about “Microaggressions”. I learned that I had unknowingly been committing some microaggressions for years not even knowing that anyone could have taken offense to some of my seemingly innocent statements. I know now that I had a lot to learn and still do. I learned a lot from the BPN panel event and what it means to be an Ally. It felt great to “start” doing something via learning, active listening, and participation in their ERG offerings.
Earlier this year, February 2021, I became the Project Manager for our Pan Asian “Support and Healing” sessions at work, where I was often in small group discussions with Caucasians, Hispanics, and other non-Asians who felt exactly how I felt last year. They were feeling helpless and/or unaware, etc. I let them know that I had been in their exact same shoes not long before and that it was okay. I shared that everyone’s journey to allyship has to start somewhere and it is the real effort to become an ally that matters. All of us became an Ally via participation, sharing, learning, listening, and supporting each other.
How many other untold stories of racism and violence have gone unreported during “modern” times? Far too many! How many more untold stories have gone unreported even before modern technology such as cameras, videos, and internet media existed? Far too many! How many times did we as community members in whatever community we are part of, subconsciously or consciously brush away or ignore situations or incidents because we didn’t think it affected us? Change starts with each of us as individuals, then collectively as one.
We need continual education, awareness, and allyship. We must unite together in all communities to make a difference. It is only via working together as a society, as a community, as a company, etc. that we can truly understand each other. It is imperative that we all work together so that we can understand each other better and move toward peace and positive change. You can influence positive change in your personal and professional network circles, it starts with US, together, collectively. Together we are ONE. Together we are stronger. Let’s work together to make the world a better place one person at a time. I hope that you will become an Ally today!
