Enough, Stop Hate

I grew up in a bi-racial household with a Japanese stepfather.

I was also fortunate to be raised in a culturally diverse and progressive community. I didn’t see and appreciate the amount of prejudice in America until I went away to college. I saw it when my parents visited me, and people stared at them in judgment. I heard it in my classmates’ words to describe people of Jewish descent or non-caucasian. I never felt comfortable in this environment, but I am guilty of not standing up to prejudices in those moments.

We all fail to recognize that there is bias, and in many cases, legitimate prejudice in our respective communities. We each carry these in different forms. I believe the experiences of being exposed to people of different backgrounds and having open conversations is how we all grow. That said, we all must stand firm against HATE. When there are malicious intent and actions that physically and mentally hurt other people, we all lose regardless of race or creed. We lose a sense of safety, trust, and respect critical to building a healthy community, and it’s wrong for all.

I signed the ENOUGH pledge; this is about doing the right thing for humanity. We all need to strive to be color blind and appreciative of all people. We’ve made tremendous strides; however, we have a long way to go. #stopaapihate #stopasianhate #stophate #love ❤️