THE HURON EMERY | ISSUE 5: MAY
10 | STOP AAPI HATE
Asian Americans of the Ann Arbor sp Kira Zh ao: Reflections on bei ng Chi nese RIDHIMA KODALI OPINION EDITOR In a brief second, she quickly got up from her gray folding chair. “You see that?” sophomore Kira Zhao questioned, as she used her left hand to point to her right palm. The area was approximately 2.75 inches from the tip of her index finger to where she pointed. “That’s Ann Arbor,” Zhao said, pointing to it. “Anything outside of this [area], I don’t feel accepted.” All her life, Zhao grew up in Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor, Michigan. She said she had dealt with some “offensive” comments. “Some people have said, ‘Your food smells bad,’” Zhao said. “Or ‘Do you want to be so unhealthy?’ Just because I eat Chinese food everyday. Some would even do the ‘fox eyes’ as a way to impersonate East Asians. Also, I have also been told, ‘You’re Asian, you’re smart,
give me the answers.’” Having heard microaggressions and comments, Zhao believes that it has been drilled into not only her brain, but also most Asian Americans. “It starts from when we were young,” Zhao explained. “It’s happened so often to us -- [the negative comments and microaggressions] -- that we think it’s okay for them to do that and I personally didn’t realize how offensive they were. Now, I’ve educated myself more and have grown as well, and learned that it isn’t okay and I have the ability to say ‘Stop, it’s not right.’ ” Zhao feels like all of this has led to an identity crisis and she claims to still be in one. “I’ve definitely Sophomore Kira Zhao feels she is having an identity crisis. “Whenever I go to China, I am never become more self-conscious considered ‘Chinese’ because I was raised in America, but when I’m in America, I’m not Ameriabout them and hearing can, because I am Chinese.” ALLISON MI those made me feel less ‘Chinese’ because I was raised Zhao has become more alert welcoming and not a “microAmerican, and I’ve had a in America, but when I’m in and more cautious, especially aggression oriented” school. personal struggle,” Zhao America, I’m not American, with the ongoing hate crimes. “People in Ann Arbor said. “Whenever I go to because I am Chinese.” “Whenever I go out, I and at Huron in general are China, I am never considered With COVID-19, it has am aware of the fact that more accepting,” Zhao said. now been even more people surrounding me could “It’s just that I’m more self amplified, according to possibly blame me,” Zhao said. conscious about myself. I feel Zhao. “I feel like I am not “Whenever I step like I am good enough outside [of Ann Arbor], living this and then it they give off a weird look c o n s t a n t makes me Whenever I step outside feel like I’m like, ‘Why are you here?’ m i n d s e t and the way they stare where it’s not equal or of Ann Arbor they give at me is as if I am not like, ‘What as good of a off a weird look like a person,” Zhao said. are they person.” “They literally stare at going to Zhao is still ‘why are you here’ and us for ambience, and think?’ Do educating the way they stare at yes, COVID originated they think herself more from China, but I don’t I’m the and more me is as if I am not a understand why they problem?” every day. person.” are attacking or blaming Additionally, the Asian American With this she is also on KIRA ZHAO, 10 community and why c o n s t a n t the path to they don’t treat us like discovering humans. They purposely who she really make it a point to not be “unhealthy” mindset Zhao is. by us or to go a separate deals with, she hasn’t been “I think [us becoming direction.” going out that much. the stereotypes] is the Zhao took a brief “Where was all this problem,” Zhao said. “Even pause. media attention last year?” I at a point made these “It’s like they’re Zhao said. “During COVID jokes without realizing how accusing me of doing [2020 summer] there was deprecating they are; it’s something to them,” also the Black Lives Matter become who we are and it’s Zhao said. “I didn’t Movement, and a lot of not who we are though.” even do anything and political things going on, and I As she widened one person in my race feel like a lot of the hate crimes her dark black eyes, she doesn’t define my race. got overshadowed and they said assertively, “We need It doesn’t define who I shouldn’t have been.” to show society we’re more am.” At Huron particularly, than just ‘A+, piano-playing Now going outside, Zhao observed a more Asians.’”
Of Asian Americans make up the total American Populations.
Of 1,614 students that attend Huron are Asian.
is how much the Asian American population grew in the U.S. between 2000 and 2015.
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