“Our eyes may be a little bit smaller;
Our skin may be a little bit “yellower”.
Yes, we may be a little bit different;
However, aren’t we all?
Each unlike no other person,
But still like some other people?
Well then, what makes us less of a person?”
– A.C.O.

Racial discrimination is defined to be the prejudicial treatment of people who are perceived to be different on the basis of race. Although the human brain innately puts things into certain categories, the meaning of those categories is learned over time through experiences and the words that the person’s environment has instilled upon them. History, culture, economic forces, trends, and the influence of one?s family all play a part. Gwendolyn Keita, Ph.D., former executive director of APA’s Public Interest Directorate delves into how discriminative people form their behavior:

Some of the most damaging forms of discrimination are the result of deep-seated, destructive generalizations about a certain group. In such cases, people harbor unrealistic, disparaging beliefs about a group and its members, while also maintaining a sense of the moral or intellectual superiority of their own group, (“Discussing discrimination”).

Individuals, as a result, resort to avoiding, harming, and disadvantaging the particular group which they disdain. Sadly, those who are unaffected by these circumstances often avoid looking at the very apparent matter. Society still identifies the discussion of this topic to be taboo because of societal norms, hindering profound discussions
regarding discrimination which comes in different forms, from conspicuous to devious.

In the United States, anti- Asian hate crimes have massively surged since the arrival of COVID- 19. The rise in the number of these incidents has been instilling fear over the Asian community. Members of this minority group are targeted and shamed merely because they are of a particular race. Some are, unfortunately, violently pushed, beaten, stomped on, slashed in the face, and even killed.

The first step we should all take is to realize that it shouldn’t be us against each other; it?s us against hate. I encourage you all to become aware of the situation at hand, educate other people, and stand up for someone who may need support.