While white people profit off mimicking Asian features, people who look like me are dying from them. I have always paid attention to black-fishing and its unfortunate prominence in American culture as we see with popular celebrities such as the Kardashians. However, I never thought I would someday be fighting a similar battle over my own features. While I am proud to see Asian culture such as our music and entertainment rise in popularity, it pains me to watch our culture and even physical features become trends and rebranded as fashionable. It disgusts me to watch Asian features such as “fox eyes” or aesthetics like “anime core” or even “Japan core” be adopted and culturally appropriated by white men and women, who ultimately profit off them at higher rates than Asians. It is especially infuriating to watch white women adopt “kawaii” or “alternative” personas in order to sexualize themselves in the same fashion as anime characters. This persona further perpetuates the over-sexualization of Asian women and the harmful stereotype that they are “easy” and desperate. While white people continue to profit off of a persona based on negative stereotypes surrounding my culture, wear my features like an accessory, and freely enjoy aspects of my culture I was once bullied for, Asian hate crimes spike and people who look like my parents, grandparents, friends, and neighbors continue to be killed in the streets. Asian features are not an accessory that you can just choose to wear as it suits you. Us people of color live with these features daily, and must face the discrimination, oppression, and even violence it may bring us. It is an extreme privilege to simply hop on a trend based off the culture and features of POC without having to face an ounce of the oppression and discrimination we face. It is exhausting, as a person of color, to have to continuously defend your culture while watching Caucasians steal and be praised for enjoying aspects of your identity you cannot even freely enjoy. Although I am fortunate enough to only hear about accounts of these hate crimes, I hate to think of what could happen to my relatives and friends, who are living cautiously on the mainland. Seeing that the typical victims of these hate crimes are older members of the Asian community only reaffirms the fact that these violent perpetrators are just adult bullies. More needs to be said, more needs to be done— the list of necessary actions and responses are endless. I will continue to do my part by paying attention to the news, educating myself and others, and donating, and I encourage you all to do the same. The fight for Asian lives has always subsisted, but the war is now. It’s more than just a hashtag, do your part to protect Asian lives.Although I am fortunate enough to only hear about accounts of these hate crimes, I hate to think of what could happen to my relatives and friends, who are living cautiously on the mainland. Seeing that the typical victims of these hate crimes are older members of the Asian community only reaffirms the fact that these violent perpetrators are just adult bullies. More needs to be said, more needs to be done— the list of necessary actions and responses are endless. I will continue to do my part by paying attention to the news, educating myself and others, and donating, and I encourage you all to do the same. The fight for Asian lives has always subsisted, but the war is now. It’s more than just a hashtag, do your part to protect Asian lives. Author: Akiko Anna IwataDeclarASIAN Blog Contributor
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