In the latest edition of “Republican presidential candidates outdo each others’ racism,” Jeb Bush made reference to “anchor babies” once again on Monday night, saying that the problem wasn’t Latinos as much as Asians:
What I was talking about was the specific case of fraud being committed where there’s organized efforts—and frankly, it’s more related to Asian people coming into our country, having children—taking advantage of a noble concept, which is birthright citizenship. I support the 14th Amendment. Nothing about what I’ve said should be viewed as derogatory towards immigrants at all. This is all how politics plays. And by the way, I think we need to take a step back and chill out a little bit as it relates to the political correctness that somehow you have to be scolded every time you say something.
Not derogatory? Cool, thanks for telling us how we should feel.
Fortunately, Bush’s statements compelled Jason Fong, a 15-year-old Los Angeles student and AsAmNews intern, to launch the hashtag #MyAsianAmericanStory on social media and offer a community counter-narrative to the racism and xenophobia grounding these statements, which are a reinvigoration of “Yellow Peril” stereotypes that have stuck with American society for over a century.
#MyAsianAmericanStory shows #AAPIs aren’t content to be invisible or ignored. http://t.co/3CTZOolfoL pic.twitter.com/h0LCmDU92Q
— AAJC (@AAAJ_AAJC) August 25, 2015
The ensuing responses run the gamut of Asian-American experiences of triumph over odds, disenfranchisement, and anguish at never quite being considered American. From the hearbreaking to the hilarious, historical to contemporary, #MyAsianAmericanStory should be immediately relatable to anybody, Asian American or not, who acutely understands the dislocation of disempowered racial or ethnic status in America.
While we could never truly rank these tweets, we found nine that struck us with their poignance. Take a look below.
9)
At 18 so proud to be voting for 1st time then being stopped at door: "Do you know you have to be American to vote?" MyAsianAmericanStory
— Daniel Wu (@danielwuyanzu) August 26, 2015
8)
#MyAsianAmericanStory I evolved from an species of human-headed octopus & I have been sent to steal your white jobs!! pic.twitter.com/lSq9NMTi0P
— kat yang-stevens (@greencircleas) August 25, 2015
7)
"but you’re not like ASIAN Asian." Here’s a map. Now go back to school and STFD. #MyAsianAmericanStory pic.twitter.com/9jRDlMfIqm
— Muneer (@muneerpanjwani) August 25, 2015
6)
I never learned any #AsianAmericanHistory in school. I became a historian in order to tell and share our stories. #MyAsianAmericanStory
— Erika Lee (@prof_erikalee) August 25, 2015
5)
My fam moved to Calif in the 80s, not knowing that our shared roots trace back over a century https://t.co/rNAWyCF1Nu #MyAsianAmericanStory
— Anirvan Chatterjee (@anirvan) August 25, 2015
4)
#MyAsianAmericanStory is intimately tied to what patriarchy, colonialism, migration, war violence and imperialism brings into our families
— Diane Wong (@XpertDemon) August 25, 2015
3)
Explaining to people where Trinidad is and that yes Asian people live there too and Asians can also be Brown. #MyAsianAmericanStory
— N’jaila Rhee (@BlasianBytch) August 26, 2015
2)
My US Army Grandfather was told he might get shot by his unit because he "looked Japanese." #MyAsianAmericanStory pic.twitter.com/4axCAqeFWE
— Bruce Reyes-Chow (@breyeschow) August 26, 2015
1)
Having to constantly keep up with & adopt the culture of people who will never understand me just so I can survive #MyAsianAmericanStory
— Tracy Wan (@astroblemes) August 26, 2015
What was your favorite #MyAsianAmericanStory tweet? Let us know in the comments!
(H/t AsAmNews, LA Times, Angry Asian Man)