"American Born Chinese" - Quinn Luong

Asian-Americans have reported incidents of racial slurs and physical abuse because of the erroneous perception that China is the cause of the virus. Statistically, over 2,700 attacks and incidents of harassment against Asian Americans have been reported since mid-March. For over 150 years on American soil, Asian Americans have been historically excluded from American history because of our perceived disloyalties, untrustworthiness, and ‘perpetual’ foreigner status. We must not only condemn racism and xenophobia, but we must proactively increase awareness, educate, and develop alliances.

I had the honor to advocate for change by performing my original spoken-word poem in front of 2,100 students virtually at the Student Diversity Leadership Conference. My poem titled "American Born Chinese" highlighted my personal and brutal journey of experiencing racism but finally embracing my identity and all the flaws that come with it. I was always ashamed of the color of my complexion, never proud of any academic accomplishment that was justified because of my race, or the ridiculing jokes about my ancestors and Covid-19. This poem has emotionally moved many students like me and I want to spread my message on a bigger platform.