KEVIN: Hey Janet! How are you? Good to see you. JANET: Morning!
JANET: Did you sleep well?
KEVIN: I slept perfect.
JANET: How's your time today? You have to get back at a certain time?
KEVIN: It's OK. Whenever I get there.
JANET: OK.
So we'll turn around and you keep track of the time, OK?
KEVIN: I'll keep track.
What do you have this weekend, Janet?
JANET: This weekend? My son and daughter-in-law's anniversary.
KEVIN: Oh!
JANET: Close to 40 years they've been married. KEVIN: Wow!
KEVIN: That's a long time!
JANET: And they have a good marriage. KEVIN: Morning.
JANET: They're so considerate, like you and Meleeda.
[Laughter]
JANET: They're considerate of each other and Mike is not a macho guy,
where he feels women's jobs and men's jobs –
I see him folding clothes and he's a very good husband. Like you.
KEVIN: Well, somebody must've raised him well.
[Laughter]
KEVIN: See these Xs, Janet?
JANET: What is that? Oh! KEVIN: This is when COVID –
JANET: Well, there used to be a long line around the corner. KEVIN: Yeah.
JANET: And I would always walk across the street. KEVIN: Right, right.
[Laughter]
[Car horns]
TIFFANY: When we were going to rock climbing... MICHELLE: Yeah?
TIFFANY: ...this junior told me that I didn't have to worry so much about jobs already.
MICHELLE: Oh yeah, you don't have to worry. You're so young! [Laughter]
You have so much time.
That's the nice thing about being a student – you're just there to learn as much as you can
and then figure out what you want to do with it later.
MICHELLE: You carry your personal alarm everywhere with you now, right?
TIFFANY: Mhm. I have one right now. MICHELLE: Nice. And your hand sanitizer. Very prepared!
[Laughter]
TIFFANY: I just pull it right here.
MICHELLE: That's amazing. Oh, that's so perfect! It's also hidden so people can't see.
TIFFANY: Yeah.
MICHELLE: Um, the incident that you were telling me about, when the group of men were taunting you in Chinatown –
what street was that on?
TIFFANY: I can't remember but it wasn't as bad because I was with my friends.
MICHELLE: That's good. Were you the only one with an alarm or did they also have some?
TIFFANY: I think they had it too.
MICHELLE: Had the ones that you gave to them?
TIFFANY: Yeah.
MICHELLE: Amazing. All of my friends also have personal alarms and pepper spray now, which is amazing.
And family members! [Laughter]
TIFFANY: Me too!
MICHELLE: All across the country.
They talk about it a lot at Oliver's school.
Oh, do they?
Not specifically what happens, but just that this is present and this is something that's out there.
You know, Oliver's a quarter Chinese and so we try to teach him what's the right thing to do.
I think my grandchildren too. Well, my great-grandchildren – I think if they saw someone being hurt,
they would go get help. They don't even have to be told. They just know.
KEVIN: Yeah.
They just know. But that's why it was so hard to believe when people are being beaten up
and no one's paying any attention. That is the most hurtful.
I wish you didn't need an escort, you know? And I think about myself or even –
JANET: Oh, yes. Yes.
KEVIN: Even Oliver doesn't face that fear that you might face going out.
I think that's the sad part of it. We need each other that way, unfortunately.
[Wind]
SOPHIE: You know down our street, there was a house with – like written in colorful chalk –
they wrote like, "Open your eyes. It's China doing this."
CHARISSE: What?
SOPHIE: [Laughter] Yeah. You don't remember that?
CHARISSE: No!
SOPHIE: Yeah, well me and –
CHARISSE: Were we on a walk or were you and your sister walking the dog?
SOPHIE: Me and Dad were walking.
CHARISSE: Oh.
SOPHIE: I can only imagine what they think of Chinese people in our neighborhood.
Little things like that – that you may not have noticed – me and Dad or me and Sissy have noticed.
Yeah.
And it's not like we're trying to be like, "Oh, we better protect this person from Mom,"
but you know, I'm going out with you so that way we can face these things.
If an incident like that ever occurred, like somebody got into a direct altercation with you,
I would be there. At least I could say I was there with you. You know what I mean?
MICHELLE: You know there are people at the hospital system that I work at that were also attacked?
A person that I work with, on the way to work, was attacked at the subway station.
So now I don't take that subway station anymore. At like 8 A.M. in the morning, which is crazy,
but there are other people, nurses, who were also punched on the street on the way to work.
TIFFANY: Yeah, these things make people feel limited.
MICHELLE: Yeah.
SOPHIE: I feel like you're at a higher target because you’re Asian and just because I'm overprotective. Does that make sense?
CHARISSE: Maybe. But do you ever feel afraid for your safety though?
SOPHIE: For my safety? Yeah, of course. I walk around with my mace and started taking self-defense classes, you know?
It feels like, shoot, I have to protect myself, you know?
CHARISSE: Yeah.
SOPHIE: Because these random a** attacks.
CHARISSE: Do you feel specifically...
SOPHIE: Specifically because I'm Asian?
CHARISSE: Because you're Asian?
SOPHIE: Yes. Yeah, I do. I think because I'm different looking, you know?
Our struggles are definitely different because you're Japanese and I’m mixed, and I feel like I don't belong sometimes because of that.
SOPHIE: Do you understand why me and our family fears when you go out, as opposed to me?
CHARISSE: Yeah. Well, you know, I told you – were you with me when we were in Target? It was during COVID.
We were grocery shopping. But we were in Target, and I remember this older White man just giving me the dirtiest look.
He just stopped and just glared at me.
SOPHIE: Like just clearly?
CHARISSE: That's one of the first times I've ever noticed anybody openly looking at me that way,
and you could see on his face what he was thinking. And I felt like saying, you know, I was born and raised in this country.
And first of all, I'm not Chinese because that's what I felt like he was thinking, you know, what a lot of people were saying,
or what you hear what people are saying on the news too.
SOPHIE: Yeah, hate towards –
CHARISSE: Hate. Yeah.
KEVIN: You know, there are similar stories from when you were young to today. They still happen.
JANET: Yeah, it seems like... it seems like – well, it's always been ongoing.
Right.
But to me, it's like my childhood all over again.
I was around seven when World War II broke out and we went to internment camp,
and I just remember I had to be next to my mother all the time.
Yeah.
I was just such a timid kid anyway. [Laughter]
Well, I mean Janet, being moved from your home to a camp at seven probably makes you a little fearful.
Probably. You know.
When we first came out of camp, the teacher made an announcement:
“We have a new student. And her name is...” and she hesitated. "Itsuko Makiyama. What kind of name is that?
Who could pronounce that? We're gonna have to give you a name that we could say.”
KEVIN: Your teacher?
JANET: The teacher. And the whole class.
And I felt so small. And so ashamed of my name.
CHARISSE: You kind of catch yourself feeling embarrassed maybe, of where you came from, of the way I looked, the way I talked.
So that's one thing I also do subconsciously that I just realized – when we go to the store,
talking to people that we don't really know very well, I find myself speaking really clear, very good English.
I try to tuck my pidgin accent away because I feel like I want to prove to people –
SOPHIE: That you belong there?
CHARISSE: Yeah, I belong here. I'm American, you know? Those are all the little subtle things that I didn't notice,
And I think it's – just how that probably altered my personality, my choices, everything.
I – I don't know.
It's OK.
I know. I know I'm not fully accepted. Ever, ever.
KEVIN: Ever?
JANET: Yeah. Just for who I am. That's just a fact of life.
KEVIN: Meaning Japanese?
JANET: Being Asian.
KEVIN: Being Asian?
JANET: Well, when I was a kid, I thought just being Japanese, but I think it's all Asians.
I don't think we will ever be fully accepted into society as true Americans.
We’re Americans but... that's just a fact of life.
And I just don't dwell on that.
MICHELLE: I love this street.
TIFFANY: So pretty.
MICHELLE: Yeah! I'm so happy that the sun sets later so we can enjoy more of the day.
Because now when it gets dark, I don't really feel comfortable walking out anymore.
TIFFANY: Daylight savings.
MICHELLE: Yeah.
MICHELLE: Do you guys walk around at night as a family or not really?
TIFFANY: No. It's not really safe anymore.
MICHELLE: Yeah. Now I walk around a lot more with Howard, because it feels safer to walk with a guy,
and I always bring pepper spray or a personal alarm with me.
But, you know, I love running. And it’s fun to be able to do it by yourself, but…
TIFFANY: Sometimes we're not allowed to do that. It's not like we're not allowed to do it, but like, it's hard.
MICHELLE: It's unsafe now. At certain times. But it’s fun to walk with a buddy too!
[Laughter]
TIFFANY: At least you got someone to talk to.
MICHELLE: At least you have someone to talk to, yes.
SOPHIE: Yeah, I'm proud of how close we've gotten too.
CHARISSE: Me too.
SOPHIE: You know, people always tell me like, you and your mom sound so close.
[Laughter] I'm like, yeah, we've had to –
CHARISSE: Yeah, it was hard work though.
SOPHIE: It was hard work. I think just being with you. I know I don't always want to go to the grocery store with you or like –
[Laughter]
because that's boring to me, or sometimes even walking like this, I'm like, “Oh, I have homework.”
I think learning the value of being together is not just about because you want another person here, it's also for safety.
CHARISSE: Yeah, that's true.
SOPHIE: And now I feel like, I feel more pressure to go with you more often.
CHARISSE: Oh. Sorry.
SOPHIE: [Laughter] No! Don’t be sorry.
CHARISSE: I just, I don't know. I don't really feel afraid.
SOPHIE: You don't feel afraid?
CHARISSE: No. But I think sometimes if you're looking too hard for those things then you can –
you mess it up for yourself or scare yourself...
SOPHIE: That's true. [Laughter]
CHARISSE: ... enough into not wanting to do some – do things by yourself.
SOPHIE: Go places. That's true.
KEVIN: You know you made me that painting when my father passed away.
You give me way more than I give to you.
JANET: [Laughter] I don't think so! I appreciate the volunteers – you specifically – so much!
I think I'm so much luckier than so many others out there that maybe don't have anyone,
and [are] afraid to go out and go to the market, or just go out at all.
KEVIN: You're always so humble, Janet. You inspire me a lot because you are so resilient.
JANET: Well like I said, we just take what's handed to us and make the best of it.
And that's what we all have to do. Like right now, we're just making the best of the situation.
And eventually, we hope everyone will be free to go out as they please.
CHARISSE: I feel like our life has changed.
Maybe because of the walks, maybe because we had no choice but to –
this is the only way to get out without worrying about catching COVID, you know?
SOPHIE: Yeah.
CHARISSE: But I can only hope that we keep doing this now that things are getting back to normal.
SOPHIE: Yeah, being out is a luxury.
CHARISSE: All the violence – is it gonna change now? Is it gonna continue?
I just feel like things keep evolving.
SOPHIE: Yeah, into bigger and worse things. I mean, maybe I'm just a pessimist.
[Laughter]
CHARISSE: Well, it's happening right in front of your eyes, right?
SOPHIE: Yeah, it's hard to ignore and keep your mind on the positives.
CHARISSE: Yeah, I guess that's our choice.
SOPHIE: Yeah.
CHARISSE: Difficult.
SOPHIE: Choose to walk and just be happy about what we have.
CHARISSE: Keep walking and look over your shoulder every so often – make sure.
SOPHIE: [Laughter] Keep your pepper spray in your hand.
CHARISSE: Yeah, I think so.
SOPHIE: Yeah.