So before I start this video I want to say two things.
One, I don't hate Brazil.
Two, not all Brazilians are racists.
Shocking, I know.
So let's get into the meat of the video.
Today, I'm going to talk about racist experiences I've had while living in Brazil.
Specifically in Fortaleza which is in the north east.
Fortaleza is the fifth largest city in Brazil, with around two million people.
and I've lived here for two years.
And I want to have this conversation because if we ever want to move past racism we have
to have these difficult conversations.
The racism that I've faced has mainly been perpetuated by children.
And even though they're children it still hurts because it just goes to show that hate
against Asian people has not changed since I was a child myself.
I get pointed at, stared at, as I walk down the street, if I'm in a public place.
People whisper about me.
People, kids, have asked me if I eat dogs.
So those are just some of the experiences I've had.
It's uncomfortable, but I don't let it stop me from living my life.
Another thing that's happened to me is that I've been called "white" on different occasions.
And this is mainly because of the color of my skin.
I am light skinned, and I have privileged in that way, but I am not white.
In Brazil, race is mainly determined by skin color, whereas in the U.S., your race is determined
by your genealogy.
So in the U.S. I'm Asian, but in Brazil some people see my white skin and assume that I'm
white and have white privilege.
I do have light skinned privilege when it comes to colorism in the Asian American community,
but I don't have privilege in the way that white people do.
So, I'm not white.
And this can be perfectly illustrated when people ask me where I'm from and I say America
or the United States, and they don't believe me.
They insist on knowing where I'm REALLY from and this has happened not only in Brazil,
but also in the United States.
People want to know where I'm really from.
And this is problematic because living in another country, telling them I'm American,
and them not believing me emphasizes that American people can only be American if they're
white.I know that if I was white and told them I was American that conversation would
end there.
They would not insist on knowing where I'm REALLY from if I was white.
So clearly, I'm not white, I'm ASIAN.
And this jars people because they don't think that Asian Americans exist and this is a huge
problem.
You might not think that the question "Where are you from?" is a big deal, but it honestly
makes me feel dehumanized and othered because I have to constantly justify why I exist and
that's not okay.
No one should have to do that.
The last thing I want to talk about is the word "Japa", which in Portuguese is used to
refer to someone who is of Asian descent or looks Asian.
This is problematic because not all people from Asia are Japanese nor do all people from
Asia look like they're from Japan.
Asia is a huge continent, from countries in the middle east like Iran and Iraq, to to
countries in the far east like South Korea, to the north with Mongolia, and to the southeast
with countries like Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand, Asia is a HUGE continent.
People don't look the same everywhere, and not everyone is Japanese . This word is extremely
reductive to people who identify as coming from different countries in Asia.
And to an American ear the word "Japa" reminds me of the word "Jap", which was used as a
racial slur during the 1940s to incarcerate Japanese American into concentration camps.
And I think that's enough explanation as to why this word is problematic.
It not only perpetuates hate, but also dehumanizes people of Asian descent.
It reduces them to a small term and takes away their identity.
I don't know how this word is perceived in Portuguese by Asian Brazilians.
Maybe people embrace it and try to reclaim it and think it's cute.
I, for one, don't.
So please don't call me that.
And even if you don't mean it in a derogatory way the impact is greater than your intention.
So always keep that in mind.
Before I end the video I just wanna give a shoutout to all the people in Fortaleza that
I've met who AREN'T racist and who haven't been racist to me.
So, thank you.
And I wanna say that To All the Boys I've Loved Before, which is an Asian American story
on Netflix, did very well here and I've seen some of my students reading the book.
I'm grateful for that.
I think that in the future there will be more Asian American representation and I'm excited
to see it.
If you want to know more about my experiences in Brazil please comment, like, subscribe,
and I'll see you in the next one :) bye!