It is not in my nature to want to try and wield a megaphone. I am shy. I am introverted. But it is time to call it like it is. Half-Asians do not lack for choice. It is the opposite. I'm here to tell you that despite the reality that there are obstacles some of which could be construed as "racist" glass ceilings and "racial" rudeness and stereotyping and the presence of many douchebags, half-Asians face the problem of too much choice. Today the question is not who can tear down walls, but rather who can build bridges. And to build bridges I invite you to say "no" to those who lure you to "who wronged us."
Read MoreUltimately, no one Wants to Hear About Racism
Likewise, for an academic, there is no stature without “pubs” (publications, that is); publish or perish rules the day, it is engraved into the ivory tower. No tenure committee gives a damn at how amazing it is you teach. Of course, teaching evaluations could ruin you if they are horrible; nonetheless, the prevailing hurdle to tenure is number of peer-reviewed publications.
Ultimately, no one wants to hear about racism.
No one wants to hear about the discrimination that you face. No one wants to be lectured on microagressions. People care only about what you can do for them. In the end, the most effective appeals somehow, some way invoke self-interest.
Read MoreEthnicity as Laundry List
Sure, most people don’t think that by naming 5 ethnicities they have claims to 5 different club memberships. But then again some people are that vain. The warming notion that there is something hip about being a child of the world, by being born into this world love of multi-ethnicities, well, I guess people decide, shucks “it’s kinda cool; I’ll just play along.”
Read MoreWhy President Obama is Not Mixed: Decoding Ta-Nehisi Coates
Thinking about Ta-Nehisi Coates' words: " Indeed, the lack of "purity" is parcel to the injury."
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