"UN Normalize Racism Towards Asian Americans" ● TED Talk

UN Normalize Racism Towards Asian Americans ● TED Talk

     Sophia Nguyen shares a personal journey in navigating racism throughout elementary through high school. Being on TED during a turbulent time for many Asian Americans, I found her story captivating because of how she addresses the role of social media and the circulation of fear during the COVID-19 pandemic. What I find compelling about Nguyen is her being a teenager, which allows her to supply a perspective that can be related to by many Asian American adolescents today; this experience I find most relatable to me is why I chose her TED Talk to be among this collection of artifacts.

    The importance of acknowledging perspectives from all age groups enables us to recognize how differently racism can take place. This TED Talk introduces the perspective of racism within school students, instilling an idea of discrimination at a young age. In the instance of Nguyen, she became conditioned to embrace negativity and even project the sentiment through her actions: "Sometimes I was also part of the problem and made stereotypical Asian jokes to those around me" (Nguyen). Nguyen also mentions how the outbreak of the pandemic led to increased anxiety within her family, especially as reports of harassment and assault toward elders and individuals surfaced during the period. Most notably, however, Nguyen's upbringing in racist communities displays the occurrence of overt discrimination among teenage groups in the US and how that may affect behaviors at a youthful age. Through Nguyen's story, we begin to see the mental health aspect begin to be discussed, which is a critical part of the well-being of regularly affected Asian Americans.