Ginger Yifan Chen, 21
Chinese
California
This piece has been written in response to the recent rise in Asian American hate crime.
These words have been building up for over a year. I was in Shanghai when the news broke, on a rare visit to my hometown. I witnessed the response first-hand, and then returned to a country that belittled and denied what had happened.
I wrote this because of fear. Because of my own fear. Because of the fear of the 'other', the foreigner, the virus, of death. But I hope the words can bring courage and understanding.
Ginger Yifan Chen is a writer and filmmaker in San Francisco. Her works focus on science fiction, liminal spaces, and Chinese American narratives. Find her online @gingerychen.