Victoria Shen

As an Asian American growing up in Westchester County, I have always been extremely thankful for a supportive and loving community. During my childhood I was unaware of the many types of discrimination and microaggressions that constantly surrounded the Asian American community. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, I learned about violent beatings and verbal harassment towards the Chinese community as we were blamed for the virus. Many of my Asian family friends were ostracized in work environments and overlooked for projects due to xenophobic biases. As a witness to the community's grief, I realized it was my duty as an emerging adult to raise awareness about these issues.