How to Deal With Anti-Asian Discrimination as an International Student? (Copy)
Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash
Discrimination toward Asians has been around in the United States since the mid 19th century, dating back to sentiments against the Chinese workers during the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad.
While Asians have been considered as a “model minority” in this country’s recent history, we’re unfortunately seeing more and more incidents of harassment and violence targeting Asians in the U.S. as a result of COVID-19.
As colleges and universities in the U.S. are making plans to open back up over the next several months, how do Asian international students manage this situation?
For many of you, it may be the first time you have to deal with harassment or discrimination based on your race and ethnicity.
In this blog, we’ll discuss the steps you can take to avoid these situations and when required, handle them directly.
So far, reported incidents of AAPI hate have included everything from verbal harassment, avoidance, physical assault and more.
When confronted with a situation where you don’t feel safe, it’s important to take the proper steps to deal with it. Not only during the situation, but afterwards as well.
Here are 5 steps you can take when you’re experiencing hate: (Reference: Stop AAPI Hate)
1. Safety First
A proactive strategy you can consistently use to avoid these types of situations is to always trust your instincts and assess your surroundings. If you become a target and feel unsafe, leave the area as soon as possible. If you’re unsure if you should remove yourself from a possibly harmful situation, it’s always best to trust your gut and do so.
2. Stay Calm
If you are confronted by an individual or group that begins to harass you, take a deep breath, limit eye-contact, and maintain neutral body language. This helps prevent the situation from escalating.
3. Speak Out
If you can do so safely, establish physical boundaries and denounce their behavior or comments in a calm, but firm voice. Sometimes the offender may not expect the target to say anything back to them, so saying something like “Excuse me, what did you just say?” or “Excuse me, repeat what you just said?” may check the offender and make them think about their behavior or language.
4. Seek Immediate Support
If there are bystanders, ask them for support or intervention. This is another reason why it’s important to travel in a group, or with at least one other friend, in areas you’re unfamiliar with or feel unsafe.
5. Seek Emotional Support
After the incident, take time to recover and reach out to someone you trust to talk about what happened. This is a step commonly skipped by students, but it’s also the most important one. Even if you feel like you’re dealing with the situation well after it initially happens, it’s always best to talk with someone that can offer advice on how to deal with the emotions and feelings that may appear later on. You may want to consider reporting the incident to a campus official or police officer and choose not to disclose your identity if that makes you feel uncomfortable.
As an international student, you might often feel you are dealing with everything on your own. Remember you are not alone.
Below are some helpful resources for international students who have dealt with, or are currently dealing with AAPI hate:
Questions for you:
What’s been your experience with harassment or discrimination both on and off campus?
How have you dealt with it if you’ve had such experience?
What are some of the steps you can take from this blog to help support yourself or peers who experience hate?
About The Author
Many years ago I came to the U.S. from Taiwan and studied in a field that rarely accepted “fresh off the boat” international students from non-English speaking countries. I’m Dr. Vivi Hua, Psy.D. and I help international students navigate the cross-cultural aspects of their experience in the U.S., so they can succeed academically and socially and build a life and career that they desire!