April 9, 2021 | View as Webpage

Dear Cary Library Community,

My name is Eunice Hong. I’m a daughter of Korean immigrants, lifelong resident of the Metrowest area, reader of romance books, and a library associate in the Children’s Room at Cary, among other things. My heart is heavy with grief from the shooting in Atlanta, the violence against AAPI elders, but also from how the pandemic and current political climate have unearthed these injustices that are wholly embedded in the framework of this country. And I know I’m not alone in this feeling. While none of this is new, it doesn’t make it any less important. The fact that there are many who do identify as Asian/Asian American in this community makes this letter even more necessary. Therefore, as imperfect as this is, I wanted to show solidarity and share what has resonated with me in this time.

Hello, my name is Justin Wang. I am a first generation Taiwanese American, and I have never been a stranger to racist attacks in the AAPI community. There has been an uptick of racist attacks, many of which go unreported or ignored. These attacks manifest in different ways, from being mocked and having your name purposely pronounced wrong, to constantly being asked “Where are you from?” (I was born in New Jersey), but then being told “You know what I mean.” This was my experience growing up in America, feeling invisible and unheard so many times that I tacitly accepted it for much of my life. But my experience doesn’t have to happen. Seeing and hearing us will have a profound impact for Asian American communities. Everything from the outpouring of support on social media, to seeing “Stop Asian Hate” lawn signs everywhere has made me feel optimistic for the future of the AAPI community. We have better representation than I could have hoped for when I was younger, and I truly believe that seeing ourselves and having others see us in the media and pop culture we consume goes a long way. Although we have so much more work to do, I’m asking everyone to please keep seeing us.

Both of us wanted to send out this newsletter to highlight the Asian experience in America. This is an immense task as the blanket term Asian casts a wide net while simultaneously erases so much of our lived experience. It’s an identity that is at times set by the dominant white culture to pit minorities against one another and one that is silenced when our histories are not taught in schools or when we are forced to assimilate and take on a different culture and history as our own. So we believe that it is important to amplify these voices especially when the narrative has been that of invisibility. To acknowledge the existence of and celebrate our lives. To educate ourselves and others. To show the diversity of our stories. To name the identities that make up the AAPI community.

In Solidarity,

Eunice Hong & Justin Wang