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Birth Year 1981

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Before I was born in 1981, several big events helped shape the world I grew up in. The Civil Rights Movement led to laws that gave more equal rights to people of different races. The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 allowed more people from around the world to come to the United States, making the country more diverse. And in the 1970s, new computer technology began to develop, starting with the digital age that would later become an important part of my everyday life.

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During my lifetime, several major events have influenced me. The end of the Cold War in the early 1990s changed how countries worked together and helped shape the world I grew up in. The rise of the internet and social media completely changed the way people communicate, learn, and work, and it became a big part of my daily life. The September 11 attacks in 2001 also had a huge impact on the United States, leading to new security rules and changes in politics and how people think about safety.

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In the late 1800s and early 1900s, many people came to the United States to find better jobs, escape harsh conditions, or seek greater freedom. A common example is immigrants arriving at Ellis Island in New York. They often traveled on crowded ships and had to pass health and legal checks before entering the country. Life was challenging at first, but many worked hard and helped build American cities and communities.

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Before 1965, many schools and public places were segregated. White children often went to mostly white schools and didn’t always learn about the struggles people of color faced. Life for white kids was very different from what it is today.

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Disney’s Pocahontas is meant to be a story about friendship, peace, and understanding between Native Americans and European settlers. It portrays Native people as noble and spiritual, promoting respect for nature and diverse cultures. However, when looking at the movie today, it becomes clear that it oversimplifies and changes real history. The film leaves out the violence and suffering caused by colonization and instead shows a romanticized and inaccurate version of events. This can lead viewers to misunderstand Native American history and culture, reducing a complex reality to a simple, often misleading story.

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Colors Of The Wind- Disney's Pocahontas sing along

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I remember learning about Native Americans in school through the Thanksgiving story. We were taught that they helped the Pilgrims survive by teaching them how to grow food, and then they all had a big feast together. I thought it was a happy story about friendship and working together. But as I got older, I learned that the real history was much more complicated, like we read in this week’s chapter. After that first meeting, Native Americans faced violence, broken promises, and had their land taken away. The story I learned left out a lot of important facts. Now I understand how important it is to learn the whole truth, not just the simple version.

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For many years, black families were kept from buying homes in some neighborhoods because of restrictive covenants. These were legal agreements in property deeds that stopped sales to black people. Even after these covenants were banned, most neighborhoods stayed mostly white. This made it difficult for black families to buy homes, gather wealth, or improve their living conditions.

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In 1948, the McGhee family, who were black, moved into a Detroit neighborhood where only white people had lived before. Their house had a rule in its paperwork that said only white residents could live there. This rule, called a racially restrictive covenant, was meant to keep black families out. The McGhees fought this unfair treatment in court, and the Supreme Court decided these rules were illegal. Even though the law changed, the effects of these rules are still felt today. Many neighborhoods are still separated by race, and black families have had a harder time building wealth by owning homes.

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Hispanic Americans have long been part of the United States, shaping communities and working hard in many areas of life. One important moment was the farmworker movement, where Hispanic workers worked together to improve their jobs and living conditions. This event helps explain some of the challenges and achievements that affect Hispanic Americans today.

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Today, the effects of history are still visible. Issues like immigration and workers' rights are connected to the struggles of the past. Hispanic Americans continue to shape culture, communities, and opportunities in the U.S., and you can see the results in neighborhoods, schools, and everyday life.

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This was the #1 song on my birthday, oh how the times change!

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Olivia Newton-John - Physical (Official Music Video)

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I don’t really remember hearing much about Asian Americans being treated badly during covid-19, which is sad to realize. It makes me think about how easy it is to be unaware of what other people are going through, even when it’s happening in our own country.

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US President Joe Biden has signed a law that aims to address a rising number of anti-Asian attacks. What's behind the hatred?

An elderly Thai immigrant dies after being shoved to the ground. A Filipino-American is slashed in the face with a box cutter. A Chinese woman is slapped and then set on fire. Eight people are killed in a shooting rampage across three Asian spas in one night.

These are just examples of recent violent attacks on Asian Americans, part of a surge in abuse since the start of the pandemic a year ago.

From being spat on and verbally harassed to incidents of physical assault, there have been thousands of reported cases in recent months.

Advocates and activists say these are hate crimes, and often linked to rhetoric that blames Asian people for the spread of Covid-19.

What's happening in the US?

The FBI warned at the start of the Covid outbreak in the US that it expected a surge in hate crimes against those of Asian descent.

Federal hate crime data for 2020 has not yet been released, though hate crimes in 2019 were at their highest level in over a decade.

Late last year, the United Nations issued a report that detailed "an alarming level" of racially motivated violence and other hate incidents against Asian Americans.

It is difficult to determine exact numbers for such crimes and instances of discrimination, as no organisations or governmental agencies have been tracking the issue long-term, and reporting standards can vary region to region.

The advocacy group Stop AAPI Hate said it received more than 2,800 reports of hate incidents directed at Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders nationwide last year. The group set up its online self-reporting tool at the start of the pandemic.

Local law enforcement is taking notice too: the New York City hate crimes task force investigated 27 incidents in 2020, a nine fold increase from the previous year. In Oakland, California, police have added patrols and set up a command post in Chinatown.

Celebrities and influencers have spoken out after several disturbing incidents went viral on social media.

Here are some of the recently reported attacks:

An 84-year-old Thai immigrant in San Francisco, California, died in February after being violently shoved to the ground during his morning walk

In Oakland, California, a 91-year-old senior was shoved to the pavement from behind

An 89-year-old Chinese woman was slapped and set on fire by two people in Brooklyn, New York

Two Asian American women were stabbed at a San Francisco bus stop; eyewitness reports say the assailant "casually walked away in broad daylight"

An Asian man walking with his 1-year-old child in a stroller in San Francisco was punched in the head and back multiple times

A stranger on the New York subway slashed a 61-year-old Filipino American passenger's face with a box cutter

An Asian American woman in New York City was struck in the head with a hammer by an unidentified assailant who demanded that she remove her mask

Asian American restaurant employees in New York City told the New York Times they now always go home early for fear of violence and harassment

An Asian American butcher shop owner in Sacramento, California found a dead cat - likely intended for her - left in the store's parking lot; police are investigating it as a hate crime

An Asian American family celebrating a birthday at a restaurant in Carmel, California, was berated with racist slurs by a Trump-supporting tech executive

Several Asian Americans home owners say they've been abused with racial slurs and had rocks thrown at their houses

The only Asian American lawmaker in the Kansas legislature says he was physically threatened in a bar by a patron who accused him of carrying the coronavirus

New York police arrested a man who assaulted a woman during a protest against anti-Asian racism

A grieving family received a hateful letter on the day of their father's funeral, telling them to "pack your bags and go back to your country where you belong"

A school board candidate of Vietnamese descent in Portland, Oregon, found a note with the words "Kung Flu" on her doorstep

A medical worker of Filipino descent in Los Gatos, California was shoved to the ground from behind by an assailant who told her to "go back to [expletive] China"

A Thai woman was brutally beaten and robbed of her phone while commuting on a train in San Francisco

What's the situation in California?

Over six million Asian Americans live in California, according to the latest population estimates, by far the most in any US state.

They make up more than 15% of residents in the state.

The coronavirus hit the state hard and early, grinding its bustling cities and businesses to a halt. The virus has already claimed over 50,000 Californian lives.

From March to May 2020 alone, over 800 Covid-related hate incidents were reported from 34 counties in the state, according to a report released by the Asian Pacific Policy Planning Council.

Those numbers have since intensified in Orange County, where anti-Asian hate incidents are up by an estimated 1200%, according to the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism.

In neighbouring Los Angeles County, hate crimes against Asian Americans are up 115%, CBS News reported.

What's the reaction?

Advocates for Asian Americans say the violence can be linked to rising anti-Asian sentiment in the US.

Some have directly blamed the anti-China rhetoric of former President Donald Trump, who often made mention of the pandemic as the "China virus" or the "kung flu".

During his first week in office, President Biden signed an executive action essentially banning the use of such language within the federal government.

And with Democrats now in control of both chambers of Congress, lawmakers and activists are calling for more attention and resources devoted to the issue.

On 20 May, Mr Biden signed into law the Covid-19 Hate Crimes Act, to address the rising rate of anti-Asian attacks.

The bill designates an official at the US Justice Department to expedite reviews of violence and hate crimes related to Covid-19. It also provides grants for state and local governments to improve their own reporting systems.

The bipartisan measure passed through Congress earlier in May with overwhelming approval from both Republicans and Democrats.

"We need to unite as one people, as one nation," Mr Biden said in a bill signing ceremony at the White House. He condemned hate as "an ugly poison which has long plagued and long haunted our nation".

At the state level, California lawmakers allocated $1.4m (£1m) in state funds to expand data collection, advocacy initiatives and resources for victims.

On the ground, there are more local efforts to combat the hate too.

In Orange County, neighbours stepped in to help out an Asian-American family after a group of teenagers repeatedly targeted them for months with little police intervention. Neighbours now stand guard outside the family's home each night, the Washington Post reported.

Why is this happening?

These incidents are best explained by the "widespread omission" of Asian Americans within cultural conversations, according to Amanda Nguyen, an activist and the founder of the Rise civil rights not-for-profit organisation.

Although the Asian population grew faster than other major groups in the last US census, the community's stories are not widely covered in the media and its concerns are not polled by political parties, Ms Nguyen told the BBC.

Some federal agencies do not even include the Asian American and Pacific Islander community in their definitions of racial minorities, she notes.

Ms Nguyen says that the people attacking Asian Americans since the pandemic began "can't really differentiate and don't care if we are X, Y or Z".

"They have made us a scapegoat to enact their violence."

For Ms Nguyen, the more visibility anti-Asian crimes receive, the better. She notes that laws can help solve the problem, but the US needs a cultural shift as well.

"We are in a moment of reckoning right now," Ms Nguyen adds. "We have been systematically erased on every single level and people can start to combat that by educating themselves about us."

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Covid 'hate crimes' against Asian Americans on rise

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President Biden signs a bipartisan law to "stop the hatred and the bias" against Asian Americans.

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I talked to my mom, and she said that when she was growing up, it was a must to go to church. She also went to a Catholic school, so most of what she learned about religion was focused on the Catholic Church. She felt like her religious experience was very focused and a little isolated from other religions.

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My experience with religion has been very different from other adults. I grew up thinking we were welcome at all churches, and going to church felt more like a fun way to learn about Christ. But every time we moved, we went to different churches, which was confusing. As I got older, I tried out different religions and churches, but I ended up staying in the Catholic Church. Unlike older adults, my religious experience was less strict and more about exploring.

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Before the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, most Arab and Muslim Americans lived normal lives and were not talked about much in the news. They focused on family, work, and community, just like everyone else. People didn’t really connect their background or religion with danger or terrorism.

According to an article from the Center for Migration Studies, Arab Americans were mostly seen as invisible citizens before 9/11, meaning they were part of American life, but people didn’t pay much attention to them.  Race and Arab Americans Before and After 9/11: From Invisible Citizens to Visible Subjects - The Center for Migration Studies of New York (CMS)

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On September 11, 2001, terrorists attacked the United States; after that day, life became much harder for many Muslim, Arab, and Middle Eastern Americans. Some people blamed them for what happened, even though they had nothing to do with the attacks. Hate crimes and discrimination increased, and many felt watched or treated with suspicion. Even though things have improved in some ways, the effects of 9/11 are still felt today. Many Muslim and Arab Americans have worked hard to educate others, stand up to hate, and show what their faith and culture are about.  September 11 attacks - Wikipedia

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One important event in Jewish history that happened before I was born is the Holocaust, when about six million Jewish people were killed by Nazi Germany during World War II. This terrible time shows what can happen when hatred and prejudice are allowed to grow. Jewish people were targeted for who they were and what they believed in, but many still found ways to keep their faith and culture alive. Antisemitism and the struggle to hold on to the identity that even in hard times.

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I first learned about the Holocaust when I read The Dairy of Anne Frank in school. I remember being amazed that someone at a young age could write so honestly about living in hiding and being so brave during such a scary time. It helped me understand how terrible the Holocaust was and how it affected real people and families. Jewish Americans show the importance of remembering the past and standing up against hate and discrimination. Anne’s story reminds us that even in dark times, hope and courage can still shine through.

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In 1920, the 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote in the United States. This was a major step toward gender equality because it allowed women to have a voice in politics and influence laws that affect their lives. This change also encouraged more women to participate in public life, education, and work.

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Because women gained the right to vote, my mom and I, along with other women today, can participate fully in elections and have a say in government decisions. This gives women more influence over laws and policies that affect families, schools, and workplaces. Women’s political involvement continues to grow thanks to this important change.

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I’ve seen how blue collar workers are treated unfairly at work. They always have to work harder, deal with disrespect, and sometimes face favoritism or power trips from white collar employees, even when they are just as skilled or experienced. This class has helped me understand that inequality can happen because of social class or job status, not just race, ethnicity, or sex. People with less power in the workplace often face extra challenges that others don’t notice. If someone in the same situation had a different race, gender, or background, their experience might be different. For example, a white collar worker might get more respect and opportunities, while someone from an undervalued group could face even more unfair treatment.

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In Japan, women often earn less than men and have fewer chances for leadership jobs. Many companies expect women to quit work after having kids, and social pressure keeps gender roles strong. In the U.S., there’s still a gender pay gap, but women have more opportunities to stay in careers and take leadership roles. Both countries have inequality based on gender, but the ways it affects daily life are different.