During my time at the PLU campus, being out of place has kind of been my thing. Honestly, it was fine at first, to be unaware of being a minority because of my lack of awareness with people and the constant need to adjust to campus. At first, it was a little overwhelming with sticking out and learning how to accept it, but the worst part of it all was the constant micro aggressions that kept offending me.
If you don't know what a micro aggression is, it is a verbal or non-verbal aggression that someone says or does to make a person uncomfortable or feel less of a person. While at PLU, the micro-aggressions have impacted many people within the school, and for me, it makes me uncomfortable and out of place within the school.
One time, I was in the bathroom within my hall, and I was brushing my teeth, and a girl comes up to me and asked me if I was the new international student from Japan. Slight mistake since I'm not Japanese, but did you know that it didn't matter? She could have just asked me where I was from since it was the second week of school and that question is asked constantly. I chose to not make this a big deal and say "If you consider the 253 international, then yes, yes I am." However, because I never really have a quick comment at hand, I just told her "no," and moved on with my life. Did it ruin my morning? Yes, just a little.
It bothers me because no one asks if you're Scandinavian, Irish, British, etc. They just zoom past that because it isn't relevant to what matters. But why does it always matter with an Asian person? Or to a Black person? Why does it always have to matter what percentage of "white" are you or are you not?
In the end, I just feel like it shouldn't matter because when it does, it demeans a person unless they are white. Unless they are pale and beautiful. It makes other races feel like animals, constantly needed to perform for the higher social status. I understand some people don't micro-aggress because they want to, but they are just being curious. However, there are better ways of asking questions, and wouldn't you rather have someone want to get to know you because of who you are, not what you are?
Stop treating other races as animals, we are more than that and we deserve to not have to perform ourselves for you. This means stop touching our hair without asking. And only touch it if they say yes. It bothers people and it doesn't. But for the most part, just fucking ask. And don't butt into a conversation of a different language and ask them to "say something in (insert a different language here) for me." We are not performers, and this is not a stage for us. It is our life. A life we want to enjoy, just as much as you.
