Why It’s So Hard To Speak Out Against Racism Sometimes

If you haven't noticed, the media has begun to cover more of the hate crimes against the Asian American community. Many have wondered what took so long? And why it's so hard to speak out against racism sometimes?

It looks like at last, the Asian American community with the help of others is finally speaking out. Asian Americans have had enough of being marginalized and ignored by the media. Asian Americans are more emboldened than ever to speak out against racism.

Too bad it took a pandemic and murders against elderly Asian people for the nation to finally wake up.

History Of Racism Against Asian Americans

In a derivative way, I touched upon one of the hate crimes against Asian Americans in my post, The Cost Of Raising Many Children Isn't Just About The Money. The post discussed how having too many children may result in neglect. With neglect comes ignorance and sometimes hate.

Like inflation, racism against Asian Americans has always existed as well. Just Google its history and you will learn about Japanese internment camps, “yellow fever,” and the Chinese Exclusion Act among other things.. Thankfully, a greater number of people are starting to pay attention and maybe even care. 

It is partially due to the difficulties I had growing up as a minority in Virginia (came here for high school in 1991), that made me so driven to achieve financial freedom sooner. I didn't want my fate to be determined by a gatekeeper for the rest of my life.

As a teenager, it was already so obvious how rigged the system was. Once I got my first job at McDonald's, I happily saved and invested most of my money for the next 25+ years. Oh boy was our white manager a power tripper who loved to bark at me and my Hispanic colleagues. I wish I had the guts to speak out against racism then.

Why Some Asian Americans Have A Difficult Time Speaking Out Against The Racism They Encounter

One of the reasons why some Asian Americans have a difficult time speaking out against racism is due to the belief and sad reality that nobody will believe us.

If we speak out against racism, who is the majority going to side with? A minority that has little representation in politics, boardrooms, and the media? Or someone who looks like them?

Human nature dictates the latter, which is one of the reasons why I've built a small real estate business for my family. I believe things will get better for our children's generation. But you can never be too sure. 

Once you speak out, you make yourself a target. You get sometimes labeled as “an other” who rocks the boat and might not play nice with others. As a result, people tend to keep quiet until a tragedy forces them to speak up. What a shame.

An Example Of Fighting Back Against Racism

A couple years ago, I went on the offensive after a white woman from Georgia repeatedly left offensive comments on my site and on my FB page. I was thinking to myself, what did I ever do to you? Now I'm thinking, is there a lot of racial tension I'm not aware of in Georgia?

When I wrote about her internet trolling, I got pounced on by the predominantly white FIRE community, which I helped popularize starting in 2009. They thought I was lying about her offensive comments, even though I had no reason to start something. As a father to a newborn, I also had barely any extra time. Also as a father to a newborn, I became adamant to stamp out racism for his sake.

I expected this type of reaction from some in the FIRE community because that's the way things have been for so long. The lack of diversity makes groupthink a reality. But thanks to having enough passive income, I'm not afraid to speak out. Then again, I've never been afraid to fight back as a couple suspensions in school have shown. 

Here's How To Help The Asian American Community

If you want to help people who are being randomly attacked for no reason, my best advice is to change your default assumption from incredulity to believing what victims have to say. 

No sane person wants to exhaust his or her energy bringing hate and unwanted attention upon themselves. But these types of random attacks are what minorities have to deal with all the time. 

The second best thing you can do is speak out. Don't just virtue signal, but actually speak up and do something about an injustice. You will appreciate it when someone speaks up for you.

Finally, spend time looking at your own network. If you're just promoting people who all look like you, try and branch out. You might be surprised at how nice it is to interact with people from different cultures. 

Below is an interesting picture of the panelists on Meet The Press discussing the recent hate crimes against Asian Americans. I appreciate them speaking out, but where are the Asians?

Why It's So Hard To Speak Out Against Racism Sometimes

Make Sure You Get Your Finances In Order

After 30 years of living in America, I've become somewhat inured to the occasional racism and exclusion I experience as an Asian American. It not longer bothers me as much as it once did because I've been able to live the life that I want. It's also not hard to speak out against racism for me.

One of the key benefits of financial independence is being able to speak your mind without fear of retribution. What are they going to do to me? Fire me from a job I don't have? Ha! Once you have your finances in order, the insults won't hurt as much or at all.

What you'll also find interesting is that once you have f*ck you money you no longer have the desire to tell others to f*ck off. You realize the reason why they hate on others is because something is bothering them. Therefore, you just ignore them and move on.

The best “revenge” against racism is to be successful. And one of the best ways to help your children fight racism is educate them about the ignorance of others.

Asian people have the highest income and net worth among all races in America. In addition, Asians have the highest life expectancies in America as well. Therefore, Asian people are winning.

Related posts:

Income By Race: Why Is Asian Income The Highest?

Your Chances Of Becoming A Millionaire By Race

Dear Minorities, Use Racism As Motivation To Achieve Financial Independence

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Fight on! 

Sam – Financial freedom sooner, rather than later. If you want to sign up for my free newsletter do so here.