Letter To The Editor: Growing Up Mexican-American In Los Alamos
Potomac, Md.
As a former resident of Los Alamos I read the Los Alamos Daily Post frequently. April 25, 2021, I read with keen interest the letter to the Editor titled “Growing Up As Asian American – The Model Minority Myth” by Olivia Koo.
Ms. Koo touched on a topic of great interest to me, and she presented it eloquently. Her statement “One could say that Los Alamos is a manifestation of the model minority myth” was spot on.
I am Mexican-American. My family moved to Los Alamos Aug. 15, 1943, when I was six years old. When I began the first grade at Central School, when K-12 were all located under one roof, I did not know how to speak English. My father had a better command of English than my mother and myself, which was still limited.
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(Robert Mill/ Lowell Sun) Kevin Chan and Mai Nagabayashi, both of Lowell, hold signs during a vigil against Asian hate held in Clemente Park in Lowell’s Cambodiatown neighborhood on March 17.
Brigid Archibald
Connector Editor
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a marked increase in anti-Asian racism. According to Stop AAPI Hate, a nonprofit dedicated to tracking and responding to hate towards Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities, from March 19 to Feb. 28, 2021, there were 3,795 incidents received by the Stop AAPI Hate reporting center. A number which, they say, represents only a fraction of incidents that have occurred.
For women, our childhoods are preparation for a lifelong fight on the battlefield.
It’s a soldier’s life. My younger years were controlled by a list of unwavering guidelines: Never be unaware. Never trust a stranger. Never walk home without some way of protecting yourself. Therefore, my paranoia became my defense. As I grew older, I was given my weapons. My pepper spray became my sword, my keen senses my shield.
When I became a woman, I was forced to replace my armor. Never wear anything provocative. I complied. My clothing became my disguise. After all, it was my responsibility to stay hidden. It was my responsibility to not be harmed.
Maneater | COLUMN: We all must be soldiers: The safety of Asian American women is not their battle to fight alone themaneater.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from themaneater.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.