“The community wasn’t comfortable with me, and I would constantly get stopped [by police] for no reason, as they assumed I had no permit. Protesting and getting our community involved has made things tolerable, but discrimination is still seen on the streets.”
In the Bay Area, hate crimes against Asians increased by close to 150% in 2020 throughout the pandemic…Students need to release their emotions, raise awareness for what is happening in the community, and learn how to take action to solve the issue.
It’s 3:30 a.m. and my parents are waking up my siblings and I for another day at the flea market. That’s how our mornings started every weekend for 5 years – wake up, get dressed and help pack any last items before heading off to the flea market. All those years at the flea market helped pay for food and the bills, as well as help my siblings and I earn some money so we can buy items we like.
Only 28% of the workforce in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) are women. According to Yale Scientific Magazine, “women make up 34.5% of STEM faculty at academic institutions.” To balance out the gender imbalance in the STEM workforce, we need more representation and opportunities for women.
I love to see that my community is finally doing something to help the less fortunate, but there has to be something done that is more stable and fitting for everyone. I understand issues like these aren’t easy to fix overnight, but more than a decade has passed and it seems like my community is still in the same place.
When free lunch for everyone is normalized, there’s no more shame in using these resources, ensuring that students will be fed no matter their families’ income.
I felt a sense of exclusion for not relating to, knowing, or reciting the pledge like everyone else. However, I felt that some of the other people taking the pledge also didn’t fully identify with it…Yet they go along with this pledge that doesn’t represent their beliefs. Why?
The more I remember my 8th birthday, the more I examine the idea that I had money for either a birthday cake or a present. My family couldn’t afford to get me both. When I came to this realization, I started thinking about other things that might have pointed to this truth.
