The Daily Iowan WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2020 THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA COMMUNITY SINCE 1868 DAILYIOWAN.COM 50¢ UI COVID-19 NUMBERS Number of self-reported cases of COVID-19 Students: 16 new cases, 2,132 BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH semester-to-date Employees: 5 new cases, 86 semester-to-date The unknown Source: UI Oct. 26, 2020 campus update INSIDE THE DAILY IOWAN | DAILYIOWAN.COM | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2020 AMPLIFY 5 risk of breast implants surrounded by white stu- mistreatment. I would stare dents when a maskless wom- at the mirror and hate what an put her hand up to her I saw because my ethnicity Amplifyface when she approached Li had somehow deemed me and immediately dropped it unworthy of the same degree as soon as she passed her. of human respect as every- My middle name is The racist language used5 one else. Three Asian American students to describe the pandemic has The part of me I was told depicted Asian Americans to embrace by my family share their stories about facing as a virus rather than indi- had become something that viduals and have become a I was ashamed of, and it got Anti-Asian discrimination and scapegoat for the ongoing to the point where I was cry- how it has impacted their lives. pandemic. ing because I was wishing While women are encouraged to monitor their health during Breast Cancer Awareness month, Maree Eun We feel anxious out in for something that I knew I they have seen more people public because Asian Amer- could never change. expressing racist or racially icans have been tied to the Valencia had her world insensitive views of Asian reason for a canceled grad- turned upside down when Americans. uation ceremony or a post- she moved in fifth grade Between March and Au- poned spring-break trip and from a diverse Filipino com- gust, more than 2,583 an- have become a target for munity to a white suburb. ti-Asian American hate people’s anger at COVID-19 "Kids would bully me all incidents ranging from mitigation measures. the time because I didn’t look like them,” Valencia said. “I was called ‘China’ in middle there is another movement of women raising concern about breast implants At age nine when attending middle school and people pulled the corners of their eyes on the school in Wheaton, IL, I was told by a former school bus. As it continued friend [my name] wasn't pretty because it growing up, I developed anx- iety and depression. I didn’t sounded weird. Then, the person pulled her realize how much this affect- eyes and said, 'I guess it makes sense since ed me until I mentally broke.” However, it’s not just the you have ugly eyes.'' blatant racist comments that myself and others have faced that can cause other types of cancer in breast tissue. harassment to physical Caitlyn Valencia, a Filipino that are harmful. It’s also the assault were reported to third-year and first-genera- questions I get that are un- Contributed the Asian Pacific Policy and tion student studying violin derlined with ignorance like, Portrait of Hannah Pinski. Planning Council. performance and music edu- “What are you” or “Are you language Rachel Li, a sophomore cation, is frustrated with the North or South Korean?” BY HANNAH PINSKI is an issue that needs to used to describe majoring in medical anthro- effects of the racist language Li faced these similar types [email protected] be addressed in American the pandemic such as pology and music, has faced that is being used to describe of microaggressions when culture and media. The mod- “Chinese virus” and “kung some of these incidents the virus. she moved from Singapore to My name is Hannah Maree el-minority myth and fox-eye flu” is used, it associates while being on the Universi- “I don’t feel welcome West Des Moines five years Eun Pinski. My middle name trend that non-Asians are us- blame on Asian Americans. ty of Iowa campus. here, and it’s not right be- ago. is shortened from Eunme — ing – a makeup technique to President Donald Trump has When the U.S. began re- cause America is supposed “When I went to regis- the Korean name I was given make the eyes look slanted – constantly used these terms porting its first COVID-19 to be built off of diversity,” tration freshman year, the before I was adopted from are tangible examples of rac- in his tweets and blamed cases in February, Li attend- Valencia said. “It’s sad that school assumed I couldn’t South Korea at four months ism and cultural appropria- the Chinese community on ed a comedy event hosted at now privilege includes being speak English and wanted to old. At age nine when I was tion. What gets glossed over multiple occasions. Since the Iowa Memorial Union looked at as a person instead put me in the ESL program,” attending middle school in is the everyday experiences the outbreak of coronavi- where an individual in the of a scapegoat. Nowadays be- Li said. “People also assumed Wheaton, IL, I was told by a Asian Americans face and rus, a June Pew Research audience stood up and made ing Asian also means being I was Chinese and asked me former friend it wasn’t pret- have become normalized. survey found 58 percent of a COVID-19 joke pointed to- viewed as a target for blame. if I ate dogs and if I lived in ty because it sounded weird. The racist comments to mi- Asian American adults say ward Asian Americans. “I grew up in a majori- a village.” Then, the person pulled her croaggressions impact our Kate Heston/The Daily Iowan “I was one ty-white suburb. I faced bul- These microaggressions eyes and said, “I guess it lives in a hurtful way that University of Iowa junior Caitlyn Valencia poses for a of maybe three lying through racist remarks and jokes are disrespectful makes sense since you have the majority of people don't portrait outside of Voxman music building on Oct. 22. Asians there,” because I was different. The and make us feel dehuman- ugly eyes.” Everyone around realize. Now, in the middle Li said. “The incident that happened to ized. But when we speak out me joined in her laughter, of a pandemic, racism host called me when I was nine was just and condemn this behavior, and I was left crying in a has taken a form of him out, and I the beginning. we often are told the slight bathroom stall. scapegoating that ended up People was just a joke or that we are Since that day, I have has escalated op- ap- too sensi- avoided answering the ques- pression against tive. tion of my middle name or the Asian Amer- “Look- ing back at high Kids would bully me all the school, the mi- croaggressions time because I didn't look like them. I got to a point was called 'China' in middle school and where we encour- people pulled the corners of their eyes Maps by aged people to Kate Doolittle joke about us on the school bus. because every teenager wants to be liked — Caitlyn Valencia, UI junior and to fit in,” Valencia said. “Calling out people pushes have left out the “Eun” until ican popula- them away.” now. I still have yet to feel tion. The experiences that Ra- like I am beautiful. During the COVID-19 chel, Caitlyn, and I share are Asian American racism pandemic, racism has only a fraction of the strug- and stereotyping in America taken new forms. When gles and oppression that Asian Americans are facing every day. I can’t change what I’ve gone through and the feel- ings of invalidation and un- worthiness will never com- pletely go away. The only thing I’m able to do is open Calendar up and hope that it’ll encour- age empathy and conver- Virtual Community Events on Campus sation in order to promote change in behavior and atti- Wednesday, Oct. 28 at 7:00 p.m.: Ain't I A Woman: My tude. Everyone needs to start Journey to Womanhood - Laverne Cox Kate Heston/The Daily Iowan University of Iowa sophomore Rachel Li poses for a speaking up about this be- portrait on the steps of Schaffer Hall on Oct. 22. havior and learn from their mistakes in- Thursday, Oct. 29 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.: Fall 2020 Diversity stead of justify- Seminar When I went to registration freshman year, ing them. I don’t want my children Monday, Nov. 2 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.: LGBTQ Safe Zone: the school assumed I couldn't speak English and to grow up and face experiences Phase II wanted to put me in the ESL program. People like I have that also assumed I was Chinese and asked me if I make them feel Wednesday, Nov. 4 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m: WOCN: their ethnici- ate dogs and if I lived in a village. ty is something Decolonizing Institutions from Within — Rachel Li, UI sophomore they should be ashamed of. proaching knew where to twist the knife It’s not right that An- Thursday, Nov. 5 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.: Fall 2020 Diversity him to stand as I got older with phrases, ti-Asian American discrimi- Seminar up for myself. ‘Go back to where you came nation is normalized, and we He ended up from’ and ‘Ch*nk — your have become scapegoats.