United in our Differences

 Amidst all the Asian hate crimes that we have seen, the country has been divided more than that it has ever been. Many people have taken to social media to talk about various incidents of subtle Asian micro-racism that Asians have come to take in as normal. 

Even for me, growing up, I wanted to fit in with my peers so badly despite the difference in our appearances. There were many jokes made at the expense of Asian culture, including name-calling and jokes about the naturally slanted eyes that most Eastern Asians have. Many of my peers would often ask me if my other Asian peers were my brothers and sisters. I thought that if I had made my peers laugh, they would like me more.

I was mistaken if I thought that I could I have bunched all of these diverse Asian cultures with one another. 

Statistics

38% of the entire Asian population is made up by Eastern Asians and 22% of the world population. China, one of the largest populations in Eastern Asia, has around 51 ethnic groups in that one country. Korea and Japan are also very diverse, with many different ethnic groups as well. And that doesn't even account for the other Eastern Asian countries like Vietnam, Cambodia,  Indonesia, etc. Many different Eastern cultures also engage in various different religions. Some religious groups that are prevalent include Taoism, Buddhism, Christianity, Shamanism, Shintoism, and countless others. Needless to say, Eastern Asia has a very dynamic population with many different cultures. 

Do you think if people knew about all of the different groups that make up East Asia alone, they would categorize them all into one category?

However, I do not think that being different from one another is a terrible thing. 

I think that having different groups of people make up such a large region is actually a good thing. There is a respect among these Asian groups where we understand that there is a rich history in each and every country. Despite the similarities in appearance, everything is so different from one another. There is no food, language, culture, or history that is close to another. These differences make each culture unique, so why should we take it away from us? 

As Asian Americans, we tend to get lost and we try to assimilate with our peers. And of course, that's not to say that America does not have a diverse culture and history as well. However, we should not compromise our own culture to fit into the stigma that Americans have of Asians; rather, we should hold our cultures close to our heart and share it with pride and love for our countries.