No, this picture wasn't placed here by mistake. Please look closely at the subtleties and allow me the space and time to be heard.
I am wearing the colors of my homeland's flag, the Philippines. I have my sunglasses on. I wear a mask. My pin says I got vaccinated against the pandemic virus. The building says "One Patriot Place___ E2". I couldn't have planned this shot better if I tried! Let me continue.
They say the devil is in the details. Let's dive into hell, then. The Philippines is a small country in Southeast Asia. Contrary to stereotypes, not all Asians look alike. I was mistaken for a Latina on my way to the building- another minority group. It is deemed impolite to look people in the eyes if you're talking with them in my culture. I have taken to wearing sunglasses for a while because it gives me "invisibility" and not being conscious when bumping into strangers. It gives me a false sense of confidence. I wear a mask that, for some groups, represents being controlled or suppressed by people of authority. My pin states that I got vaccinated from a virus that some people would attribute to being brought upon mankind by my kind- Asians. Chinese, to be specific. But others would argue that we all look alike, remember? I got that dose in a building called One Patriot Place. What does it mean to be a patriot? Since I am a naturalized American citizen, what country am I being patriotic to, then? And that building number, E2, which in my native language, is an iteration of the word "eto," meaning "this."
This. This is me. Some people will look at it the way I have just described above. I look at it as an immigrant fighting the same fight as all the rest of humanity. It's not the virus I'm talking about. It's about being respected, honored, and fairly treated. And someday, I will be strong enough to say that out loud, without shifting my gaze anywhere but right in your eyes, without the need for talismans such as sunglasses.
