When POC become each other’s allies
Taking a stand on racism when I had everything to lose
“Go back to her own country.”
I heard a grad school instructor make this comment, and I looked up from my notes. Somewhere between dumbfounded and disgusted, I looked around the room for Asian students. There were none. That’s when I realized why this instructor felt super comfortable making that comment. I mean, who else would make a fuss about telling an Asian student to go back to her country? Even that student wasn’t there to defend herself.
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But let’s back up a little to explain what lead to the comment. I was taking a multi-part certification course at a grad school in downtown Chicago to learn Chicago Manual Style. I was also in grad school at another university and working full time. I’d been pondering transferring to this downtown school once my employer decided to pay for this certification course. If I could avoid grad school bills, why not blend the two?