Asian-Americans: Never American?
My SoundCloud audio commentary on this story
In the Asian-American experience, there will be times when you are disregarded as a true American. In this particular case, it gets even worse as the Chicago police officers in this raid physically hit her and verbally abuse her despite her stance that she is a citizen.
Here’s a transcript of what was caught on camera:
Police officer: You’re not f—— American! I’ll put you in a UPS box and send you back to wherever the f— you came from!
Klyzek: I’m a citizen, OK?
Police officer: No you’re not! No, you’re not a citizen! No, you’re not! No, you’re not! You’re here on our borrowed time. So mind your f—— business before I shut this whole f—— place down. And I’ll take this place and then whoever owns it will f—— kill you because they don’t care about you, OK? I’ll take this building. You’ll be dead and your family will be dead.
The video was released in May of this year after the owner, Jianqing “Jessica” Klyzek sued the Chicago police department accusing the officers of a hate crime, excessive force and attempting a cover-up by framing her. Police spokesman Adam Collins said the Independent Police Review Authority is investigating. “The alleged comments, if true, are reprehensible and completely intolerable in our police department,” Collins said.
Yes it’s reprehensible that this happened but what I find just as disturbing is this mind-set occurs all too often. Asian-Americans are treated as second-class citizens. Maybe not so much in hiring or housing but certainly in the views of mainstream America that we are the perpetual “foreigner”. Even if Klyzek spoke good English, I believe she would’ve received the same treatment.
So what are we to do as a society? I think in this case, the officers need more than “sensitivity” training, they need “immersion” experiences. Thinking off the top of my head, they need to immerse themselves in Asian-American circles and recognize we are just as American as their Italian, Polish, Irish, German, or British ancestors.
Related Story Links:
