I Release this Burden

I release this burden of silence
for the years of off handed comments about war brides from a country I never visited or lived in.
for the times I was accused of having an accent.
for the rumors that my childhood home was full of dragons.

I will no longer smile and stay silent.

I release this burden of this hidden anger
for the silence of so called friends.
for my daughter who at 5 has already had her first question about the color of her skin.
for the stranger who expressed her hatred because my skin is the base tan she has to pay for (hello tanning industry) and I was born with.

I will no longer hide this anger.

I release this silence and anger for my BIPOC and LGTBQ+ friends
who had to watch their community suffer.
who had to watch the unfair deaths of hundreds of friends, sons, daughters, parents, and grandparents.
who had to watch the perpetrators be treated with kindness and the victims treated as criminals.

I will stand and support you.

I release these burdens to You.
You who called for prayers for white supremacists and not for the family of the victims.

It is now your guilt to carry.

You who thanked white supremacists for doing nothing but threw napalm at the underlying racism of the world.

I see who you are and I will not expose myself nor my daughter to you.

You who have been snarky about the new "wokeness" of the world.

I am woke and I see the snark for what it is. Fear that your ilk no longer has control over us.

There is a new normal and in this new normal the burden is on you.

You to educate yourself.
You to be uncomfortable.
You to get the silent treatment.

I am no longer your Asian doll,
your diversity friend,
your "get-out-of being-called-a-racist" card.

I release this burden and I will survive, I will continue, and I will succeed.