Four tips for Election Anxiety
Dear Still Unsettled in 2024,
First of all, I want to start by saying, I can relate to how you feel and I don’t think you are the only one who still feels unsettled. Particularly right now with the potential that former President Donald Trump may again be POTUS by January of 2025.
The possibility of Trump becoming the President of our country again is unsettling. It’s hard to forget that he, while in office, called Covid 19, the Kung Flu, the China Plague and the Chinese Virus. We look to the leader of our country to be a person we can trust who will protect us and guide us through difficult times.
Trump showed me that, in times of crisis, he is willing to lead with bravado and does not hesitate to resort to scapegoating in dealing with the mounting scrutiny of a crisis.
During Covid, Mr. Trump scapegoated Chinese Americans and made it acceptable and normalized the practice of making derogatory comments about the “Chinese” that I don’t think would be tolerated in an elementary school.
The consequences of Mr. Trump’s slurs weren’t just felt by Chinese Americans alone, rather his divisive speech created an atmosphere of blame, an us against them situation that all Asians inherited overnight.
Instead of bringing comfort to the country, in a time of mounting fear and uncertainty, I picture Mr. Trump as a dark magician. Here is a little excerpt on sleight of hand. I think it sums up my thoughts.
In order to create illusions, magicians present one reality to their audience while concealing another.
The first is misdirection, focusing the audience’s attention on an unimportant object or action so nobody notices the important movements happening right before their eyes. The second is the sly physical manipulation of objects with imperceptible movements, commonly known as sleight of hand.
So how do we combat sleight of hand in real life? I think we have to find ways we can impact our environment.
Consider:
1.Sharing: Share the angst, sadness, anger and at times hopeless feelings you have felt and can feel with other Asian Americans. Also consider other marginalized group members as potential listeners. I found knowing nods and shared thoughts lifted my spirits more than I thought possible.
2. Learning: Check out “Right to Be.” I found “Right to Be” during the pandemic and joined one of their online Bystander Trainings. The training equipped me with how to handle potential situations of racism. I took copious notes and shared what I learned with anyone who would listen.
Check out their site for free trainings!
https://righttobe.org/our-training/
3. Donating: Donate even a nominal amount to “Right to Be” or other AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) advocacy groups. You can also donate your time by volunteering with an AAPI group such as Asian Americans Advancing Justice.
https://www.advancingjustice-aajc.org/get-involved
4. Creating: I recently started this blog and created some fun art to amplify my Asian American pride as a way to move my “unsettled feelings.” Having a positive racial identity is one way to combat racism. Click below to see my positive identity designs.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/DearAhMei
You might think about writing a poem, song or a one (wo)man show to express what you are feeling.
I hope you’ve found this helpful.
Your Friend,
Ah Mei
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Dear Ah Mei,
During Covid, I began to feel a heightened sense of fear regarding my safety. How was it that even in diverse states like California and New York, hate crimes against Asian Americans were rampant? I was wondering, did you feel this way too?
When I talked to my non Asian friends about feeling afraid to be out and about, they were sympathetic to the horrible hate crimes against Asians elsewhere but perplexed by how this impacted me. “Were you hurt or threatened they’d ask me?” No, but… I still felt unsettled. This feeling persists even today to a much lesser degree though as some people have reminded me, it’s 2024… What are your thoughts?
Sincerely,
Still Unsettled in 2024
