Reflections From A Chinese Immigrant

Hello Waterstone! We hope that Larry is having a restorative Sabbatical, and while he’s gone the Justice Team will continue with a BLOG TAKEOVER for the summer! 

You may have heard mention of Waterstone’s Justice Class. The Justice Class, now updated, condensed, and renamed “The Bible, Justice, and Me,” is one of the primary ways Waterstone Church helps people learn about and engage with God's heart to bring about his love, justice and mercy in our community. Throughout the summer, a handful of participants will share their thoughts and experiences with the class. 

I’m Jeff Chang and this week it is my turn to talk about racism. Last spring, I had the opportunity to attend the The Bible, Justice and Me class at Waterstone. I was very interested because racism—a complex, challenging, but extremely relevant topic—was included. I was asked to write a blog to share my view on racism through the lens of a Waterstone church member, an immigrant, and a class attendee.

As a Chinese American, my family and I immigrated to the U.S. from Taiwan in the mid-70s. Taiwan, a democratically governed, allied country that shares similar values and deep commercial and economic ties with the U.S., should not be conflated with communist-ruled China, a long-time adversary to the U.S. I have long since been an American citizen, assimilated to the American culture, and out of self-preservation, have lived in white majority neighborhoods. I have done so to try to access the same privileges as white people, at the expense of my own self-identity and culture. As with several Asian Americans I interviewed at Waterstone, we have all adhered to the saying “the nail that sticks out gets hammered down” by choosing to blend in and live in harmony with others because if we don’t, we may become victims of racial discrimination. Personally, I have not experienced racism at Waterstone, but we do believe there are still cultural blind spots and there is more we can do at Waterstone to raise awareness and become advocates to targets of racism.

From the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic to mid-2021, there were more than 9,000 reported incidents of anti-Asian assaults, harassment and hate crimes¹ because the COVID virus was widely described in racially charged terms. I believe those who were fearful and unaware, with behaviors rooted in racism, were scapegoating Asian Americans. As the anti-China sentiment, political tension, and incentive to decouple U.S. economy from China continues to increase, I can’t help but wonder if I could one day become a target of anti-Chinese racism, forced to be relocated or deported. After all, history has certainly proved that form of racism when thousands of Japanese American citizens were unlawfully relocated to detention camps during World War II.

I’ll share an incident that is closer to home. My sons, who are half-Chinese, attended high school in Castle Rock, CO, they would consistently find excuses to skip school on December 7, National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. Upon further investigation, we were shocked to learn that December 7^th is widely known at their school as “slap a Jap” day and my sons were unfortunate targets of racism. We were saddened, but not surprised, that this level ignorance and racism existed in our own comfortable, safe, and homogenous suburban community. 

Waterstone’s The Bible, Justice and Me class has given me a renewed sense of awareness and a desire to influence change towards racism in America. Racism is an incredibly complex, systemic problem that is reflected in societal behavior such as racial bias, voting rights suppression, prejudice resulting in negative stereotypes and unequal treatment. I am thrilled to see Waterstone taking steps toward impacting positive change. If you are already well informed and are actively contributing to the cause, I sincerely applaud you. If not, I would encourage to increase your awareness of racism both locally and globally. As followers of Christ, I believe God expects us to not turn a blind eye towards racism, but to do our part in becoming part of the solution as Micah 6:8 reminds us to treat people equally. 

RESOURCES

Below are resources and recommendations you may consider checking out. Note that these resources have been picked by the author, The Justice Team or were incorporated into The Bible, Justice and Me presentations. 

A Documentary

1000% Me: Growing Up Mixed, HBO Documentary, 2023

Jeff’s sons are bi-racial, so this was particularly meaningful.

A Quick Link

Juan Crow: In recent years, the term Juan Crow has also been used to discuss the historical discrimination against Mexican Americans in the U.S. as analogous to the treatment of African Americans in the Jim Crow era, specifically as related to mob violence and segregation in schools.

A Book

Be the Bridge: Pursuing God’s Heart for Racial Reconciliation by Latasha Morrison

This book covers the racial injustice against people of color in the U.S. I appreciate this resource because it provides a balance of the author’s personal stories and some of the hard historical events in our country. She walks through a process of lament, confession, forgiveness & restorative reconciliation. Highly recommended!

Activities

1. Attend Juneteenth Music Festival in Denver, June 15 & 16, 2024
   • Juneteenth, officially Juneteenth National Independence Day, is a federal holiday in the U.S. It is celebrated annually on June 19 to commemorate the ending of slavery in the United States. The holiday's name is a portmanteau of the words "June" and "nineteenth", as it was on June 19, 1865, when Major General Gordon Granger ordered the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas at the end of the American Civil War. 
2. Consider visiting a church where you are a minority.
3. Support a minority-owned business or restaurant next time you shop or eat out.
4. Visit History Colorado online to see more about Colorado’s history. Did you know that there was a Japanese Internment camp in Colorado during WWII?  

Tags: love, jesus, mercy, justice, race, reconciliation, diversity, class, racism, immigration, juneteenth