In the past few weeks, there has been a significant increase of Asian hate which has created anxiety and fear. In Orange County, CA there is a large Asian American Community and several attacks have even happened in Orange County. Sometimes we feel we live in a facade of safety and pretend everything is alright. Denial can limit your ability to readily prepare yourself. There is a lingering fear and increased concern in the community. Historically, Asians immigrated to the US to have new opportunities to start a better life for themselves and for their family. Imagine arriving in a country unable to speak English with limited resources.

Trying to survive in creating a life in a new country, a new language, and also dealing with hate/ racism is a constant battle. I wonder how often someone has made inappropriate comments towards me and behind my back. Sometimes I choose to maintain naivety to ignore racism because it is so painful and scary to deal with. Now that more Asian hate crime is documented and evident, there are mixed feelings of relief of finally being heard, but also being scared to see how hateful the world can be.

We may appear different, but we all have similar feelings and emotions. How is it okay to hurt others out of anger? We all have been hurt. What makes it okay to act out and be cruel? This is definitely hard to digest.

I’m hoping people start embracing our similarities. Lots of individuals were socially isolated from their loved ones and unable to participate in their regular routines. Having to sit with our feelings and emotions can be very difficult. There is an increase of anxiety and depression. It’s a really important time to reach out for help. Sometimes people cope with anger and pain by attacking the outside world rather than looking within.

If something does happen to you or someone threatens you, please speak up and don’t keep it to yourself. You are important and deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. Try your best to take care of yourself. Talk about it with people you trust and remember you can protect yourself. Also limit your exposure to social media because the constant reminder can be overwhelming. I’m happy to see there are organizations and programs to help the Asian American community.

It’s normal to feel sad, scared, worried and angry. It’s important to talk to kids because they tend to keep things to themselves and unable to process on their own. It’s important to be truthful and honest rather than pretend everything is okay. You don’t need to fix the issues. Just allow them to feel heard, understood, and validated. You can talk to kids about a plan to best protect themselves and ways to reach out to parents/ adults.

I hope this blog is helpful to deal with the Asian hate. If you are struggling with anxiety and feel overwhelmed, please call Jane Pearl Lee Counseling, Anxiety Therapist for a free 15-minute telephone consultation at (949) 771-4461. If you are looking for an anxiety therapist in Orange County, you can read more about how I can help on my website. My specialties include career driven professionals, caregiver stress, Asian American psychology, anxious teens, and social anxiety.