If You're Asian, Tell Us About The Most Ridiculous Or Offensive Microaggressions You've Faced

BuzzFeed
·2 min read
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If you're Asian (like me), you've probably got plenty of your own stories of microaggressions to flat-out racism. In the past, when I've asked Asian readers to share the most outrageous things non-Asian people have said to them "romantically," many commented and shared their experiences even beyond the dating scene.

Maya says, "What the F?" in PEN15
Maya says, "What the F?" in PEN15

Hulu

And as we know, anti-Asian hate is often minimized or downplayed despite being just as harmful and othering as any other — but it can validating to talk about and recognize.

So to platform these experiences, I want to know about a time you've experienced anti-Asian microaggressions.

If you're unfamiliar with microagression, Professor Kevin Nadal told NPR, "Microaggressions are defined as the everyday, subtle, intentional — and oftentimes unintentional — interactions or behaviors that communicate some sort of bias toward historically marginalized groups."

For instance, one person shared, "I had a not-so-good feeling yesterday when a coworker (who does not know me well) hit the button of the IT floor for me in the elevator. Not all of your Asian coworkers work in IT!"

Hasan Minhaj taps his forehead
Hasan Minhaj taps his forehead

Netflix

Another commented, "A guy at my school was speaking Vietnamese. The people listening to him looked at me and asked if I could translate. I told them I'm not that type of Asian; I'm Filipino. Then one guy said, 'Well, can you speak Filipinese?' I said, 'No, that's not a language,' and told him to fuck off."

Manny Jacinto raises his eyebrows and makes a face on The Good Place
Manny Jacinto raises his eyebrows and makes a face on The Good Place

NBCUniversal Television Distribution

And someone else revealed, "An Uber driver once asked if I was going to work because I put my destination as a massage therapy spa that has an Asian name."

Constance Wu looks over her shoulder in shock on Fresh Off The Boat
Constance Wu looks over her shoulder in shock on Fresh Off The Boat

20th Television

Personally, when I was in middle school, my friend came up to me, upset, and revealed that another classmate had asked her 'if she could see in wide-screen.' My friend and I are both Korean, but I didn't understand the 'joke' until she — putting her distress aside for a moment — explained it to me: "Because my eyes are 'wide,' Victoria!"

Sandra Oh runs her hands down her face and through her hair in Killing Eve
Sandra Oh runs her hands down her face and through her hair in Killing Eve

BBC America / IMG / AMC

So whether you're East, Southeast, South, Western, or Central Asian, share your stories with me in the comments below. If you'd prefer to share anonymously, please submit your response in this Google form. You could be featured in an upcoming BuzzFeed Community post.