Reflecting on The Colour of my Skin

Just staring off I’ve really fought with what even to say around this topic. There has been so much that has happened in the world we live in and really taking the time to look at things I feel we have taken a step backwards in expectance of others. Doing some research I found that in Toronto “In 2023, police services in Canada recorded a sharp rise in hate crimes, with 4,777 incidents reported, up 32% from 3,612 incidents in 2022. This marked the third sharp increase in four years. Overall, the number of police-reported hate crimes has more than doubled in the last four years.” (CBC News) When I was younger, I never really expressed my background or culture because I didn’t think about it. Now that I’ve learned and celebrate who I am and where I come from, unfortunately, this has had negative experiences with others. 

My Background 

I’ve been unbelievably lucky to have parents that encourage me to explore new things and to find something that really intrigued me, and would support me when I got really sucked into a topic. For me none of these interest that I have developed had anything to do with the colour of my skin. Everything was just from exploring and being really interested in the things I did. however the longer I stuck with these things and the more I got seated in these communities and activities, the more I began to see how the colour of my skin effected the perception of me.

Class Experiences 

For some context badminton has been a sport I picked up in grade 8, learning about it and delving into it was a super fun experience. In spite of that I started to see the impact that this sport had on Asian communities and I got comments like “he must be good at badminton” as a first impression, despite me not being good.

This was a really frustrating way to learn that I didn’t fit in, and how people had completely different cultures from me. I would have loved to be able to learn and cherish the new culture around me but it became a negative part of me. 

To me, I don’t get why people have to see others as inferior or less than just because of the way someone looks.

My experience

When I was much younger when my grandma was still with me, I wasn’t able to learn or process the completely different culture that I was apart of, and looking now I wish I did learn how to speak Cantonese or Vietnamese and learn Mahjong or have some deeper connection with my roots. Hearing now, the memories from my cousin that bring them to tears makes me reflect on what connected me with family get togethers like that. Food has been the biggest bridge to me and my culture. It required no skill, you just had to sit down with your family, tell stories, and eat and enjoy. 

Final thoughts 

I know that I do belong, but sometimes, the world reminds me otherwise. This isn’t a cry for help but just a message that I want to put out there. Canada can be a welcoming place if we take the time and effort not to judge, but to be curious. 

Thank you for reading, and as always have a good day.