Instagram story viewer> @annaapei> Posts

ÄNNÄ PEI !

@annaapei

13.3K

followers

1425

following

贝世安

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

As a child, I hated being seen as other. I hated being asked if my Caucasian mother was my nanny or if I was adopted. I wanted so badly to be apart of the organized communities that existed around me, and desperately tried to shed every piece of evidence that I originated from soil other than what was carried by the Mayflower. You’d be lucky to find a photo of me in my cheongsam (although after several hours, I did! Available above), and I would always tout photos of my white family around to prove to my friends that I had relatives with blonde hair and blue eyes like their own. I learned French rather than Chinese and can count on one hand the amount of Asian friends I had growing up. It pains me to admit this, but I really only admitted to myself that I was Asian when I entered college and where I met so many other American-born Asian people who empowered me to cherish my background.

After nearly 24 years of traveling around the world and expecting from strangers to ask “where are you really from?” Or “what are you?” Before “hello” and “how are you?”, I can now confidently say that I am a New York-born Chinese-European, but with the embracing of this identity has also emerged a resentment from listening to the painful experiences of racism against my newfound, rightful community.

I am still learning about what it means to be Asian but what I am certain is that to be Asian should not require bullet-proof vests or body guards. My flat, Chinese nose should have just as much of a right to breathe as the Roman ones I admired as a white-washed child. I should not have to worry about my Chinese father using the subway, let alone leaving the house. I should not have to feel the need to rant online right now to prove that racism against Asian people exists because up until this point it feels few want to acknowledge that it does.

(⅓) by @annaapei

2k

107

6 years ago

by @annaapei

496

26

7 months ago

by @annaapei

1k

70

a year ago

Feels so good by @annaapei

556

13

2 years ago

More ! by @annaapei

803

11

4 years ago

Would have been 103 today !! by @annaapei

1k

28

6 years ago

I fucking love miami by @annaapei

483

26

7 years ago