Dear Aunty & Uncle: An Introduction

Dear Aunty & Uncle
(or mummy, papa, bhai, ben, cousin, friend, dada, dadi…),

I’m asking for just 10 minutes of your day for 10 days (more if you’d like)!

I am not here to argue with you, yell at you, or raise my voice at you. I am here to have a discussion with you. Maybe we can all keep an open mind through it all. And hopefully we will all learn something new from each other along the way.

A lot is going on right now (and has been going on for years), and unfortunately, we are a part of the problem.

I know you’re uncomfortable talking about this. So am I.
To this day, I hesitate before speaking and don’t know what the right thing to say or do is.
But we have the choice to break our silence.

I know you’re upset about what you’re seeing. So am I.
I am heartbroken to see small family-owned businesses being destroyed.
But I am more upset with the path that has led to this destruction.

I know you’re scared about your well-being. So am I.
I am scared for the lives of my family, friends, and fellow South Asians.
But more so (and especially at this moment), I am scared for the lives of Black Americans around our nation.

We might have gotten uncomfortable, upset, and scared during this past week, but our black friends, co-workers, neighbors, brothers and sisters have been living with this pain, sadness, and fear everyday of their lives.

Yes, we have struggled. Yes, we face racism. Yes, our lives matter.

BUT:

• America was created to make sure that black people struggle more.
• We have never faced the extent of racism, injustice and oppression that black communities endure.
• All lives cannot matter until Black Lives Matter.

It may seem like we’re not racist or that we’re not playing a role in what seems to be a problem between police and black people. But it is so much more than that. And we’d be lying to ourselves if we said that we as South Asians don’t have anti-black feelings rooted in our beliefs and lifestyles.

We have privilege(s) and we have to acknowledge these privileges. We have to understand the privileges. And most importantly, we have to use these privileges to help others.

I am not asking any of you to hop on board and actively stand by the Black Lives Matter movement right away. That is not going to happen overnight.

We are a product of our environment and the society we were raised in. And the way we think and behave is a result of generations of beliefs passed down by our ancestors.

But I’m a big believer in our ability to change and adapt. And that change is our responsibility.

The one thing I know you all do love–education–plays a key role in that! So I want to try sharing things that you may not see in the news or whatsapp. There is nothing wrong with following those outlets once in a while. But sometimes fake or inaccurate news spread faster than the diseases or issues we are trying to solve. So I want to make sure you’re getting the full story.

Questions You May Have & What We’ll Cover:

I hope you take the time to read through each short post and have conversations–with me or your family & friends.

I hope we can take a concept at a time to understand why we are fighting so hard for black lives. Why we are saying Black Lives Matter. Why whatever is going on is not black people’s fault. And why WE need to do more.

Until we make changes in our own hearts, minds and homes–we will never see the change we hope to see in the world.

I know this can be too much to talk about all at once. So that’s it for today. Thank you for not shutting me down and for keeping an open mind through this first step.

Along with your tremendous hard work and sacrifices, you have taught us everything you know while raising us in this country. And for that we are so grateful. Now, we hope you give us the opportunity to teach you something that we have learned, while growing up in this country. 💕💕💕

Click and save this link, which will get updated with all of the topics we will go through together!