UN - Normalized Racism Towards Asian Americans | Sophia Nguyen | TEDxGeorgeMasonU

With the recent uprising of racism and violent hate-crimes towards Asian-Americans, I will be speaking on my behalf of growing up Vietnamese and how normalized racism has affected me. As one of few Asian students at my high-school, I will mention how easy it was for me to “appeal to the white crowd” and follow along with the student’s racist jokes and comments. Although I will be talking about how I have grown past that before COVID-19 started, I will be discussing how normalized racism towards myself along with my family members did not end there. I will be talking about how COVID-19 affected my family, our initial reactions towards the uprising of violent hate-crimes, and why it’s important for our community to stand together and fight against hate. Near the end of my TED talk, I will be talking about how aknowledging racism is one thing, but engaging and taking action for it is another. Towards the end of my tedtalk, I will end with how the “New Normal” should be UNnormalizing racism towards Asian Americans and how the “New Normal” should be embracing our individuality and speaking up for what’s right. Sophia Nguyen is a junior at George Mason University where she is majoring in Government and International Politics with a concentration in International Relations and minoring in Global Affairs. Born into a Vietnamese family in Chesapeake, Virginia, Sophia has upheld a personal commitment to her culture, faith, and identity. At GMU, she has been involved in a plethora of organizations: Student Government, Asian-Pacific American Coalition, GMU Club Tennis team, The Patriot Period Project, and the Vietnamese Student Association. Her record proves her commitment toward being involved in her school as a prominent student leader. On track to graduate early in 2023, she is applying to the GMU Accelerated Master’s Program in Global Affairs with a specialization of Global Culture and Society. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx