讀後心得

Ting Sen (a girl from Pingtung, Taiwan) experienced racial discrimination for the first time during her study abroad life in the United States. In August 2023, she arrived in Illinois to begin her master's studies, having arrived a week early to settle various living arrangements. One morning, while she was in the downtown area, she encountered a racial attack from a white woman, who not only verbally insulted her but also physically assaulted her, causing her to feel panic and helplessness. Although there were many passersby around, no one offered help until a Chinese couple stepped forward to try to assist her. After the incident, the police intervened and arrested the attacker. Ting Sen deeply realized the underlying racial issues in American society and observed the structural problems caused by cultural differences. Even though the United States promotes diversity and inclusion policies, racial discrimination still exists. She encourages future friends going to the United States to remain vigilant and understand racial issues, but also not to panic excessively, as there is still kindness and support existing in times of crisis.

I will never forget the first time in my life when I personally experienced blatant racism in the United States. The shock, helplessness, and fear of that moment are still vivid in my mind.

In August 2023, I flew alone from Taiwan to Illinois, USA, preparing to start my master's study abroad. To handle accommodations, bank account openings, and other daily matters, I arrived on campus a week early. At that time, a senior student suggested that it would be more efficient to go to the neighboring town to open a bank account because the lines at the bank would be crowded before the semester started. So, at eight o'clock that morning, I took the bus to the nearby downtown. The sun was shining, the breeze was gentle, and the unfamiliar streets of this foreign place were both strange and full of anticipation to me.

However, at that moment, I accidentally made eye contact with a middle-aged white woman. She was small in stature, with dull eyes, and as we brushed past each other, she suddenly spoke: "Hey, kid! Where are you from?" I turned around and politely replied, "I'm from Taiwan." Unexpectedly, the next second, her tone suddenly changed and her voice rose as she retorted, "You know what? You are a fucking Asian. Get out of my country!"

In that instant, I was stunned. After she finished speaking, she began to follow me, yelling insults, and even rushed at me, shoving and hitting my arm. Her voice was filled with hostility, and although there were many pedestrians on the street, no one stopped to check on me.

At that moment, I realized this wasn't just a verbal altercation; it was a real racial attack. I anxiously looked around, trying to seek help, and my gaze fell on a white woman by the roadside. I hurriedly called out to her for help, but she not only did not stop but hurried away, seemingly afraid to get involved. At that moment, I felt an unprecedented sense of helplessness.

Worried that she might be carrying a weapon, I dared not confront her directly and could only run quickly across the street, hoping to shake her off. However, she wouldn’t back down and continued to yell insults. In desperation, I finally spotted a Chinese couple. They noticed my plight, immediately pulled me aside, and tried to confront the woman. Seeing this, she not only did not back down but also turned her attention to them, resulting in a heated argument and even a physical altercation.

Seeing the situation getting out of control, we decided to quickly escape and rushed into a nearby café. Sure enough, the woman did not dare to follow us and stood at the entrance yelling obscenities. The staff, seeing the situation, immediately came over to check on us. Shortly after, a police car arrived, and she was promptly arrested. It was only at that moment that my heartbeat began to stabilize, but I was still shaken.

This sudden racial attack made me realize deeply that racism is not just a headline in the news but a brutal reality that happens in life.

After the incident, the senior student accompanied me to the campus police station to file a report and even took me to the memorial. Standing there, I felt an indescribable heaviness.

Now, I have successfully graduated and have been working in Los Angeles for more than six months. Looking back at this incident, I have to admit that the issue of race in America does exist and is deeply rooted. As a nation of immigrants, the U.S. boasts a diverse array of racial cultures. However, this diversity does not equate to harmony; instead, it creates invisible boundaries among groups due to cultural, background, religious, and historical factors. Different ethnic groups often form their own communities, and such divisions not only affect social circles but also extend to workplaces, politics, and the distribution of social resources.

In my experience job hunting in the U.S., Chinese companies tend to hire Chinese employees due to similar cultural backgrounds; similarly, white companies are less likely to hire Asian or Latino employees for non-technical positions. In the past, I briefly worked for an American manufacturing company with Taiwanese background, where the upper management was predominantly Chinese, while labor positions were mainly filled by Latino employees. This kind of "ethnic segregation" in the workplace, while not constituting direct discrimination, reflects a potential structural issue that makes it difficult to bridge the distances between different ethnic groups.

Even though the American workplace is committed to promoting diversity, equality, and inclusion in an attempt to bridge the gaps between ethnic groups and provide equal opportunities, racial issues remain inevitable. Not to mention, the new president's negative stance on such policies may make it even more challenging to advance these issues in the future.

This incident has deeply made me understand that the racial issues in America are not just individual hate crimes but are a necessary product of the entire social structure. But does this mean that America is filled with discrimination and danger everywhere? Not necessarily. After all, I still encountered people willing to lend a helping hand. Perhaps that woman chose to leave out of fear, but at least she called the police for me. These moments of human kindness made me realize that America is not entirely indifferent.

For friends considering studying or working in the U.S. in the future, my advice is to "stay alert, but there's no need to panic excessively." America is not filled with racial conflicts every day, but you must understand that racial issues do exist, and you may encounter them, so you should be prepared. America is not a perfect country, but it is a mirror reflecting the realities of the world, allowing us to better understand ourselves.