讀後心得

Author Tingson recalls her first experience with racial discrimination in the United States. In August 2023, she arrived alone in Illinois to start her master's studies, but on her way to the bank, she was attacked by a white woman. The woman insulted her and there was a confrontation, while passersby ignored the incident. Only a Chinese couple stepped in to help, which ultimately led to police intervention. This experience gave her a deep understanding of America's deep-rooted racial issues and made her realize the impact of social structures on different ethnic groups, despite the presence of some goodwill assistance in the process. She advises future friends coming to the U.S. to stay vigilant and be aware of the existence of racial issues.

I will never forget the first time I personally experienced shocking racial discrimination in the United States. The shock, helplessness, and fear remain vivid in my memory to this day.

In August 2023, I flew alone from Taiwan to Illinois, USA, to start my master's study abroad. To handle accommodation, bank account opening, and other life-related matters, I arrived on campus a week early. At that time, a senior suggested that since banks would be crowded before the semester started, I should go to the nearby town to handle it more efficiently. So, on that day, I took the bus to the nearby city center at eight in the morning. The sun was shining, and a light breeze blew; the foreign streets felt both unfamiliar and filled with anticipation for me. However, at that moment, I unintentionally made eye contact with a middle-aged white woman. She was small in stature, her eyes blank, and as we passed each other, she suddenly spoke, "Hey, kid! Where are you from?" I turned around and politely replied that I was from Taiwan. To my surprise, the next second her tone changed abruptly as she shouted, "You know what? You are a fucking Asian. Get out of my country!"

I was stunned. After she finished, she began to loudly insult me and even charged at me, pushing me and slapping my arm. Her voice was filled with hostility, and although there were many people on the street, no one stopped to help.

I slowly realized this was not just an argument, but a real racial attack. I anxiously looked around for help. Fixing my gaze on a white woman by the roadside, I hurriedly called out to her, but she didn't stop; instead, she quickly walked away, seemingly afraid to get involved. At that moment, I felt an unprecedented helplessness. Worried she might be carrying a weapon, I didn't dare confront her directly and could only run quickly across the street, hoping to shake her off. However, she persisted, continuing to shout and insult me.

In my despair, I finally saw a Chinese couple who noticed my predicament and quickly pulled me aside, trying to confront the woman. Not only did she not stop, but she also turned her attention to them, leading to a heated argument and even physical altercations. Seeing the situation spiral out of control, we decided to quickly escape and rushed into a nearby café. Indeed, the woman dared not follow us and stood at the door, continuing to yell angrily. The staff saw what was happening and immediately came over to check on us. Soon after, a police car arrived, and she was arrested by the police. It wasn't until that moment that my heartbeat finally stabilized, but I was still shaken.

This sudden racial attack made me deeply realize that racial discrimination is not just a headline in the news but a harsh reality that truly exists. After the incident, the senior accompanied me to the campus police station to file a report and even took me to a monument; standing there, I felt an indescribable heaviness.

Now, I have successfully graduated and have been working in Los Angeles for over six months. Looking back at this experience, I cannot deny that racial issues indeed exist in America and are deeply rooted. As a country of immigrants, America has a diverse racial culture, but this diversity does not equate to harmony. Rather, it forms invisible group boundaries due to factors such as culture, background, religion, and history. Different groups often form their own communities, and this separation affects social circles, even impacting workplaces, politics, and the distribution of social resources.

For example, my job-seeking experience in the U.S. shows that Chinese companies tend to hire Chinese employees due to similar cultural backgrounds; similarly, white companies are also less likely to hire Asian or Latinx employees for non-technical positions. In the past, I briefly worked for a Taiwanese-owned American manufacturing company, where nearly all executives were Chinese, while labor positions were dominated by Latinx employees. Although this workplace racial segregation does not constitute direct discrimination, it is a potential structural issue that makes it difficult to bridge the gap between different groups. Even though American workplaces strive to promote diversity, equality, and inclusion, trying to narrow the distance between groups and provide equal opportunities, racial issues cannot be ignored. Not to mention, the new administration's negative attitude toward such policies may make these issues even harder to advance in the future.

This incident made me deeply understand a reality: America's racial issues are not just isolated hate crimes but are the inevitable products of the entire social structure. However, does this mean America is filled with discrimination and danger? Not necessarily. After all, I encountered a willing Chinese couple who extended a helping hand, and perhaps that white woman chose to leave out of fear, but at least she called the police for me. These moments of humanity made me realize that America is not entirely indifferent.

For friends who want to study or work in the U.S. in the future, my advice is to stay vigilant but not to panic excessively. America is not filled with racial conflicts every day; you need to recognize that racial issues do exist and prepare for them. America is not a perfect country, but it is a mirror reflecting the realities of the world, allowing us to gain a deeper understanding of ourselves.