Firestarter

This has gone on long enough.

Maybe it's the media overhyping it, but I somehow doubt it. Besides, the more attention the press gives to the "situation" the bigger these fools' egos get and the lesser the likelihood that any of this will die down.

I'm talking about all this hostility within one's own race. You see and hear about it everywhere. If I hear another news report about "asian gang violence" I may just have to hurt somebody myself out of frustration. Now, ain't that some irony?

It's not even just the Asians. I mean, look at this past weekend. That poor Jamaican guy who was killed point blank at a party at Club Social Latino. Fine, I know it's customary to report the location of the incident in a newspaper article, but I felt there was an unnecessary emphasis on the fact that the victim was Jamaican and everybody at the party was Jamaican so chances are the shooter, too, was Jamaican.

I suppose I could be just really sensitive these days, but all this media makes me feel like the whole city is saying "If you're white, you're safe. Not only are you safe, but we know you would never be guilty of hurting anybody else." Or maybe "anything that isn't white, is 'ghetto' or lower class."

And for the first time in my 20-something years of existence, I am actually feeling like a minority. Have I been living my life with blinders on? Perhaps. Walked around day to day with rose-tinted contact lenses in my eyes? It's possible.

To make it worse, it's not like me, my siblings, and my non-white friends (I wish there were a better way to word all this) have tried to buck the trend...perhaps try to create a "caucasian" lifestyle for ourselves. But last time I checked, that wasn't a requirement to be able to live your life drama-free. I am a friggin' global community within myself, dang it all. I love Greek food probably as much as any other Greek person. I love my hip-hop, my RnB, my urban wear, just as much as your stereotypical African-American. (And yes, I realize that this all boils down to stereotypes). I love all things Spanish, and yearn to be able to shimmy and shake like the more gifted salsa dancers out there in this world. But just like any "normal" Asian, I was good in math at school, I took piano lessons, at least 5 days out of the week rice is going to be the main part of my dinner, and I really really adore bubble tea.

So, ok, there shouuldn't be anything wrong with being a "normal" Asian. Then why do I feel so uneasy about my cousins and friends driving their shiny shiny Hondas and Acuras with the kitschy light effects? It's 'cuz that's what those Asians drive.

And those Asians are dangerous and they could easily hurt my family and friends. Those Asians wouldn't care if they shot up the wrong car by mistake.

But this guy online says to me "Oh, they wouldn't shoot the wrong car, they know exactly who they're after." After the past few days, I'm tempted to reply "Oh really? Then what about that guy at the Perkins?"

Poor guy didn't even know his assailants, and these "thugs" chased him down and shot his car up twice. His seat was the only thing that saved his life from all those bullets...there are bruises on his back where those bullets would've killed him. And lo and behold, the driver of the car full of shoot-em-up Asians? A white male. Nothing is ever as it seems.

I know I'm overprotective of those I care about, but I can't help but get a little worried every time a new incident goes down. And I always feel a little concerned when my brother or my cousins all go and do something "Asian" together like go out for bubble tea. What if some hardcore badass thinks that my brother looked at him threateningly? Or they mistake my cousin's Acura for a rival's while they're all driving down Deerfoot?

I don't feel like a minority because anybody white has treated me poorly. I'm feeling this way because it's my "own kind" that's threatening me. Go figure.