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| Television journalist Nydia Han |
"THIS IS AMERICA."
Those words have different meaning when used in different contexts.
By itself, its an affirmation in our pride of being called American.
Used in another context, it can also be considered racist.
That’s what Nydia Han, a longtime reporter at ABC6 in Philadelphia encountered.
She was crossing the street on a green light when she says a car making a left turn just missed hitting her by a matter of inches.
“Did you not see me?, Han asked.
“I had the right of way,” Han recalled the woman saying.
The two argued the nuances of traffic laws. As the woman sped away, she yelled out “This is America.”
Han’s heartfelt response to those three words on Facebook live has been viewed almost 1.3 million times in three days. You can watch her response below.
WATCH Nydia Han's powerful response to 'This is America.
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“Yes, this is America. Born and raised and I know America,” Han eloquently said on Facebook. “You have the audacity to yell at me ‘this is America.’ Are you kidding me? You see this face and you think this face belongs to an outsider or a foreigner? And let me tell you something, I have two kids. They have this same face, especially my daughter who’s a carbon copy of me. If you see her on the street, and if you say anything to her to suggest that she is an interloper or an outsider, or a trespasser or someone who does not belong in this country, I challenge you to think again. Did you think this face would not stand up to you, stand up against ignorance. Well, you were wrong.
“I am Asian American. I am strong. I am proud and I am speaking out against you today. Do not ever ever see a face like this and make a mistake that it does not belong.”
The post has 37,000 likes and 21,000 thousand shares.
If I could, I would add one billion more likes.
“Yes, this is America. Born and raised and I know America,” Han eloquently said on Facebook. “You have the audacity to yell at me ‘this is America.’ Are you kidding me? You see this face and you think this face belongs to an outsider or a foreigner? And let me tell you something, I have two kids. They have this same face, especially my daughter who’s a carbon copy of me. If you see her on the street, and if you say anything to her to suggest that she is an interloper or an outsider, or a trespasser or someone who does not belong in this country, I challenge you to think again. Did you think this face would not stand up to you, stand up against ignorance. Well, you were wrong.
“I am Asian American. I am strong. I am proud and I am speaking out against you today. Do not ever ever see a face like this and make a mistake that it does not belong.”
The post has 37,000 likes and 21,000 thousand shares.
If I could, I would add one billion more likes.
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