Dear future president,
My name is Avery Wang, and I am an Asian American girl whose family originates from Taiwan. I was born in America, but being Asian and female in this country, I have experienced racial and gender inequalities. This comes with being treated unequally and living with stereotypes for being Asian and female, especially when people often mistake me for the wrong ethnicity.
Gender inequality and racial inequality are real, and America is facing even more conflicts now because of these inequalities. Being a different gender or race from someone else is not an excuse for them to receive distinctive rights or treatment.
History already shows that being a woman or person of color in this country comes with its challenges. Still, to this day, women and men are not equally paid even when working the same jobs. Being a female does not make someone any less valuable.
With being a teenage girl myself, I have dealt with gender biases where others see me as not strong and being too emotional, while expecting me to always be perfect with everything from how I dress to how I work.
Too often, people are quick to assume they know your race, and therefore, your abilities are assessed based on false stereotypes.
As an Asian-American, I have experienced inequality from others identifying me with being Chinese although I am not. This leads to assumptions about my family and being seen differently.
There’s nothing wrong with being Chinese or of Chinese heritage, but being of Taiwanese heritage has its distinct history and culture, and not recognizing my real heritage is not recognizing who I am as a person.
I am passionate about enabling everyone to feel recognized and treated equally because where you or your family is from should not determine how people should treat you, but we should all recognize and respect each other as individuals with distinct identities and heritages.
So to the next President, please fight for equality in America for the people. Americans are not defined by gender or race, we are all American people regardless of our differences.
Thank you,
Avery Wang
Diamond Bar High School
Diamond Bar, California
