I’m sorry that this is the circumstance that you’ve been born into.

I’m sorry that people have enough hatred in their hearts to elect a man like Donald Trump into power.

I’m sorry that this election will validate those who have the same sentiment as he does, and I’m sorry that you will inevitably be the subject of this sentiment at many times in your life.

I’m sorry that you will feel out of place in a room, and you will subconsciously place your race as an identifier before anything else. All of your black, Latinx, Muslim, LGBTQIA+, and other oppressed brothers and sisters go through this as well with their identifiers that Trump and his supporters believe are not “American” enough. There were aspirations that the destruction of this feeling would continue with the next elected president, but unfortunately that’s not the case.

As you grow up, you will start to form your own opinions, but please do not be influenced by hatred. Do not succumb to the hatred that will be evident around you even if it doesn’t affect you as an Asian-American male. Know what is right, and fight for it to prevail.

Remember that you are as American as those who say you are not. You belong here.

Lastly, remember that there is hope. And the America that you see is not what America truly represents. Know that America is a land of opportunity, a beacon of hope for those who have none, and a diverse pool of cultures and identities. No man, no matter how awful he is, can tell us otherwise.

– Cheryl Hao – Assistant Web Editor