Current Events > Asian-American politician veteran bares scars during meeting to protest racism

(+) Yeah! (+)

During a trustee meeting in West Chester, trustee Lee Wong lifted up his shirt and bared his chest, saying he was sick of Anti-Asian rhetoric that he was seeing in America.

The 69-year-old trustee has been in America for 51 years now. And in that time, he, "put up with a lot of s*** in silence, excuse the language, too afraid to speak out, fearing more abuse and discrimination," Wong said during the Tuesday meeting.

None of it was planned, Wong told the Enquirer on Thursday, while wearing a U.S. Army shirt with his name on it.

"The timing was right in light of what's happening in this country," Wong said.
Unprompted and unplanned, Wong lifted his shirt and showed a series of scars across his chest, announcing he won't tolerate discrimination or racism. Even his fellow trustee members were unaware that he was going to speak.

He said, it was more than the shootings that took place in Atlanta killing eight people, including six Asian women. The past year has been particularly difficult for Asian Americans due to things like the coronavirus being called the "China Virus" as well as the election season.

Wong says he's been approached by people who say he doesn't look patriotic enough. That he doesn't look American enough. People have shouted at him while he's out running.

In a recent grocery trip, "A father with a kid and little boy would go like this Wong pulled his eyelids back towards his temples to me. He was making fun of my features."

Wong served 20 years in the U.S. military and does not take kindly to being called unpatriotic, which is why he decided to lift his shirt and show the scars he received during his service.

"In that moment, I don't know what came over me. I just knew I had to say something," Wong said.

During the meeting, the trustee talked about immigrating to America as an 18-year-old and finishing high school during the comments section of the meeting. He spoke of a time in Chicago when he was beaten up because of his race, took the people to court, and they were never punished.

"I deliberately went to the army to learn about Americanism and democracy," Wong said on Thursday.

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2021/03/25/west-chester-trustee-lee-wong-shares-why-he-chose-bare-his-scars/7004839002/

---

damn, just saw this

almost teared up a little

here's a video

https://imgur.com/wvG0KPi

---

yeah. one of the things i find uh, i guess surprising is the recent push back against racism against asian americans.

i mean, theres an obvious reason why its spiked, but i feel like a lot of people think that asian americas have NEVER experienced racism in america, at all.

and for me, someone whos studied asian american history and knows about it intimately, im like theres always been racism against us. its just been dolled out differently since white supremacists like to push us as the ideal. they like to make up stuff like we're hardworking, nice, quiet, etc. its obvious these people dont know anything about anything but here we are.

but now i guess those white supremacists have changed their minds. we're back to being scapegoats

---

trustees gone wild

---

And yet he's in the republican party

CommonStar posted...

And yet he's in the republican party

he is!?

---

CommonStar posted...

And yet he's in the republican party

CE gonna CE.

---

Hot

CommonStar posted...

And yet he's in the republican party

That doesn't matter right now. He's talking about something we should all have common ground on.

---

BakonBitz posted...

That doesn't matter right now. He's talking about something we should all have common ground on.

it does relate a little bit. that party stands for that and has been doing it to others for a long time.

---

Squall28 posted...

CE gonna CE.

??
---

ledbowman posted...

trustees gone wild

lol

BakonBitz posted...

That doesn't matter right now. He's talking about something we should all have common ground on.

Yeah, this. And as much as we saw Republican politicians like Donald Trump stoke racism, I still like to think a sizable portion of Republican voters are against it after all this is an example of a Republican speaking out against it.

---