Normally, it takes a lot to scare me. I'm an investigative journalist and the work that I do is not for the faint of heart. But the novel coronavirus has mutated for some into a virus of hate against Asian Americans and my fear of getting sick is now overshadowed by my terror over the backlash against my community.

But there is a silver lining. This virus of hate is spurring Asian Americans to stand up, speak out, and launch campaigns to empower us all. I am so proud of the great work that so many of you are doing! Shout out to #racismisavirus, #facesofthecure, #unapologeticallyasian, #washthehate, #iamnotavirus, #hateisavirus. The time has come for AAPIs to be LOUD and UNAPOLOGETIC!

History has shown that racism bubbles up from the waters of these kinds of health crises and eventually comes to a boil and burns us all. This is not just about Asians. It’s about how we as humans default to hate and prejudice when we’re afraid and uncertain. It’s about how our knee-jerk response to seek blame and to scapegoat is detrimental to our entire society.

Jews were persecuted and held responsible for the Black Death. Immigrant Irish workers were blamed for causing cholera. Africans were shunned during the Ebola outbreak. In Pennsylvania, a 16-year-old high school soccer player was brought to tears when taunted with chants of “Ebola” from players on a rival team.

Irrational fear becomes a driver of division and discrimination. Coronavirus is only today’s vehicle.

My heart is bursting.  “Parasite" producer, Kwak Sin Ae, said, "I feel like a very opportune moment in history is happening right now."  She is absolutely right.  One important note about #Oscars2020 is that at least a few of the filmmakers recognized are not only of color, they are WOMEN.  I was incredibly proud to show our children the videos of Kwak Sin Ae and Miky Lee (both women) accepting the historic Best Picture award on behalf of "Parasite" and to show them Karen Rupert Toliver accepting on behalf of "Hair Love," which I was also so, so happy to see win last night.  As Toliver said during her speech, "Representation matters deeply" and last night the Oscars took a step forward in highlighting that.  And the fact that Parasite resonated with audiences everywhere shows how we are all the same. These universal themes of rich versus poor, economic inequality, greed, desperation to improve one’s station in life, and conflicts of conscience connect us regardless of nationality or country. That having been said, the fact that this is a South Korean film - embraced and appreciated by American audiences and the Academy is also meaningful to me.

2020 is bound to be another tough year for our country. I remain committed to doing what I can to amplify the voices of the underrepresented, to telling diverse stories in an effort to move in, and to shining a light on injustices. To that end, I pitched many new ideas, roles, and stories last year. I will keep pitching because I am passionate about this effort and optimistic that we can make progress if we persist. But we have to work together.

I will be taking the stage for TEDx Philadelphia (May 15th) and a similarly styled show called Speakers Who Dare in NYC (March 26th). My inner critic is rearing its ugly head and I am terribly nervous but also trying to lean into this new challenge.. I hope so much to use these opportunities to craft a talk that resonates and inspires… Wish me luck ;)

This “Ugly Model” was picked on and bullied because of his Asian face. Watch as he hits rock bottom and then learns how to love himself and help others do the same.

I’ve been talking a lot lately about how we can all be activists in our own circles whether that means within our families, work places, neighborhoods, schools, etcetera.  But a friend pointed out that she’s tired of people (like me - ahem) encouraging her to “do better” without any real strategies or pointers on how to actually do that.  So… my first blog post is dedicated to my friend, Lena, and intended to provide at least a starting point if you’d like to be an activist.