Our Stories

My Encounter with Anti-Asian Hate in Retail

Working in retail normally involves assisting customers while upholding company standards and policies. As public spaces reopened after the peak of COVID-19, encounters with difficult customers were not unusual. However, facing hostility due to my race was a different ordeal. As a Southeast Asian, specifically Vietnamese-Chinese, I was aware of the rising xenophobia against Asian Americans during quarantines.

My task at work involved greeting customers and offering face masks, as it is a necessary precaution due to the ongoing pandemic. Most customers were receptive to the offer, but some declined or complained about the policy, which normally followed up with apologies and reminders about the current COVID-19 situation.

During that shift, a customer approached me and uttered “You people are the reason we’re in this mess,” before entering the store. The irony hit hard — our retail store originated from Asia. Naturally, I reported the incident to management, resulting in the customer being escorted out of the store.

However, at that moment, the shock outweighed the offense. I recognized that the comment stemmed from ignorance and narrow-mindedness; however, it still stung to encounter prejudice at that time.

My Experience During COVID-19

Being Asian American during COVID-19 increased my fear for my parents and grandparents, who could have been victims of anti-Asian hate crimes or harassment. After seeing elder populations of the Asian American community experiencing physical or verbal attacks, there was anxiety that I experienced for my parents and grandparents’ safety. My mother and grandmother expressed their fears and anxieties while being outdoors and potentially being attacked, which was something I wished they did not have to worry about.