OHIO, KOMPAS.com – The video of an Asian-American city official lifting his shirt while delivering an anti-racial message has gone viral.
Lee Wong, surprise everyone during Tuesday’s meeting in the city of West Chester, Cincinnati, Ohio.
The action he did to show real signs on his chest for his service to the United States. The mark is a scar he received while serving in the US military.
In doing so, he announced he would not tolerate racial discrimination or violence.
At the forum, Wong spoke about his own experiences of discrimination, following the murder of six Asian women in Atlanta, Georgia and amid a spike in attacks on the Asian-American community.
Launch Newsweek on Saturday (27/3/2021), the 69-year-old politician described how he was “ashamed” because people looked at him oddly, and questioned his loyalty to the country.
“I’m going to show you what patriotism looks like, and what questions about patriotism should be,” he said, unbuttoning his shirt.
“This is proof. This comes from my service in the US military. Is this not patriot enough? I will not be ashamed to travel again,” he added.
Also read: Anti-Asian Sentiment Rises, What about the Fate of Citizens in the US?
He described his bad experiences while in Chicago. He was beaten for his race. He even had time to bring the case to court. But the attackers were not punished.
“It’s been too long, we, I have, put up with a lot of nonsense, forgive my language. (I’m) too afraid to speak, afraid of more harassment and discrimination.”
Clips from his passionate speech have been widely shared on social media, where it has been viewed more than two million times since being posted on Wednesday (24/3/2021).
Lee Wong, an elected official in West Chester, Ohio & @USArmy veteran with 20-years of service, took his shirt off during a town hall meeting on Wednesday and revealed scars he received during his service. “Is this patriot enough?” he asked #StopAsianHate https://t.co/3nCwTlVGxD pic.twitter.com/0R1TX3MTtp
— James LaPorta (@JimLaPorta) March 26, 2021
I have to say something
Wong then told The Cincinnati Enquirer that his speech was not planned. “The time is right to remember what happened in this country,” he said.
“At the time, I didn’t know what got into me. I just knew I had to say something,” said Wong.
He said he was so committed to the United States that he joined the army “to learn about Americanism and democracy.”
The killings in Atlanta have highlighted the humiliation faced by Asian-Americans.
Also read: An Asian Woman Suddenly Urinated on a Stranger Man on the Train
Democratic lawmakers and Asian-American leaders have linked emerging attacks on the community to rhetoric anti-Asian from the Donald Trump administration.
Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, derogatory terms such as “Chinese virus” and “kung flu” have also been said to have added to the climate of racial tensions.
Wong, who is a Republican despite the elections in a non-partisan city, said he was pleased with the response to his speech.
“People are grateful for my service. People love me to talk,” said Wong, “West Chester is a diverse community.”
Also read: The Atlanta Shooting Brings A New Asian Threat To America
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