Final degin

1

Zhang

The Brave Survive

Wenjia Zhang

Emily: A young 20-year old lady of Asian origin from California with short hair, yellow skin, and wears glasses. She is also short, has small eyes, and straight black hair. She is a student at a local university and a staff member at a local company that deals with stationary distribution.

She is outgoing, confident, hardworking, and brave, and her hobbies include swimming, dancing, playing the piano, painting, traveling, and listening to music.

Ann: She is Emily’s friend and classmate at the local campus. They live several blocks from each other but often spend time both at school and at home. She is also twenty years old, an American, and her hobbies include swimming, watching movies, and painting.

Wang: She is Forty-five years old, female, and Emily’s mother. She is also of Asian origin, has long curly hair, yellow skin, and small eyes. She is a housewife who is friendly, considerate, and patient and enjoys yoga, traveling, and watching television shows.

Professor Patrick: Professor who teaches history at the campus. He is married with three grown-up children, stays with his wife in the same neighborhood, and is passionate about the subject to help students to understand and not repeat past mistakes, especially about racial discrimination.

George: Twenty-three-year-old gentleman who has been showing interest in Emily. He is outgoing, enjoys swimming, road trips, and hanging out with his friends. He plays the guitar in his free time and is in his final year of campus, two classes ahead of Emily.

Tim: A twenty-one-year-old classmate of Emily and Ann. He is known for being very protective and talking boldly about the United States. His late grandfather was a politician, and his father is a politician who strongly advocates protecting the country's values and its people from different forms of exploitation.

Scene 1

This is a cold Monday morning. Emily's family has been in a different town during the weekend. Emily has to catch a train to school. On the train, she realized she is the only person of Asian origin while there are numerous Whites and African Americans. The train is full, and people crammed closer together, but she realizes that people are just crowding at the opposite ends of her. There is enough space around her for four people to stand comfortably, but no one is around her. Superficially, people are looking at her so ordinary, but in fact, people seem very curious like they want to know why she is there. She has encountered subtle discrimination in different places but has never experienced it on the train.

Emily recalled her first experiences for discrimination, which happened the first time she went to American elementary school. When she went to school to report on the first day, she was scared and excited. The first lesson is the literature class. For Emily, English is a second language; she is not good at literature. During the group discussion in class, Emily found that no one wanted to join her. She realized she might be isolated. She vaguely heard the nearby boy say: "Go to the Chinese class, where it belongs to you." At that time, Emily felt very wrong, and she vaguely felt discrimination. However, she didn't know how to strike back him. The train has arrived. She calls and meets up with Ann a few meters before the campus entrance, and they walk together towards the gate and lecture hall.

Ann: Hey, good morning, my beauty. How was your weekend?

Emily: It was a lovely weekend; how was yours?

Ann: It was okay, was home most of the time, catching up on the latest television show. It is exciting and a new season is coming up from next week. You should watch it; I have told you several times.

Emily: I promise to catch up with you soon, I do not have much assignment this week, and my work does not busy. That will give me enough time to watch it.

Ann: I did not know you were out of town during the weekend, was it a vacation off with George? (winks after she finishes the statement).

Emily: (Laughing loudly). No, not at all, we don’t often talk these days, the exams are coming up, and sometimes he can get a little boring. I am thinking of cutting him off slowly by slowly, but let’s see what next semester holds.

Ann: Oh, poor boy, can’t even step up to get some love.

(They laugh together).

Ann: By the way, you sounded a little worried when you called me asking if I was already at the campus. What was the problem?

Emily: (Smiling) Nothing really, maybe I was just a little tired, nothing to worry about, I am here now.

Ann: (Insisting) Come one, I have known you for ten years, so I know how you sound when you are tired and how you do when you are worried.

Emily: It happened again, on the train, and made me feel so bad. Also, I recall the worst experience in primary school. I was a little devastated and had to call someone to take all the attention directed towards me. Calling you was a good distraction that helped me to endure several minutes on the train. Thank you for being there for me always.

Ann: (Turning to hug Emily) Come here. I am so sorry that you had to go through that. I do not know why bad things always happen to good people. I hope that one day we will be a country where everyone respects the other and treats him or her like a brother, sister, family, or friend. (Letting her go) We will overcome all this sometime, hopefully. However, you should know that I will always be here for you.

Emily: Thank you. I don’t know what I would do without you.

George, who was catching up with his friends not far from where Ann and Emily were hugging, sees them and decides to come and say hi. He slowly breaks away from his friends, and hastily walks towards Emily and Ann. Ann catches a glimpse of him just as he is about to reach them.

Ann: (To Emily) Here comes your boyfriend.

Emily: (Smiling) Stop it.

George: Hey, you, ladies, how are you all doing? It’s been a while.

Emily: It was just last week George, not so long ago. I am well, though, how are you?

George: (Looking into her eyes) Not bad, and I had missed you. You didn’t pick my calls or reply to my texts over the weekend. Is everything okay?

Emily: Yes, it is, nothing much. I was just a little busy with several things over the weekend.

George: Okay, I would still like to hang out with you sometime if you don’t mind.

Ann, who had been standing a few steps away, moves closer to intercept.

Ann: (Smiling). I will leave you two lovers alone.

Emily: No, wait. (To George) Bye George, catch up some other time.

Emily and Ann leave George getting back to his friends and walk to the lecture hall for their first class.

Scene 2

It takes place in the lecture hall. Ann and Emily are sitting in the middle row, and there are about thirty other students. The students are talking in moderate tones, and others are casting glances at Ann and Emily. There are rumors about the virus spreading from the Asian region, and two friends had not heard it until now. They do not understand what is happening, but the glances at them make them know that something is wrong, either with one of them or both. Enters Professor Patrick and the class keeps quiet, the glimpses are much less, and people seem to be concentrating on what the professor is about to say.

Professor Patrick: Good morning, students? Pause. The whole class responds, “good morning.” I hope you have all been well and enjoyed your weekend. So far, we are back to class as usual on the discussions on discrimination as we had started in the previous lesson. As I said before, there are different discrimination classes, ranging from discrimination based on sex and age to racial discrimination, which is the most common. I am glad to be teaching students from different ethnic backgrounds, and I can see Whites, Indians, African Americans, Mexicans, and Asian people. The diversity in the class and the harmony you have shown portrays how a prosperous society should live. Free from drama and judging people based on their humanity rather than their skin color, body, accent, or passions.

The lecture on discrimination continues for another thirty minutes, and then the lecturer gives an assignment.

Professor Patrick: I know that in your different social environments, you have witnessed or personally experienced different types of discrimination. I would like each of you to pick a specific kind of discrimination he or she has seen or experienced, then write an essay about it and the suggestions on how you think society can help stop it.

Tim raises his hand, and the professor points at him.

Tim: Excuse me, sir. There have been rumors about a virus currently spreading around the world and from the Asian region. Could such circumstances also result in discrimination, and like you talked about different plagues in the past that killed millions of people, could the extent of this current virus reach that of past epidemics?

Professor Patrick: Well, I have heard about the virus and its spread, but I do not think it will affect as devastating as the previous ones. Already, we have more technological advancement than in the past. The ease of communication and improvement in scientific research is likely to stop it before it spreads further or kills more people.

Tim: Thank you.

The professor leaves the class.

She suddenly remembered going to school gym at noon today; she first chose to run on a treadmill. She decided a treadmill at random, and a white girl on the treadmill next to it. Emily was just about to start the treadmill. The white girl next to her looked at Emily and immediately stopped the treadmill. At first, Emily thought that girl had finished today's exercise, but that girl went to use the treadmill that separated from her. This behavior makes Emily very uncomfortable. The question makes Emily realize the reasons the other students were staring at her when she entered the class; also, the reason she meets discrimination in the gym. Since Emily was not friends with most people in the class, she did not understand why they would look at her because a virus was spreading from the Asian region. She regarded the United States as her home from a time she was young. It seemed like all the discrimination she experienced as a child was coming back. Now she was an adult, and they could not tease her because of her hair and eyes, they aimed to tease her for being from the region where a virus was spreading and losing people's lives.

Scene 3

It is on a Saturday, one week after Tim asked the question, and the virus seems to be spreading fast. It has now spread from the Asian region to Europe even spread around the world; different hospitals experiencing a surge in the number of patients and deaths are also on the rise. The world seems to be disturbed, and researchers are already trying to see if there is any way they can develop an intervention. She is at work and ready to start serving the customers and responding to their inquiries.

A lady customer of about fifty years old enters wearing a face mask and gloves.

Customer: Hi.

Emily: (Smiling) Hi, and good morning to you. How can I help you?

Customer: I want to manicure my nails, but I don’t know what color I am suitable for (It seems like the customer suddenly realizes that Emily is of Asian origin from the surprised look she gives her before striking a conversation) Which part of the Asian are you came?

Emily: (Understanding that the question is tricky and decides to lie) It is my parents who came from the Chinese region, but I was born and raised here in the United States (She smiles).

Customer: That is good; there are rumors that this virus originates from the region, so it may be difficult dealing with someone who is not an American citizen. Have you heard how many deaths it is causing already?

Emily: Yes, I watched the news yesterday, and it is spreading fast. I hope they find a cure or intervention for it soon (She turns to choose some colors and give it to the customer).

Customer: These Asians and their habits! I hope they find a cure soon, what a messy world.

(The customer realizes that she talked quite loudly)

Emily: (Break the silence in the shop). We have a lot of colors here, and you can choose one color or different colors. The price of our nail polish is also different because some nail polishes have better quality and durability.

Customer: (Pointing at the items she has selected) I will pick pink-orange one and khaki. I need mid-priced nail polish. It will be even better if it comes at a discount, you know businesses are taking a hit from the pandemic. (She smiles).

Emily: (Smiling) Yes, I will give you a good discount.

She chooses the various items from the shelf and starts to make this customer's nails.

One hour later

Emily: (Smiling) Here you go, and here is the bill.

Customer: (Smiles while handing her the money) Thank you and take care of yourself, child, don’t let the Asian wave sweep you too.

Emily sits there, wondering she would have to go through as long as the virus was still spreading. People would funnily look at her while walking the streets, and in school, most of her classmates were cautions about interaction with her despite them knowing that she had raised in the United States. It seemed like the conversation about discrimination would remain. She wondered if more customers would look at her differently just for being of Asian origin.

Scene 4

Emily gets to the house after work exhausted and sinks herself on the couch. It is about seven in the evening, and her mother is busy in the kitchen. Her mother enters from the kitchen carrying a mug of tea and places it before her while smiling.

Wang: (Looking very concerned) You seem so tired today, unlike the other days. How was work my child? Is it too much pressure? You know your father makes enough to take care of all of us.

Emily: Yes, mum, I know, but I also want to make something to support myself in different ways. Additionally, I also don’t do much around the house and so having somewhere to work helps a lot.

Wang: True, but it should not be stressing you much. You are young and should enjoy life a little before burdening yourself with responsibilities.

Emily: (Smiling) It’s okay mum, I understand your worries, but I’ll be fine. Remember, you told me that the brave survives.

Wang: (Laughing gently) Yes, I remember. So, tell me, what is it today?

Emily: Just the usual, but with everything going on, it gets a little overwhelming. Most customers, especially the older ones who are the majority, look at me suspiciously. (She pauses before continuing) They call it the Asian virus and act as if I cannot hear them, yet I still must make services.

Wang: (Moves closer to Emily and holds her shoulder) I am so sorry about that. I did not know that it would get to this extent. You must be going through a lot. We shall overcome this, we always have.

Emily: I can’t imagine what you have had to endure if it is just a few weeks, and I am complaining already.

Wang: We have endured a lot of my child, but we are still here. We overcome our difficulties by being brave and always not listening to those trying to drag us behind. You are a citizen of this country and deserve all the privileges other citizens get. So, you have every right to keep going.

Emily: I understand, mum, but it gets so difficult at times. For how long will this go on, and will the situation ever change in the future?

Wang: I believe it will. With time, people become the sort of immune to the insults and all. It continues like nothing is happening. It could be worse if your colleagues discriminated against you, but customers have different personalities and beliefs, but you still serve them because they are a part of your dreams. It is through them that you get the money to use in building your dreams.

Emily: True, I get you. I understand now.

Wang: Yes, and if you have a reliable support system and people who believe in you like your father and me and your friend, what’s their name?

Emily: (Looking surprised) Mum, you keep forgetting all the time.

Wang: This time, you will remember it and never ask again (She smiles).

Emily: Ann.

Wang: Yes, Ann. If you have such types of friends, all will be well. Focus on the responsibilities and those who love you, and you will sail through. You must view it as a hurdle on your path towards success. That makes it much easier to deal with it. You are a great one, and you will make it.

Emily: Thanks, mum.

Wang: Another thing you must learn is to use your abilities too to stop the discrimination eventually. Most people will discriminate against you because they believe there is something you may not do successfully. Focusing on your success and doing every duty diligently, learning skills, and becoming knowledgeable will place you at a place of respect from society irrespective of your place of origin. It will make people see you based on those abilities rather than a tribe. So be brave, and you will survive. You will overcome this.

Emily: Thanks, mum, I feel way much better now, and I will take the advice. I love the school, and the workplace is friendly except for a few customers who look at me differently. I’ll make it.

Wang: That’s the spirit. Be brave, and you’ll survive. Now come and help me a little in the kitchen, your father will be arriving soon.

They leave for the kitchen to prepare dinner.