When major news breaks, there are times it brings back memories from the past. That happened to me recently.
I recalled the time spent with my Aunt Cecilia many, many years ago. She was a special person in so many ways. When around her, you always felt positive vibes. She was an upbeat person and brought that mood everywhere she went. My Aunt Cecilia was always helping others.
She met my uncle while he was assigned to Japan serving in the military. Cecilia and my uncle eventually married. She moved with him to Loogootee and managed the Dairy Master restaurant. My aunt Cecilia did something I have never done, she became fluent in two languages – her native Japanese and English.
I have so many fond and wonderful memories of my aunt Cecilia there is no way to list them all here. In the mid-1970s I visited Cecilia and my uncle after they have moved to Phoenix, Arizona, my first foray west.
Eventually, she and my uncle divorced. But I did speak to Cecilia one last time, 27 years ago, when my father was ill and near death. Cecilia called my parents’ home to check on my dad and I answered the phone. It was a difficult time, but I look back on that phone conversation with Cecilia with some fondness now because it was the last time we spoke.
Cecilia Lannan-Emery passed away on March 11, 2014. She died in Arizona so I was unable to attend the funeral.
Why have I thought about my aunt Cecilia lately? On March 16, 8 people died in a series of mass shootings in the Atlanta, Georgia area. Six of the dead were Asian women.
Police have not identified a motive for the shootings, but the incident has resulted in more awareness of discrimination in America against Asians in general and Asian women in particular.
I just thought about how horrible it would have been for anyone to treat my aunt Cecilia in a discriminatory way. If she ever experienced such treatment she never told me. But, with her attitude toward life, she may have chosen just not to talk about it. I will never know.
The purpose of this commentary is to very simply express that discrimination against any group is horrible, but when it hits close to home, possibly to someone you care about, it puts everything in the proper perspective.
Her son, my cousin, is half Asian but his appearance would lead one to believe is is fully Asian. He has served honorably in the Armed Forces and is as loyal an American as one can find anywhere. I cannot tolerate the thought that anyone would treat him differently because of his partial Asian heritage.
My main point is this. Discrimination is America’s original sin. We are paying for it now and sadly will for some time to come. America’s history with Asian immigrants is not a proud one.
Fighting discrimination anywhere it is found is our responsibility, in my view. Asians, as with any other group in America, deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. Let’s all work on doing just that.
