China Lee speaks softly through the headset as I nod. She sounds a little hesitant, but warms up throughout the interview.
I’m a dancer, she tells me, and a student, studying graphic design. It’s one of the very first things she says about herself.
And I’m blasian, she adds.
Half black, half Korean.
In many Asian communities, antiblackness is prominent and exists in daily conversations. It is microaggression perpetrated by non black communities of color and white people, degrading black community members. It is: “don’t date black people” spoken to second generation Asian children by their parents. It is, in a way, the opposite of the model minority.
Lee shares her experience as a blasian child growing up in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She says, “I don’t feel [like] I’m black or Asian enough. As a child, I may have seen myself more black because of the community I live around, but nowadays, I’m more in touch with my Asian side.”
She shares that she has an interesting perspective on her Korean side. Her mother, who is Korean, was adopted by a white family. Because of that, she grew up without much influence from her Asian (or Korean) culture.
Despite feeling more “black” as a child, Lee still shares the frustration of having to cite her heritage — something many Asian Americans experience throughout their lifetime.
“People were like, ‘are you Chinese?’ and asking these questions so I would have to explain that I was half-black and half-Korean,” Lee says. “It’s frustrating getting questioned what you are and where you’re coming from.”
Where are you from? — an ancient white proverb meaning, why aren’t you white?
In 2013, Lee visited Korea — the first time and only time she had been in the country.
“It was interesting because I know how to speak Korean but not completely fluently,” she says. “People would try to speak English with me and I would speak Korean and they would compliment me.
Lee shares a story about an incident at a Kpop shop.
“The shop owner came out and said ‘Hello’ in English and I said ‘Hello’ back in Korean. She was amazed that my pronunciation in Korean was so good and questioned how it was so good.”
Even while abroad, Lee says, “No matter where I go, I always have to explain my background and where I am from.”
Since becoming an adult, Lee has become more involved with Asian-centric organizations and has even joined Elite Family, an urban dance choreography team founded in 2015 by Asian Americans.
Though Lee is not a professional dancer, she enjoys it and finds comfort in practicing alongside people who look and share experiences with her.
“It’s kind of nice being surrounded by people who are kind of alike but also different,” she says. “I found a safe place in dancing.
“We have this one thing in common that we like to do — dancing — and people are very accepting of everyone despite your race or background.”
You can learn more about China’s work at IG: @Chinaleemh