Say the Word: Diana Balitaan, Organizer With Anakbayan Chicago

Members of the Asian American Pacific Islander communities in the Chicago area share personal accounts of the racism and microaggressions they've experienced

Members of the Asian American Pacific Islander communities in the Chicago area share personal accounts of the racism and microaggressions they've experienced.

Race has shaped our lives throughout history and continues to do so to this day. As many in America and in Chicago seek new awareness about race, it is important now more than ever to be educated on and to shed light on modern racism, particularly amid a spike in anti-Asian discrimination and hate crimes.

In the videos below, members of the Asian American Pacific Islander communities in the Chicago area recount personal incidents of racism and microaggressions they've experienced. Several discussed both how these events have impacted them and how we can move forward.

Watch, learn and empower others.

For complete coverage of NBC 5's ongoing Race in Chicago series, click here.

Diana Balitaan is an organizer with Anakbayan Chicago, a Filipino youth movement for democracy.

Balitaan said she's experienced microaggressions from peers, teachers and in other areas and that they have internally impacted how she sees herself. But she also highlighted that racism isn't just an interpersonal problem - it's also a part of our history.

"Racism is something that just happens right? It's not just something that happens interpersonally between two people. It's something that digs so much deeper," she said.

"It's important to note that this historical aspect of it is something that we can't get away from," Balitaan continued. "When we are talking about addressing racism, we really need to look back not just at the surface of what they said or she said, or he said, but what are the roots of these issues from white supremacy to enacting militarism to imperialism and so on."

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