This First Person column is written by Rachel Phan, who is a second-generation Chinese Canadian. For more information about CBC’s First Person stories, please see the FAQ.
There’s this thing I do when I’m walking down the street with my partner. When someone crosses our path, I’ll say something in perfect, crisp English, loud enough for that stranger to hear. I do it to offer myself just a little bit of protection as if to say, ‘Please don’t say anything racist to me. Look how well I played the game. I speak this language perfectly, without an accent — I swear,
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