On July 1 this year, a Chinese American named Connie Cheung received a racist email from her potential employer of a local recruiting firm in Chicago but is now enjoying the job she desires.
Cheung now works for the Chinese Mutual Aid Association, a nonprofit organization that helps immigrants adjust to their new environment in America by giving cheap English lessons, immigration assistance, home health care and other assistance that they could provide.
She works as a human resources manager because of her fluent skills in Cantonese and tries to help her clients by serving as a translator on their behalf.
In an interview with Block Club Chicago, she mentioned that she’s helping people who are basically like her mom. “These are people who never asked for help. They’re super sweet. I love it,” she added.
The racist email containing the words “me love you long time” was posted publicly by Cheung on her Facebook account to call out the attention of the people from Chicago Search Group.
Jim McMahon, the Vice President of the company, said that the email was sent wrongly and is intended to his business partner that serves as an “inside joke”for both of them.
Eventually, McMahon told USA Today in an interview that he personally called Connie to directly apologize to her.
Cheung aims to inspire and encourage Asian Americans to call out racism whenever they encounter it. Because if not, the stereotype that Asians are the “model minority” will still live on.
Now,she’s very happy that she had the courage to say something.
“It is okay to speak out. It is okay to speak truths, to say this type of behavior is not okay,”Cheung said in an interview with Block Club Chicago.
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