KAGC Student Spotlight: Grace Lim, Georgetown University
“I needed to take a more active role in advocating for my community and get involved in politics which affects all of our lives — whether we choose to ignore it or not.”
My earliest memories of being perceived differently for my race can be traced back to first grade. At my school in a predominantly white town, I often felt a still and cold vibe towards me from other students. I did not understand it back then, but there were some students, even from first grade, who recognized that I was different from them — somehow “lesser than” and “unwelcome” — even before we truly knew what the word “race” meant. This led to a greater sense of insecurity in my own Korean American identity which manifested itself by avoiding my Korean peers and anything that was associated with my Korean heritage, in fear of being labeled a FOB (“fresh off the boat”).
In middle school, I started to receive backhanded compliments from non-Asian people regarding my race. Friends called me “pretty for an Asian” and teachers remarked that I was “smart because she’s Asian.” Although I felt uncomfortable at hearing these remarks, I usually responded with a small smile and awkward laugh because I did not want to make a scene. And in some instances, I believed that I had no right to be upset with them when these compliments were praising and seemingly well-meaning.
This tendency to suppress my true feelings, whenever I felt uncomfortable or bothered, fueled my apathetic disposition towards politics. Even when I felt passionate about certain issues, I was immobilized to act because I was always afraid of hurting someone else’s feelings or causing discord around me, even at the expense of my integrity. Many times, I resorted to staying silent in order to avoid conflict. My detachment to politics was further amplified by the fact that I grew up watching my parents never vote in an election or discuss politics at the dinner table. They, too, avoided these conversations out of fear that they were escalating disagreement and a cynical view that their voices would have only negligible impacts.
The waking realization in my life was the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes from the COVID-19 pandemic. I realized that I could no longer take a back seat to the political issues affecting my country as I witnessed and personally experienced anti-Asian hate. My fears of increasing hate crimes and discrimination culminated with the 2021 Atlanta spa shootings — an incident that materialized the increase in AAPI hate into one of complete and utter brutality. I needed to take a more active role in advocating for my community and get involved in politics which affects all of our lives — whether we choose to ignore it or not.
I finally felt like I had found ownership of myself as a KAGC Congressional Fellow and intern in Rep. Bill Pascrell’s office (NJ-9). I was honored to work for my representative and to serve my district constituents. It was here where I was able to take meaningful action on issues that I was passionate about. I worked on legislation related to foreign affairs, particularly the ongoing war in Ukraine and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as well as domestic issues like gun violence prevention. Along with meeting fellow interns and staffers working on the Hill, I had the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of our legislative process.
While my internship in Rep. Pascrell’s office was succinct, I gained a permanent sense of responsibility to advocate for issues that I had only previously understood as a bystander. One change that I made was to make it a priority to have the once difficult conversations about pressing policy issues with my friends and family. I continue to listen, learn, and teach others about legislation affecting my community. I am grateful to have participated in the KAGC fellowship and the knowledge I have gained about current issues facing the Korean American community. But what I am most aware of is that it has developed a greater consciousness about my Korean American identity. There is no “one way” to be Korean American. We must both find community and celebrate individuality. That is the way to pave a path forward.
Grace Lim is a 2023 KAGC Congressional Fellow who worked as the Legislative Intern in the Office of Rep. Bill Pascrell (NJ-9). As a rising Junior at Georgetown University, Grace will continue her roles at Georgetown Marketing Association and Georgetown Center for Social Justice, where she assists in conducting research for improving global food security and int’l developmental finance.
Click here to learn more about KAGC, the largest nationwide network of Korean American voters for opportunities to share the Korean American identity, discuss the key issues of our community, and get our voices heard, counted, and reflected in public policy.
