Malcolm Jeng is a mechanical engineering student at San Jose State University (SJSU). Originally from Washington DC, he moved to Simi Valley before attending SJSU. In this interview, conducted by Alex Leong, he recounts numerous experiences of discrimination throughout his life, and notes that these experiences increased during the pandemic. He concludes by expressing his wish that others will not experience such discrimination in the future.

Access the full transcript here. *Warning: Explicit Language, may be offensive to some readers.

Keywords:     COVID-19, Asian American, engineer, student, Zoom, online classes, anti-Asian hate, model minority, education, discrimination, violence, racism

Index

00:00:10          Consent

00:02:31          Background

00:04:35          Lifestyle change during pandemic

00:08:29          Elementary school, experiencing racism

00:12:20          Internalizing model minority myth

00:14:50          Experiencing discrimination during online Zoom class

00:20:01          Experiencing discrimination in Simi Valley

00:23:42          Rise in anti-Asian hate after start of pandemic

00:25:42          Reflecting on model minority myth

00:30:44          Hopes for future generations