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Eric Nam says he's a 'perpetual foreigner' amid anti-Asian racism and Atlanta shootings, fans call him 'brave'

Eric Nam said, as 'subjects of the model minority myth, Asians are invited but not fully integrated, or just largely ignored'

Eric Nam, one of the global K-pop stars opens up about what it is being a ‘perpetual foreigner’ in your own country. Nam further goes to explain that the warning signs were all there, especially from the last year but the wake-up calls come after an incredibly horrific and tragic incident. Earlier, he also wrote a piece for TIME depicting in detail the extent of anti-Asian hate and the impact of it. 

Speaking of the tragic and violent murders of Asian women in Atlanta, Eric Nam wrote, “The news quite literally hit home for me—I was born and raised in Atlanta and some of the murders took place near my old stomping grounds. I was filled with shock, grief, frustration, and then anger. As attacks on AAPIs have spiked over the last 12 months, the calls for help and the warning signs from our community have felt ignored—as if the stories were about people living on the other side of the world, not about your neighbors in America.”

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Eric on March 22 appears for CNN where he talks about how in the last year, the Asian community has been the loudest that they ever been based on the increasing amount of racism they faced but it took an incredibly tragic and horrific incident for the international media and the national media to cover it. In the op-ed piece, he wrote, “As “perpetual foreigners” and subjects of the model minority myth, Asians are invited but not fully integrated, or just largely ignored under the guise of being “O.K.” in culture and politics. As AAPIs we have been excluded, interned, vilified, emasculated, fetishized, and murdered.”

Speaking further on the issue, the 32-year-old K-pop star born and raised in Atlanta noted, "We wanted to be seen as American. We wanted to be accepted and celebrated just like everyone else. We wanted to fit in. And yet—our hair was different, our homes didn’t speak English, and because we were not of the majority, many of us felt that we should just be thankful. It wasn’t their fault. We should have easier names. We shouldn’t speak in our parents’ languages."

After Eric Nam tweeted the news portion, K-pop fans took to Twitter to rally behind the K-pop star and urge all the diverse communities to continue the discourse. A fan said, "thank you for being our voice, i could tell he would be this articulate because of how good his discussion points are in his podcasts!' Another said, "that part in the end where he mentions that people outside of the US view the US as dangerous!!!! because it is... but americans have been brainwashed to think the rest of the world is dangerous and the US is a utopia." A viewer aptly put, "he made sure to hit every point in the calmest way possible even during these tough times that are especially happening right where he lives. smart and brave man i cant express how amazed i am as he a spoke for the many asians who are scared to do so."

Catch up more of Eric Nam's thoughts on his podcasts here.