【美洲华联社5月16日洛杉矶报道】今日美国（USA TODAY）于5月15日刊载了美国前交通运输部长和前劳工部长赵小兰（Elaine L. Chao）标题为“Asian Americans deserve respect, not ‘Go back to China’ insults and worse”的文章，全文如下：
On a beautiful spring morning, my day began with a cup of coffee, an enchanting serenade from a songbird outside my kitchen window, and a hateful e-mail entitled: “Go back to China, China woman.”
这是一个美丽的春天早晨，我的一天就从一杯咖啡、厨房窗外的一只鸟鸣声中发出的迷人的小夜曲，以及一封题为“回到中国，中国女人”的仇恨电子邮件开始了。
We are Americans. I was born in Taiwan and came to America when I was 8 years old. I received my citizenship when I was 19 years old. But for those who weaponize ethnicity, “Go back to Taiwan, Taiwan woman” would not be the slur they seek. It wasn’t the first such missive and won’t be the last.
我们是美国人。我出生在台湾，8岁时来到美国，我19岁时获得了公民身份。但对于那些将种族武器化的人来说，“回台湾去，台湾女人”并不是他们所寻求的污蔑。这不是第一封这样的信，也不会是最后一封。
Others – also targeted because of their ancestry – have suffered far worse abuse, including savage beatings and even murder. It is outrageous that in 21st century America, any of our fellow citizens and residents have to live in fear and endure such attacks because they look like their ancestors didn’t come here on the Mayflower.
还有一些人，也因为他们的祖先而成为目标——遭受了更严重的虐待，包括野蛮殴打甚至谋杀。令人愤慨的是，在21世纪的美国，我们的任何同胞和居民都不得不生活在恐惧中，忍受这样的袭击，因为看起来好像他们的祖先不是乘五月花号来到这里的。
Alarming COVID-era rise in hate
Covid时代仇恨上升令人震惊
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen an alarming increase in anti-Asian bias, hate and deadly violence. Despite having worked at the highest levels of the federal government and having dedicated myself to a life of public service, even I am not immune to these malicious attacks, false narratives and accusations of disloyalty to America.
自从COVID-19大流行开始以来，我们看到反亚洲偏见、仇恨和致命暴力的惊人增加。尽管我曾在联邦政府的最高层工作，并致力于公共服务，但即使是我也不能免受这些恶意攻击、虚假叙述和对美国不忠的指控。
Such repulsive rhetoric is unfortunately not new; every time my husband runs for office, the opposition finds no problem questioning my ethnic heritage and patriotism and mobilizing it against us.
不幸的是，这种令人厌恶的言辞并不新鲜；每次我丈夫竞选时，反对派都会毫不犹豫地质疑我的民族传统和爱国主义精神，并动员起来反对我们。
Even the media has lodged baseless attacks against me and my family. Yet, all of this pales in comparison with the physical threats and intimidation that Asians are facing in America as they continue to be scapegoated for the pandemic. It is heartbreaking especially as we recognize May as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month – a time when our nation is supposed to be celebrating this community’s achievements and contributions.
甚至媒体也对我和我的家人进行了毫无根据的攻击。然而，所有这些与亚裔在美国所面临的人身威胁和恐吓相比都相形见绌，因为他们继续被当作疫情大流行的替罪羊。这是令人心碎的，特别是当我们认识到5月是亚太裔传统月这个我们的国家应该庆祝这个社区的成就和贡献的时候。
Like so many others, my family came to America for the opportunity of a better future. My father scored No. 1 in the national examinations in Taiwan and was given the chance to study abroad. My parents knew if they could come to America, they would have a shot at the American dream.
和其他许多人一样，我的家人来到美国是为了一个更好的未来。我父亲在台湾的国考中得了第一名，并获得了出国留学的机会。我父母知道，如果他们能来美国，他们将有机会实现美国梦。
Without money or documentation for a seven-month pregnant wife and two young daughters, my father came to America alone. It took him three years before he was able to bring us to America.
我父亲没有钱，也没有文件证明一个怀孕七个月的妻子和两个年幼的女儿，他独自来到美国，他花了三年时间才把我们带到美国。
‘People of color’ terminology: After Asian American hate, I’m reclaiming racial solidarity and the term ‘people of color’
“有色人种”的术语：在仇恨亚裔之后，我正在恢复种族团结和“有色人种”这个术语
The initial years were difficult; we didn’t speak English and lived in a small one-bedroom apartment in Queens, New York. But my parents were confident that America was the land of opportunities. This is the dream of millions of Americans.
最初的几年很艰难：我们不会说英语，住在纽约皇后区的一个只有一间卧室的小公寓里。但我的父母相信美国是一片充满机遇的土地。这是数百万美国人的梦想。
We are bound together by an idea and not by what we look like. Americans, therefore, look like the rest of the world. The best and the brightest come to our shores, seeking a better future, and in turn, their dreams and aspirations propel our nation to thrive.
我们被一个想法而不是我们的相貌联系在一起。因此，美国人看起来和世界其他地方一样。最优秀和最聪明的人来到我们的国家，寻求一个更美好的未来；而他们的梦想和抱负又推动我们的国家蓬勃发展。
AAPI community must be more visible
亚太裔社区必须更加引人注目
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) are an essential part of the American story: We make up almost 7% of the U.S. population. And despite being underrepresented in American history books, AAPIs have been an integral part of this nation for hundreds of years.
亚太裔（AAPI）是美国历史的重要组成部分：我们几乎占美国人口的7%。尽管在美国历史书中没有被被充分记载，但几百年来，AAPI一直是这个国家不可分割的一部分。
While we are now more accomplished and integrated than before, the AAPI community is often not seen as influential. Our community possesses a collective buying power of $1 trillion, but American media, products and campaigns do not recognize us nearly enough. Within the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, there is a growing awareness of the need to be more visible and vocal.
虽然我们现在比以前更有成就，更具整合，但AAPI社区通常不被视为有影响力的社区。我们的社区拥有1万亿美元的集体购买力，但美国媒体、产品和宣传活动对我们的认识还远远不够。在亚太裔社区内，人们越来越意识到需要更加引人注目和有发言权。
One such promising organization is The Asian American Foundation, established last week by a group of prominent Asian American entrepreneurs to combat anti-Asian violence and discrimination and fund various important programmatic initiatives. Their historic effort to raise record amounts of resources to support AAPI organizations and initiatives is commendable. During my tenure as both U.S. secretary of Labor and U.S. secretary of Transportation, I have sought to improve access to greater opportunities by underserved communities, including the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. Since leaving federal office, I am committed to continuing those efforts.
亚裔美国人基金会（Asian-American Foundation）就是这样一个充满希望的组织。上周该基金会由一群著名的亚裔企业家成立，旨在打击反亚裔暴力和歧视，并为各种重要的项目倡议提供资金。他们历史性地努力筹集创纪录数量的资源来支持AAPI组织和倡议，这是值得赞扬的。在我担任美国劳工部长和运输部长期间，我一直在努力改善服务不足社区（包括亚太裔社区）获得更多机会。离开联邦政府后，我将继续努力。
Hopefully, this Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month will increase appreciation for how America’s diversity and freedoms are, and have always been, its greatest strengths.
希望这个亚太裔传统月，能让人们更加欣赏一直是美国最大优势的多样化和自由。
编者注：
Elaine L. Chao (@ElaineChao), secretary of Labor in the George W. Bush administration and secretary of Transportation in the Trump administration, was the first Asian American woman to be named to a president’s Cabinet and the longest serving Cabinet member since World War II.
赵小兰是小布什总统政府的劳工部长、特朗普政府的交通运输部长，她是美国历史上首位被任命进入总统内阁的亚裔女性，也是自二战以来服务时间最长的内阁成员。
