Rinna Rem is 29 and of Thai-Cambodian extraction. A resident of Portland, Ore., Rem suffers from “Marfan syndrome,” a chronic illness that primarily affects the body’s connective tissues and can be life-threatening.
According to Rem, the condition is much worse because of the systemic racism she is forced to endure living in a predominantly white community. To counter the stress, she sees a psychotherapist every other week. Appointments cost her $50 a pop. And “now,” she writes on a page she has set up at the crowdfunding website YouCaring, “it’s your turn to pay!”
Meaning you, white man.
“Dear white friends,” her galling spiel begins. She goes on to bemoan life in “such a white city replete with constant interpersonal and institutional racism,” insisting that the relentless bigotry directed at her has taken a toll on her already fragile health.
You may be wondering why she doesn’t simply relocate to greener (browner?) pastures. She has that base covered in a footnote:
* If you’re asking “why doesn’t she just move away from Portland?”, you’re no different to me than the people who tell me “go back to your own country!” I shouldn’t have to deal with racism anywhere and I shouldn’t be expected to abandon my hometown and family either.
So far, she has collected $1,543 toward her goal of $2,000. Initially, she admits, she was seeking only $600, but she decided to raise the limit after reading hate-filled posts about her campaign on Reddit. The move, she hastens to explain, wasn’t out of spite. Rather, the unsympathetic response “caused more emotional distress, which I knew I would spend a lot of time processing in therapy.”
I can think of something long and green I’d like to send this woman, but I’d rather be spared a visit to Burger King.
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