A You Care campaign by a Thai-Cambodian American woman in Portland, Oregon has raised nearly $2,000 for her therapy to treat symptoms she blames on “constant interpersonal and institutional racism”
The crowd fundraiser by Rinna Rem is titled White Friends, Pay for My Therapy and has generated strong emotions from those who support it and those who are offended by it.
One person who contributed $2o wrote “asking for what you need is a good thing. I wish my country would take responsibility for the atrocities perpetrated on Cambodia.”
Another who donated $10 wrote “You deserve to feel whole and happy, despite every social factor at work against you. Keep fighting the good fight.”
Others were blunt in their displeasure.
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“Here’s a dollar to stuff up your a**! Get out of my country!”
“You scum piece of sh*t,” posted another. “By the way it is not because you’re Asian, its because you use racism as a card to get what you want and think that your race plays a role in how you grew up, FU*K OUTTA HERE.”
Rem currently works as a reference assistant at an area library. Prior to that she had a brief stint as a youth academic instructor for the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization. She says she currently pays $100/month for therapy to cope.
“Did you know…stress related to every day racism has been found a major factor in health disparities among people of color, including mental health disorders?,” said Rem in her pitch. “And that stress due to experiences of racism can contribute to adverse birth outcomes, when combined with the effects of general and maternal stress?
“I’m 29 and really tired. I’ve already overcome liver disease and continually manage chronic conditions of Marfan’s Syndrome (like monitoring an enlarged aorta. The more stress I feel, the more I put my heart condition at risk) and depression. I want to live a healthy, happy life. I want to have a healthy, happy family in the future too. Help me pay for therapy to deal with the stress of racism. Please don’t let racism shorten my life or kill me.”
