HomeCampusPhilly.com: $50K Peace Prize to Change Life of Young Anti-Asian Bullying Activist

Philly.com: $50K Peace Prize to Change Life of Young Anti-Asian Bullying Activist

Wei Chen The former high school senior who spoke out against anti-Asian violence and bullies at his school and inspired a federal civil rights settlement  is hopeful his parents will finally understand what he does.

Wei Chen admitted to Philly.com that his parents weren’t always comfortable with his activism.

The now 22-year old  looks forward to telling them about the $50,000 Peace First Prize he just won for creating lasting and positive change in the community.

“I think they will be proud,” he said.  “Yes, I think they will be very proud.”

His blue collar parents brought him over from the Fujian province of China.

His mother works at a factory and his father is a trucker. They took pride in their son, but wanted him to get, for lack of better words, a real job.

“They sacrificed a lot for better lives,” Chen said. “They wanted me to work in jobs they understood. But I felt this work was too important to walk away from.”
The prize, one of 10 awarded from out of 700 entries, will enable Chen to continue his work with Asian Americans United in Philadelphia and the Chinatown Youth Organizing Project, a group he co-founded.

“It is like I am dreaming,” Chen said. “I feel in my heart that this is what I want to do.”
You can read more about why the judges awarded Chen the prize in Philly.com.

 

1 COMMENT

  1. RE: $50K peace prize to change life of young Asian American anti-bullying activist: Stay strong. You’re a leader. Your parents will eventually understand.

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