Posted by Vivian Wu
Equality is for all, but I guess the definition for “all” isn’t the same to everyone. Once again, our government tests our community. As Asian/Pacific Islanders, we’ve been known for our favoritism towards males and boys since many years ago. This stereotype still exists in the minds of other races; many still make decisions based on this outdated idea. In the states of Pennsylvania and Illinois, there are already established sex-selection abortion bans. This means that doctors who suspect a patient is wanting an abortion because of their biased preference for their child’s gender must refuse to provide service for that patient. As terrible of an idea as that sounds, this law is spreading to Arkansas.
On March 29, 2017, Governor Hutchinson signed a bill aiming for the exact same treatment. Although this bill is not specifically said to be towards a certain group, it is pretty obvious that the Asian community is targeted. From their past favoritism for male genders to the one child law, Asian patients can be easily suspected to be wanting an abortion, because they are not pleased with the gender of their child. This law gives doctors so much power, because they are the ones who get to suspect and decide whether to provide service or not based on their assumptions.
Just like how a child grows up, the Asian community moves on from the past. We are all living in the present now, and it’s necessary for everyone to know that our past and our ancestors do not define who we are as people today. No one should be able to decide what we want to happen to our bodies and futures.