The Fear I Can't Shake

Plus, Asian American experiences and a bracelet revolutionizing safety.

Every night since February 13th, whether I’m at a hotel or at home, I check under the bed before I go to sleep. I don’t how I expect to defend myself if I find a boogeyman hiding underneath, but I still do it regardless. I feel like a little girl again, when I used to stay awake until the light of dawn—my signal of safety—began to stream through my curtains. Somewhere between my preteen years and adulthood, I stopped being so afraid all the time. It’s only now, that I realize I took all those years of feeling invisible—and by extension, safe—for granted.

On February 13th, Christina Yuna Lee decided to take a cab home after a night out. Even though she lived steps away from the subway, she didn’t feel safe, because just weeks before another young Asian American woman—Michelle Go—was pushed in front of a train. Still, Lee’s smart decision paid no reward. She was followed into her apartment by a man who then hid under her bed and stabbed her more than 40 times.

The other night I go on so…