Sample Sketch.

        So, what is the main purpose I want people to take away after reading (or maybe listening to) my speech? I want to encourage Asian Americans, especially from my generation, to tell their stories, to put their race on the map of the USA, and to say “fuck you” to the stereotypes that society has imposed on us.

        For my story, I need something that hits home and feels very personal. I think I want my audience to understand the gravity of the recent situations and the immense lack of recognition Asian Americans face in America. To do this, I think I will follow the general format for a speech of this nature. First an introduction to the problem. Second, a buildup of why sharing our experiences is so important in breaking the stereotypes of a perpetual foreigner and model minority. Next, the climax will most likely be telling people to take action and what the results could be. I also want to highlight how important alliance is in this portion of the speech. Lastly, I want to give final words of encouragement and to pull out a relatable message for all people to take away.

        In my introduction, I definitely need something that grabs people’s attention. The idea is to name some of the people who have been killed or subjected to Anti-Asian American racism in the past year and contrasting it with the black people who have been subjected to racism to highlight the invisibility of the Asian community in America and the disregard that is shown towards Anti-Asian racism. It will be important for me to make it clear right away that I am not trying to make the Black experience and the Asian experience equal.

        The next part of my speech gives an explanation of why the Asian American experience is often ignored. This part is important in giving other Asian Americans something relatable to connect to and feel a sense of comradery with. It also informs non-Asians about the struggles Asian Americans face even though people don’t say it out loud. Using this point, I emphasize how important our experiences and stories are in educating people and diversifying their perspectives.

        Though not completely a clear-cut separation, the quote introduces the climax of the speech. This is the part I specifically tell people to share their stories and to embrace their cultures. Additionally, I mention the importance of allyship here between the Asian American community and the other communities of color and how it is important to listen to everyone.

        I am not yet sure how I want to phrase my conclusion. Upon more research, I realized it is often helpful to write a conclusion prior to writing the rest of the speech. To do that it is too late, however, I do know the contents of which I want to speak on. I want to bring back my whole message to the Asian American community, as that is my target audience. I need it to have an impact. Though I already have a pretty impactful call to action a couple of paragraphs prior, I need to reiterate that point and do so in a way that doesn’t seem like a copy and paste.