STOP SEARCH

"I would always be stopped by the police for some reason," he shrugged. "Maybe it's because I look like a robber... Do I?" He asked with a cocked head and a troubled expression crossing his face. Being halted by the police, who demanded for his ID from time to time, and being subject to body checks, he was confused as to why he was the target of these 'random' searches. All the time.

“Even with my mask on, sometimes I get stopped by the police, even though I’m wearing the mask properly” he said and frowned, earning a nod from me. I’m lucky I never really had to witness this streetside harassment or experience it firsthand. I was never stopped by the police, I never had to take out my wallet to show the officers my Hong Kong Identity Card, so I can only assume how scary the situation must be. To be approached by law enforcement, to be seen as a threat.

“I don’t know if I looked scary or whatever,” he smoothed down his slowly growing beard. “But I’m considering shaving the beard,” he joked, earning a nod of amusement from me, because I want to see his beardless face. “I asked the cop why I was pulled aside and the policeman just said that it was routine checking” he said with his eyes going wide to express his annoyance and exasperation.”Bullshit if you ask me,” he shrugged and looked at me, and I knew exactly what he was trying to say with his eyes.

We, ethnic minorities look different. We (at least some of us) don’t fit the standard, and look a bit more distinct. Anyone who doesn’t fit the mold isn’t considered a local, in fact is considered atypical. This is why he was called; his beard and his skin color.

“I didn’t really see the police stop anyone before or after me,” he revealed, and I just knew he too didn’t buy the cop’s defensive claim. “Have you been through something like this?” He threw the question back to me and I was surprised because I never really got questioned back during an interview.

I replied that “No, I never really did actually... I had a friend who told me about how his Punjabi, turban wearing uncle was constantly stopped by the police though. He was even framed by one of the policemen… And it was really scary,” I shared. This actually did scar me, because after hearing this tale from my friend, I started to fear the very people that were supposed to protect us.

What have we come to? Imagine being so terrified of the exact people who are supposed to look out for and safeguard you. Turns out they plant evidence on you and frame you because it’s convenient and fits their ‘EM’s are aggressive’ stereotypes. Why even do these stereotypes exist? Why do the policemen think they can perpetuate these stereotypes by entrapping innocent people? Am I reading too much into this? 

“Yo, i’m gonna shave my beard, maybe I’ll get pulled aside less,” he made up his mind, snapping me out of my thoughts and I nodded again. “You’ll look younger as well,” I added and chuckled. I hope he doesn’t get halted by the police anymore. I hope his beard shave actually helps clear his woes.