I CAN'T BREATHE

Shining a Light on Autism and Xenophobia

BY AMANDA HARRINAUTH

I am an autistic female who identifies as Black and Indian. Biracial, some might say. Race relations have always been showcased in the media, however, after the passing of George Floyd, it opened Pandora’s box to what racism really is.

And now, it's not enough to just have autism for if you're of color, that's an added stressor in America.

I participated in one protest in my life; it was a faith-based protest when we took a knee for fallen lives. It helped to make me more aware of my role in society. As a disability rights activist, I thought I was doing well by bringing light to the discrimination facing those with autism, Down syndrome cerebral palsy, and other conditions. Then, I was challenged as a life coach by the editor in chief of Worldwide Coaching Magazine. I was asked to write a poem dealing with grief and loss. My response to his challenge was "I Can't Breathe."

Entitling that poem, those words stuck out in my head greatly.

Let's think about those words "I can't breathe."

Myself, as someone who struggled to breathe on her own due to premature birth – I was actually placed on a ventilator – I can't imagine that right forcefully being taken away from me.

What worries me is that so many of us on the autism spectrum are loving individuals. Many of us are afraid of loud noises, especially if we are being yelled at to do something or we see someone in a uniform. That could be quite intimidating.

One solution that I am thankful for is the Special Olympics partnering with law enforcement.

Special Olympics athletes will actually receive their medals and awards from police officers.

I think that’s one strategy to making the gap between law-enforcement and those with special needs even smaller.

“An Asian invasion and human rights and human dignity” is a line in one of my latest poems just written. The poem is entitled “Black and Asian hands.” The poem was written just a week ago.

My father is a native from Trinidad, my dad and his family are immigrants. Growing up he and his siblings would play soccer (referred to as football in Trinidad) with a grapefruit. He came to this country at the age of 10 on November 20th 1969.

My dad had a heavy Trinidadian accent, sometimes he came to school smelling of curry and other traditional Indian spices. The American students would mock him for not having an understanding of American sports such as baseball and other American customs.

My parents met in 1983, and they were married the following year. A few years later they would welcome my older sister into the world, and then 19 months later in 1989, I was born.

Hearing the perspective from both of my parents, my mom providing the African-American perspective, and my father providing the Asian perspective, I knew from a young age that I was different, racially, and would encounter some hardships due to also being disabled. My parents raised two strong daughters. My sister Ashley is finishing up her doctorate in clinical psychology, and I became a writer.

And as I always say, with God, anything is possible. We were placed on this earth to do his work and his will.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Amanda Harrinauth is a proud Special Olympics (S.O.) Athlete in Northern California. She has been competing in Bocce ball and Bowling and has enjoyed writing for five years. Her passion is to bring joy to a broken world and help advocate for inclusive health. As a S.O. Health Messenger, she encourages health to the Athletes and the community about disparity of care. Amanda grew up in the Bay Area and is looking forward to sharing her writing with the world.