But this is happening to people around us: foreign professors, teachers, students, postdocs, neighbors. And sometimes much worse. Please don’t assume this can’t happen where you live. And if you witness it, say something. Silence is complicity.

I never imagined something like this happening in Newton, MA. I’m not someone who casually throws around “racist,” but the apathy and lack of empathy truly shocked me. Again, this isn’t about me, I’m a citizen and safe.

Then she asked if I’d be in trouble under the new immigration policy, and said maybe she should call ICE on me. I calmly repeated her words out loud so others could hear. The store was full, people behind me, the cashier, others nearby, and no one said a word.That silence was what hit me hardest.

At Wegmans (Newton, MA) on Saturday, I had a minor altercation with a young woman over something trivial. I was polite. But once she heard my accent, she told me to “leave her country” because I wasn’t born here.

Sharing this not because I need support (I’m fine), but because we all need to be aware of how bad things are getting, especially for people who are foreign, “look foreign,” and/or have an accent, even in very progressive, very blue places. 🧵

Thanks!

Thanks!

Super excited our paper on circRNA stability in the brain and their use as life experience markers is out! @inespatop.bsky.social www.cell.com/cell-reports...

Exciting paper by the Bisson lab @Archaeon_Alex . So happy to be a small part of it and congrats to all the authors! www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Leaving the nasty one-lettered place was harder than giving up carbs, but I did it! I’ve made it to the land of blue skies and good vibes. ✌️