For about as long as the COVID-19 pandemic itself, Asian Americans have faced numerous cases of harassment. With the first reported cases of the virus originally hailing from China, people have been quick to scapegoat those of Asian descent.

Numerous have been verbally or physically assaulted, and in some cases, even killed. According to a report from July 20 from Stop AAPI Hate, nearly 11.5K incidents were reported to the organization between March 19, 2020 and March 31 of this year.

Numerous stories have been shared by the community about the feelings towards these ongoing attacks. Samantha Futerman, an actor and filmmaker, expresses her unique perspective as a Korean adoptee through her short film she just made available on her YouTube channel, From Here.

Featured in the 2021 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, the story follows Korean adoptee, Jess, in the aftermath of last year’s shooting in Atlanta, where six of the eight victims were Asian women. She navigates a day filled with microaggressions and a racist verbal assault, all the while turning to her mother for support. As much as her mother loves her, that alone isn’t enough regarding an experience she will never truly understand.

It just goes to show that Asian America is not a monolith, and so the same goes for the stories from it. While some people worry for their parents’ safety in these unnerving times, there are others whose parents aren’t fully aware of what’s been happening at all. Running just under seven minutes, From Here expresses the latter experience poignantly and emotionally. It’s an important perspective to explore as conversations regarding anti-Asian hate continue.

From Here was written, directed by, and starring Futerman. The cast also features Romy Rosemont, Sigrid Owen, Michael Heimos, and Leslie Hendry. The film was produced by Jenna Ushkowitz, edited and director of photography by Ryan Miyamoto, with music by Goh Nakamura.