Untitled Adrian Wu

Acurrent event that I would like to bring to a wider audience is the assaults on the Asian community in New York City. As one of the most culturally and racially diverse cities, New York City has recently been linked to a great deal of hate and crime, especially concerning the Asian community. Asian hate crimes were a major issue in NYC during the COVID-19 pandemic, escalating to the point of numerous brutal beatings and the death of Christina Yuna Lee. The increase in Asian hate in the Big Apple can be correlated to President Trump’s labeling of the COVID-19 pandemic as the “Chinese Virus.” It was as if Trump opened the floodgates to prejudice and discrimination, and people threw all their reasoning and logic out the window. This psychological response of discrimination towards people of color has occurred time and time again throughout history. It always starts with one incident setting the fire for the proliferation of hate and discrimination. Our current situation has shown the ugly side of humanity, and the Asian-American community has paid for it with their bodies and in extreme cases, their lives.

The hate and discrimination in recent years have faded alongside the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions and have thus been swept under the rug. However, the pain and damage has already been done. Many people are still in mourning and in pursuit of justice that will allow both the young and old within the Asian-American community to once again step outside their homes without fear. We deserve to feel safe in this country; Asian-American hate must be brought to more widespread attention so that it is not only acknowledged in small parts of the United States but across the whole of it.

By Adrian Wu

Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash

Graphic by Martin Sanchez on Unsplash