A message to our readers: We have chosen to center Issue #3 around Asian Hate because of the attention that hate crimes have been receiving as of late and the insight that we can provide as Korean students who have personal connections with this issue. With the surge of hate crimes and discrimination against Asians across many countries, particularly the US, a long-overdue movement dedicated to addressing Asian Hate has gained momentum. Although the phrase, “Stop Asian Hate” may seem to frame the issue as a matter of bigots’ interpersonal hatred toward Asians, the movement is more than that. It seeks to highlight layers of anti-Asian sentiments ingrained in the very foundations of America and call out the countless microaggressions Asian Americans have endured. As Asian students ourselves who will likely pursue education abroad in the US, we hold this issue close to our hearts. Through articles, poems, stories, and artworks, we hope to express our concerns and offer both personal and academic insight on this issue. On a side note, we would like to clarify that the opinionated articles featured in this issue do not represent the magazine’s views as a whole.
childhood scars
Brian Ma, an Asian American who grew up in the United States throughout most of his life, has been through his fair share of discriminatory experiences. As a child, he grew up in North Carolina, where there wasn’t a large population of Asian Americans in his town. As he grew older, his Asian ethnicity affected him in many different ways, shaping him to be the person he is today. Recollecting his childhood experiences, he reflects on many impactful moments that deeply affected him for many years. One specific example is when he and his father went out to buy wood. “On our way, while stopped at a red light, a truck screeched to a halt next to us. The truck’s windows rolled down and the passengers began shouting racial slurs at me and my father. Clearly enraged, my father jumped out of the car, walked up to the truck and began yelling at them to ‘come out’ and ‘fight me like a man.’ An expression of shock flashed across their faces, Sam Hong, Nate Wilson Writer Jihoon Kim Layout
obviously surprised by resistance from a member of a race stereotypically seen as meek and passive. Without another word, the truck passengers rolled up their window. My father, still infuriated by the incident, punched the truck before it sped off into the distance. My father walked defeatedly back to our car, clearly in pain from denting the car door. He got in, turned on the engine, and drove for a long while without saying a word. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he turned to me and spoke. Starting off softly and slowly getting louder, he began to yell about how I ‘should have said something’ when they were insulting ‘our people’ and that I have to ‘stand up for myself.’ And while I was only ten at the time, his words have stayed with me for my entire life.” Instances such as this have accumulated to form the person that he is today. When looking back at all the things that he experienced, he told us that the biggest thing that he would tell his younger self is that “you can’t be race/gender blind because the main goal is to see all of these different identities as methods of love towards everyone,” and that he “should’ve engaged with the world more as an Asian.” Overall, with the multitude of experiences, the biggest takeaway of all of that was that he believes that “none of us can be free until all of us are free.” He truly believes that especially during times like these, when Asian hate is at its rise, it is most important to have everyone be free. Otherwise, we are living in a world without true peace.
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Relationship between BLM and Asian Hate Crime
The discrimination of the African American started ever since the slave trade, when the Europeans utilized the Africans as their slaves. The people have been living under the same social pyramid until modern society: white people dominating the top, Asians, African Americans (or Blacks), and the Latinos at the bottom. Simillar to what have outraged the black community in the United States, the Asian-Americans are similarly experiencing discrimination; the hate crimes happening in the United States is becoming much more brutal and violent. While the United States is known as one of the most diverse countries in the world, “as of July 2016, [the] White Americans are the racial majority” (Wikipedia): the American population consists of 60.1% white, 18.5 Hispanic, 12.2 Black, and 5.6% Asian. Many whites, such as Derek Chauvin, the police officer who pressed Floyd to death, are still stereotyping all blacks as criminals. For example, George Floyd himself was only convicted for the usage of counterfeit $20 bills. The officer, however, took extreme action and killed him right there on the spot by choking him. People around the world have expressed outrage for the treatment of the
African Americans living in the United States of America. Because of
of the African Americans living in the United States of America. Because of many incidents and the police brutality and racially motivated violence against black people, the Black Lives Matter Movement started last year. Famously, the incident of George Floyd enraged the Blacks living in the United States, which peaked the BLM movement; the protests for George Floyd drew approximately half a million people.
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Writer Kris Son Layout Stella Chae
There not only are incidents related to African Americans, but there are many that are related to Asian-Americans. Recently, Asian-Hate Crimes have frequently attacked the Asians; therefore are putting the Asians under a terrible fear. COVID-related hate crimes against Asians are especially on the rise. The former president, Donald J. Trump labeled the pandemic as the “Chinese virus”, which made hate crimes even more extreme. Because the pandemic itself has started in Wuhan, China, it has sparked prejudice against all Asians as carriers of the virus. Murdering or committing violence due to the difference in race can’t be happening. Difference in skin color has been a controversial issue in which the world have fought for, and now there are protests happening especially in countries like the United States where immense amounts of diversity exists. These hate crimes are happening as if the whites and Asians are living on a different level. It is clear how these crimes are happening in a similar manner to the actions that caused BLM, and it is crucial how the “nascent Asian movement in North Jersey to build bridges with Black Lives Matter organizers and put aside [the] mistrust that’s lingered between the communities for too long.” Together, not only the Stop Asian Hate movement will be much stronger, but the Black Lives Matter movement stronger as well. As fellow minority groups in the United States, understanding and building trust between these communities is one of the best ways to combat systemic racism that they both face in everyday life. Just as the BLM movement caused ripples across America and greatly raised awareness about the plight of African Americans, recent Asian hate crimes should also cause widespread efforts seeking to challenge the obsolete barriers that suppress foreigners in America today. Asian Hate · 5
Does it make sense to call Asian-Americans one group/advocating on behalf of Asian-Americans as one group when in many cases the only thing uniting them is their race? The term “Asian American” is one that arguably simplifies a large, diverse, and often disagreeing racial minority into a single monolith. Asian Americans have different religions, political standings, economic statuses, job demographics, skin colors, and more depending on their ethnicity and country of origin. In some cases, these differences cause conflict within the group, such as the stereotyping of Southeast and South Asians for their darker skin by East Asians. With such disparities, some Asian Americans, especially older ones, have argued that it doesn’t make sense for all
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these circumstances, the current social climate, in which Asians are subject to hate regardless of their ethnicity or country of origin, requires all Asian Americans to join arms to provide a stronger front against Asian hate. It’s no secret that a united community is stronger than a divided one. If Asian Americans unite against Asian hate, they will be able to attract more attention from the wider American public to the
Rosa Suh Writer Irene Nam Layout
Along with unity in the streets, unity in politics can also create a stronger impetus for change. As stated before, Asians vary greatly in political stance, from liberal to conservative, so a unified approach would show politicians and citizens that Asian hate is not a partisan issue, making it a priority regardless of alignment. Additionally, this will help lessen the barriers and tensions between Asians, leading to a better understanding and respect in the Asian-American community that wouldn’t be possible without uniting against a common enemy. As stated before, Asians vary greatly in political stance, from liberal to conservative, so a unified approach would show politicians and citizens that Asian hate is not a partisan issue, making it a priority regardless of alignment. Additionally, this will
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sue, making it a priority regardless of alignment. Additionally, this will help lessen the barriers and tensions between Asians, leading to a better understanding and respect in the Asian-American community that wouldn’t be possible without uniting against a common enemy. Some may argue that uniting will only solidify the perception that Asians are a monolith, catering to American stereotypes that Asians are all the same regardless of origin. However, in a twist of irony, caring about American stereotypes is, in fact, succumbing to American stereotypes. In such a climate where Asians are killed simply for their race, worrying about stereotypes is a much smaller priority than protecting innocent individuals from death or injury. Asians must be able to do what is best for them without worrying about how others perceive
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My Experience with Asian Discrimination People may only notice the major hate crimes they witness in public spaces. They may only recognize and act for the hate crimes that are physical or extreme. What people do not see are the small acts of discrimination and microaggressions that happen in small private areas, such as schools. However, ignoring what happens within these small spaces is a mistake, as there are so many students facing the difficulties of racist discrimination. As someone who has lived in multiple countries such as Beijing, Milan, and the UK, I have witnessed and experienced multiple instances where someone discriminated against Asians.
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As I have lived in various countries around the world, there has always been some form of Asian hate. Especially because I was a new student every time I moved to a country outside of Asia, it was definitely a surprise seeing these situations in real life; I had only really seen discrimination in movies or books. It was a first for me, and it annoyed me that the non-Asian students thought that they were superior to us Asians. They would laugh about the Asian students’ accents and the different types of food we would eat. Whilst laughing at the lack of English skills these Asian students had, it was ironic that they also seemed to tease us for our exceeding skills in subjects,
getting annoyed that we were getting better scores than them. Personally, I did not face many difficulties compared to some other Asian students at my school. As I came from an english-speaking school before I had moved to Europe, my English was passable, as English was nearly my first language. However, many of my Asian friends, particularly Koreans, had moved to Europe because of their parents’ work, and most of them came from a Korean-speaking school back in Korea. Thus, they had a harder time fitting in with the other students, so I also tried to help them throughout the school year. Whenever I saw my non-Asian friends smirking at my Korean friends, I wanted to stand up to them and say stop. However, at first, it was quite challenging for me to approach my friends and say that they were being racist and rude to my
Korean friends; after all, they were my friends too. As time went by, I gradually brought up comments about how they were treating the Asians at the school, and the situation seemed to get better. I had only stayed at that school for one year, and it was tough for me to leave the school, knowing that this problem of racism and discrimination would not disappear completely; there would always be some variation of discrimination against Asians. Even if I had stayed in Europe, it would have been the same. I realized that this is not a matter of people standing for their opinions and fighting for their rights, but it was more of a global problem where people of all races, not only Asians, have to turn their opinions around to support all races. Without the support of all races, this problem would not find a way out of the dark.
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Katie Kim Writer Stella Chae Layout
Mother My mother has been through hell and back Pursuing the so-called “American Dream” She has been called many names “Lingling” “Chingchong” Just because of her ethnicity So what was I supposed to do When I saw the news “8 dead in Atlanta, Georgia shooting” “Location: The Gold Spa” Is this really happening in the United States? The so-called land of the free? Glued to the television, Watching, waiting For a sign that my mother was safe I call her Three times No response. Tears well up in my eyes, A ringing sound blasts in my ears Mother, please come home. Just come home.
Xiaojie Tan Delaina Ashley Yaun Daoyou Feng Paul Andre Michels Hyun Jung Grant Soon Chung Park Suncha Kim Yong Ae Yue The men and women listed above tragically did not make it home on March 16, 2021. Remember their names. May they rest in peace.
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Racism against Asians among other minorities in the US From the arrival of the first Chinese immigrants to the West Coast in the 1810s, Asians in the US have faced discrimination from a variety of different groups, including fellow minorities. It is important to note before going into this piece that Asian hate from other minorities was not usually because one particular minority had a grudge against Asians, but rather because of extraneous factors and the societal norm at the time to view Asians through a racist lens. For instance, Chinese immigrants drawn by the 1849 Gold Rush in California faced discrimination from Black, Latino, and Irish miners who were also desperate to rise from poverty. The Irish, who were then viewed as second-class citizens compared to whites, once again came into conflict with the Chinese in competing for railroad jobs. These economic tensions led to other immigrants and racial minorities supporting the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882: a law that would ban all Chinese immigrants from coming into the United States until its repeal in 1944, when China became a US ally during World War II. Interminority conflict appeared later in history during the Los race riots of 1992, where Korean Americans in Koreatown faced off against African Americans destroying property while protesting the unjust police beating of Rodney King, a Black man. Some Koreans patrolled the streets with guns in hand as law enforcers raced to protect Beverly Hills and other high-income areas. In the present, relations are still strained between Asians and other minorities in the US. Many of the stereotypes that exist for 12 · Humanite Magazine
Asians among mainstream culture are also present among minorities, with phrases like “slanty eyes” being used by comedians like Steve Harvey, who is Black. Additionally, due to their statistically higher economic status, Asians are often excluded from BIPOC (Black, Indigineous, and People of Color) activism despite still facing clear racism from their American peers. These economic disparities have also led to tensions between Asian store owners and their employees of other minorities. Korean-American establishments in Koreatown, LA often employ Latino workers, several of whom bear resentment towards their Asian bosses because of commonplace low pay and bad working conditions. In predominantly Black neighborhoods, where Asian immigrants often start stores, Asians have been accused of stealing jobs and named as outsiders not fit to run black-catered businesses. The reasons for this hostility are numerous and complex. Cultural differences between Asians and other minorities, such as speaking different languages and having different cultural values, make communication and mutual understanding difficult. Additionally, a common yet misleading belief that Asians are just as privileged as white people because of their statistically higher wealth and efforts to assimilate into mainstream culture has alienated Asians from solidarity with other minorities, with some even arguing that Asians shouldn’t be considered a racial minority. Economic competition has also played a role: often, Asian immigrants settle in minority neighborhoods and compete for consumers with minority-owned businesses. Rosa Suh Writer Irene Nam Layout
nounced the internment of Japanese Americans. Also, Latino, Korean, and Filipino union workers often joined together in strikes to collectively bargain for better working conditions. Similarly, in the current rise of Asian hate crimes, there have been calls in the Asian-American and other minority communities to unify against the racism that all minorities suffer in order to better advocate for legislative and social reform. If Asians and minorities recognize that they are facing the same problems in society rooted in white supremacy, during times of turmoil, history and the present day have shown that they are willing to set aside their differences and unite; it’s only up to the future to see if they do the same during times of peace.
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It’s important to recognize, however, that Asian hate by minorities is sometimes driven by resentment from racism on part of the Asians. For instance, Latasha Karlins, a young Black girl, was killed by a Korean-American storekeeper who thought Harlins was stealing something from her store. This incident drew outrage from the Black community especially after the storekeeper was charged with just community service and no prison time; many stated that Asians, like whites, were contributing to the systematic racism faced by African Americans. Along with this, there have been instances where Asian business owners have refused to hire minorities in minority-targeted businesses and used slurs and stereotypes against them. With this being the case, it’s clear that there needs to be change for both Asians and other minorities in order to truly attain justice. Fortunately, change is occurring, and has occurred (albeit on a smaller scale) in the past. During WWII, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Porters, an African-American labor union, de-
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US Government’s impact on Asian hate “COVID-19 does not care who we are, where we live, what we believe, or about any other distinction. We need every ounce of solidarity to tackle it together. Yet the pandemic continues to unleash a tsunami of hate and xenophobia, scapegoating and scare-mongering… We must act now to strengthen the immunity of our societies against the virus of hate. That’s why I’m appealing today for an all-out effort to end hate speech globally,” said the U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres on May 8th, 2020. Now, it’s 2021 and it has been a year since Guterres called for action; however, Asian Hate has been trending in recent months as mass waves of hatred towards Asians were shown in both violent and subtle
subtle ways. The government hasn’t taken action and done much to solve the problem of Asian Hate before. The government is a role model that the citizens of the country follow. The citizens may not always agree with the rules and laws the government imposes, but the government is the one setting legal and moral boundaries regardless of dissent. For example, when former president Trump used phrases like “China virus” or “Kung flu”, more and more nationalists and racists used those phrases to express their hatred towards Asians. Recently, Biden has signed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act as he said Asian Hate iss “the ugly poison that has long haunted and plagued our nation.” The House of Representatives and the Senate have also passed the bill. Although an act towards preventing Asian Hate has just been passed, the US government hasn’t always worked activelyly towards getting rid of Asian Hate. Although not taking-
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Eric Cho Writer Irene Nam Layout
action itself is a signal for people to incite more hate, the US government has actually been fueling the “Yellow Peril” ideology through many different ways, more specifically, acts passed by the government in the past such as the Chinese Exclusion Act, Page Act, or the Patriot Act. President Chester A. Arthur signed a US federal law called the Chinese Exclusion Act on May 6th, 1882, prohibiting all Chinese laborers from immigrating to the United States. The amendments in the law also prevented Chinese laborers from coming back to the United States after they leave the country. The Chinese Exclusion Act lasted for 10 years and in 1892, the Geary Act extended it for 10 more years. This act put other restrictions on the Chinese. For example, they didn’t have access to bail bonds. Only Chinese teachers, students, diplomats, and tourists were allowed to even step on US grounds. However, in 1902, the Congress passed another act almost entirely closing the gate on Chinese immigrants. The ones who did get through the gate landed in Angel Island Immigration Station which was established in San Francisco Bay. When they
arrived there, they would be detained for weeks and even years before allowed or denied entry. In 1943, the Magnuson Act was passed which repealed the Chinese Exclusion Act; however, it annually permitted a quota of 105 Chinese immigrants. Many people see this exclusion ass
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the beginning of the anti-Asian sentiment. The US government was supporting the exclusion of the Chinese. The citizens just followed their government. Although the Chinese Exclusion Act is considered the first major law that excludes Asians, there was another law preventing Chinese women from entering the US called the Page Act. The Page Act was Asian Hate · 15
Why Asians are so often the victims of hate crimes, and what we can do about this On a cold April evening, as an innocent Chinese was trudging home near Manhattan’s Chinatown, a random stranger suddenly stabbed him with a knife. Incidents like this are not at all uncommon in the status quo; anti-Asian violence, as a matter of fact, is becoming more severe of an issue by the day. The fact that this is slowly becoming a norm in society is simply disgusting and so morally reprehensible that action must be taken to counter it. The underlying cause of such depravity is quite straightforward––it’s racism-driven xenophobia. With the current context being COVID-19, and with uneducated people considering the Asian populace entirely blameworthy of the dissemination of the pandemic, people are cultivating
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hateful attitudes towards Asians as a whole, manifesting a whole new level of hasty generalization and stigmatization of a race. Of course, Asians are not the only people that are to blame. Sure, the virus itself may have originated in Wuhan’s wet markets; however, it would not have spread to nations like the US so extensively had the government controlled the situation better and regulated its citizens in a more sagacious manner. If anyone is to blame, it is Trump’s administration, and yet Asians are the prime targets of COVID-related hate crimes. However, regardless of how many hours we spend analyzing the causes behind hate crimes targeted towards Asians, what matters is that they are only getting worse. Therefore, the real question is not
“why do they exist?” but rather, “how can we prevent them?” Some say that Asians should counter the attacks against them by fighting back and resisting the aggressors by means of violence. However, the problem with fighting fire with fire when the subjects being countered are the stronger ones is that it equips politicians with the leverage and political leeway to further frame the Asians as dangerously violent monsters who are not only liable for the dissemination of the virus, but also deserving of the violent attacks. This, of course, has even more dangerous implications for us Asians and would consequently continue to render us the target of escalated hate crimes. The alternate, more judicious approach for us would be to rather educate the populace and make them more informed about the virus, which can look like ad-
dressing questions such as who is and is not at fault, why hastily generalizing an entire continent is morally wrong and unjustifiable. As mentioned, one of the main reasons why these attacks will not cease is that people have a gross lack of knowledge that leads to impulsive and rash acts. Another way through which this can be solved is by giving more political attention to the issue. Even though politicians like President Biden vie to make speeches and enforce anti-Asian hate bills from the senate, this is simply not enough attention diverted to this crucial issue. In order to amass more political capital, Asian Americans themselves must speak up. Of course, this will entail much social backlash in the short term, which can even look like a quick surge of anti-Asian sentiments. Although this may be subject to contention, short-term backlash is a trade-off worthy of making if it guarantees long-term change. If we want to even hope for a world devoid of such egregiously pervasive hate, then we must be the ones to speak up first.
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The Unknown
Root
of Asian Hate
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When the ro Hate, m the Pa Exclus many Califor People George Not on than t much Ameri
The C its pea world be par Howev laws to to Wh Miner $16 a m Califor variety
In 18 Ameri Califor Ling S on th witnes to app by sta Chines accept the A preven
Eric Cho Writer Jihoon Kim Layout
n most people are asked about oot, or the beginning, of Asian many people answer by citing age Act of 1875 or the Chinese sion Act of 1882; however, are ignorant about an 1854 rnia Supreme Court case of e of the State of California v. e W. Hall, or People v. Hall. nly did the case happen earlier the acts, but it also represented of the stigma that the icans had against Asians.
California Gold Rush was at ak in 1849. People all over the raced towards California to rt of the competitive gold rush. ver, the government placed o give benefits and advantages hite Americans. The Foreign rs Tax of 1850 placed a tax of month on foreigners mining in rnia such as the Chinese or a y of Hispanic groups.
853, George Hall, a White ican, was convicted by a rnia court for the murder of Sing, a Chinese miner, based he testimonies of Chinese sses. George Hall attempted peal the verdict and conviction ating that testimonies of the se witnesses could not be ted because Section 394 of Act Concerning Civil Cases nted testimony by blacks,
mulattoes, and Indians against whites. Although the Act never mentioned Chinese nor Asians in general, George Hall argued that the law should be the same for Chinese since they are foreigners. The judge agreed by saying that Chinese were just like every other foreigner in that they should not have equal power as White Americans. The court stated, “[T]he same rule which would admit them to testify, would admit them to all the equal rights of citizenship, and we might soon see them at the polls, in the jury box, upon the bench, and in our legislative halls.” The court further stated how racial groups other than White Americans were naturally inferior because they had “impassable differences” such as “language, opinions, color, and physical conformation.” George Hall was ruled free and effectively got away with murder.
seen as how discriminating against Asians became a norm among many White Americans. Going back in time and somehow changing the verdict of this case can lead to the beginning of the fight against the norm of discriminating against Asians instead of supporting that norm. It would set an example to the citizens of treating foreigners and Asians with the same value as themselves. This would lessen the stigma against Asians and therefore diminish the violence and hatred pointed towards Asians.
The effect of this event influenced many citizens. The citizens realized that they could get away with murder as long as no White American testified against them. The judge’s statements also belittled the Asians and other racial minorities. The judge’s statement summarizes and represents how most White Americans thought of foreigners and Asians. White Americans did not treat or view them as humans. This event can be
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America’s 20th Century History on Asian Hate In the midst of the recent surge in Asian Hate, media coverage of racist hate crimes has also increased. However, the crimes have not always been represented this widely in the past. Asian Hate has an extensive history dating all the way back to when Asians started to immigrate to the Americas. The court case of People v. Hall, an appealed murder case in the 1850s in the California Supreme Court regarding Chinese Americans and Chinese immigrants having no rights to testify against white citizens, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, reactions to San Francisco’s bubonic plague in 1900, and other events are all examples of severe exclusion of and hatred towards Asian Americans. While many Americans believe that they practice Americanism, looking back in US history, it is more accurate to say that some Americans practice American exceptionalism. The recent events happening in the US have been preceded by many different Asian Hate events in the 20th century such as Japanese internment camps in the 1940s, the murder of Vincent Chen, and the LA riots. The attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 was a surprise strike from the Japanese upon the US in Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. Thousands of Americans were killed and wounded as the Japanese sank many major battleships and hundreds of aircrafts. This attack drastically altered the lives of Japanese Americans. Lieutenant General John DeWitt said, “The Japanese race is an enemy race,” in Final Report, Japanese Evacuation from the West Coast, 1942. In February of 1942, Executive Order 9066 was passed
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by President Franklin Roosevelt, sending 120,000 Japanese Americans to internment camps solely for their race. Although at least two-thirds of the citizens imprisoned were born in America, they were considered as foreign threats. They were stripped from their constitutional rights, alienized, and scapegoated for the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Americans refused to consider Japanese Americans to be American citizens although most were second or third-generation immigrants completely unrelated to the bombing. There are many instances where Americans scapegoated Asians for their own problems, most recently seen in the scapegoating of Asians during the COVID-19 pandemic. This pattern of scapegoating has become a habit of the media and the public, fueling stigma towards Asians. Vincent Chen was a Chinese American engineer who was at his own bachelor’s party. He was going to get married eight days later. Ronald Ebens and Michael Nitz, both people who worked at automobile companies, assumed Chen to be Japanese. At that time, the Japanese automobile industry was booming, and Japanese engineers were taking control of automobile jobs in the US. Chen was beaten to death by Ebens and Nitz after being called Asian racial slurs. Asians were once again scapegoated for the loss of American jobs. Ebens and Nitz were charged with manslaughter but were only ordered to pay $3,000 and serve three years of probation without any jail time. The Eric Cho Writer June Jeong Layout
judge said, “These aren’t the kind of men you send to jail,” infuriating the Asian community. The president of a Chinese Council in Detroit responded by saying that this punishment was just a “$3,000 license to kill Chinese Americans.” Many saw this event as a pivotal point in the Asian American civil rights engagement. This event also made many Asian Americans feel like “perpetual foreigners” instead of citizens of the US. They believed they would always be considered foreigners no matter how much they assimilated to the American culture. The 1992 LA Riots is often known as an uprising caused by the acquitting of four officers who beat up Rodney King. However, there is another story behind the riots. This riot made the Korean American society realize further that they were looked down upon by the government and the country in general. Looters during the LA Riots targeted Koreatown, which led to most of the violence and destruction taking place there. 2,300 local shops were damaged, and a total of $400 million were lost in the looting. Although the police and law enforcement protected other parts of the city, they didn’t care
about Koreatown. Many Koreans felt that they were left to burn and die. The police even cut the road to get out of Koreatown, making it impossible for Koreans to get help from outside. This was a reminder to the Asian American society that the mainstream society didn’t recognize Asian Americans as real Americans. Many different events in the past have built up a practice of scapegoating Asians and has created a stigma against Asians by treating them like aliens. Asians are still treated like a contagious disease and hate is spreading like a virus. The hate towards Asians, regardless of whether they are American citizens, is bringing bloodshed of “Asians” on American grounds. However, in reality, it is actually Americans fighting Americans. What America needs right now is education. The public has to learn that Asian Americans are also Americans. The diversity of the country is what makes America, the United States of America.
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History of Discrimination Against Asian Immigrants
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he history of discrimination against Asian immigrants in the United States is both complex and controversial: has racism gotten better since the xenophobic heights of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 or the Japanese internment camps in World War 2? How can we respond to people who say that Asian-Americans are economically better off than other minorities? In truth, discrimination isn’t something that simply dies off—it fluctuates according to different events, to the media’s portrayal, or any other broad social shifts. As the COVID-19 pandemic seems to have brought a new wave of hatred for Asian immigrants, now is the time to examine exactly how the treatment of Asians has changed over time in the United States.
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Since the gold mining days of the late 1800s, the perception of Asian-Americans has changed dramatically; Asians are labeled as the ‘model minority’ in America. Well-educated, hardworking, and being kind are all possible stereotypes for Asian-Americans. In recent years, there has been much more backlash against this view, since it ignores the fact that great disparities exist among Asian-Americans. Actually, according to Jennifer Liu from CNBC, in the 1960s, many people purposefully pointed towards Asian-Americans as success stories to demonstrate the possibility of the American Dream, and to dissuade social upheaval from AfricanAmericans. But really, calling Asians the ‘model minority’ would be like zooming in on a Woojune Kim Writer June Jeong Layout
single star among the vastness of the sky. This is further problematic because, in times of trouble such as the current pandemic, much of the blame falls on Asian Americans. Another instance of this would be the blame that fell on Korean storeowners in the 1992 LA riots, which has many parallels to the situation today. People find a connection between Asians and the problem—back then it was the notion that Koreans were driving others out of business, and now it’s the
fact that the virus originated in China—and release their anger on them. Now, sometimes their actions are somewhat justified, but the real reason behind both historical cases is not related to Asians at all. The true culprits for people losing jobs were large corporations that cared little for their workers’ livelihoods, and the spread of the coronavirus can be blamed on Trump’s administration or the lack of action taken by the world in general—certainly not on the place where the disease happened to come from. And Asian Hate · 23
yet, because Asian-Americans are perceived to be ‘better off,’ they receive more criticism when these disasters happen, despite the fact that they’re unassociated to the cause of the problem. As Viet Thanh Nguyen writes on TIME, “[t] hen [after reaching success] the model minority becomes the Asian invasion, and the AsianAmerican model minority, which had served to prove the success of capitalism, bears the blame when capitalism fails.” Still, discrimination against Asians in America has undeniably gotten better overall over time. Though most people may believe that the factor behind Asian Americans’ success (although, as we just
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established, that wouldn’t be a fair generalization to make in the first place) is education. However, a Washington Post article argues that the real reason behind Asian American success is the fact that they received better job opportunities and fair pay for their work. It claims that the gap between whites and Asian-Americans had closed by 1970, and the role of education wasn’t significant enough to have caused such a large change. This isn’t to say that discrimination had somehow disappeared completely, as racist legislation was still being signed in places like California against Vietnamese fishermen. Those cases point clearly to the fact that sentiments that fueled the Chinese Exclusion Act
remained a century later. It would be rather naive to imagine that Asians would one day be treated perfectly equally to white Americans. But times like the pandemic that bring out the ugly, racist underbelly of American society call for greater agency and attention for the issue of discrimination against Asians. Perhaps it’s true that everyone is born with a certain degree of xenophobia, or perhaps we come to adopt it at a young age. Either way, it might be argued that it’s not entirely our fault to have some intrinsic doubts, no matter how shameful it is, against
other races. The real inexcusable act is refraining from overcoming those feelings and continuing to foster those emotions that only serve to divide society, precipitate violence, and terrorize an entire race.
Asian Hate · 25
Model Minority From the settlement of California during the Gold Rush of the 1850s, Asian Americans have resided in America for a sustained period of American history. During this time, Asian Americans have faced intense discrimination. Chinese Americans working in California in the 19th century were discriminated against, Japanese Americans during the Second World War were placed in internment camps, and Korean Americans during L.A. riots in the ‘90s had their establishments and businesses destroyed and looted while the police abandoned their community, just to name the tip of the iceberg of the history of Asian struggles. This long history of discrimination has roots in an American society where Asians are seen as “foreign,” “strange,” and “meek.” It is of utmost importance that American society directly addresses these, frankly, incorrect attitudes toward Asian Americans, who should have a rightful place in the United States as fellow citizens alongside every other race. There are many social issues and archaic mindsets that have influenced how nonAsian Americans view Asian Americans. One of the most prevalent and harmful beliefs is that Asian Americans are a “model minority:” that they are an example of a completely successful, overachieving minority group that has fully achieved the American dream. The truth, however, is that this myth is utterly incorrect. Asian immigrants and Asian Americans certainly do work hard and see some successes from the fruits of their labour, but Asians have not faced little issue or burden to achieve their level of success. Asians face social and institutional discrimination in the United States, like many other racial minorities. To label Asian Americans as the “model minority” does nothing but solidify a mindset that Asians are essentially perfect: therefore, it eliminates the need to care or worry about their rights or troubles. This myth only helps prevail ignorance and harmful stereotypes of Asian Americans, from disregarding Asian 26 · Humanite Magazine
struggles to expecting Asians to simply “be always successful.” Other harmful stereotypes include viewing Asians as meek, well-behaved, uptight, and submissive, which gives the impression to others that Asians are weak and can be pushed around as more of a joke, than anything. As mentioned, Asian Americans not only face social discrimination, but also institutional discrimination. The most influential form of it is Affirmative Action (A.A.) laws. A.A. allows institutions such as universities or companies to essentially discriminate against certain minority groups—most typically Asian Americans—in favor of other minorities or majorities. Countless capable Asian Americans have been turned away and rejected from A.A.using institutions because they are seen as a “common statistic.” A.A., therefore, pits minority groups against each other to be able to be accepted into educational institutions or workforce institutions, mostly harming Asian Americans. So, how can Asian hate be prevented throughout American society? The first and most important step is to establish an understanding of Asian culture and history. Asians are seen as some sort of a “foreign” minority in the United States; not many people truly understand and are knowledgeable about the depth of Asian involvement in American history as well as Asian American culture. I believe educating citizens more about these aspects could bring all Americans together in unity. The end goal in American society is to have a colorblind culture, where the race of a person does not matter in determining their success. Perhaps this final dream could be achieved through the removal of “hyphenated” Americans: Asian Americans, African Americans, Latin Americans, and the rest could simply be called “Americans.” Because, ultimately, no matter the race, ethnicity, or skin colour, any American is a true American. Peter Kim Writer June Jeong Layout
Asian Hate · 27
Why Asians Are So Often the Victims of Hate Crimes, and What We Can Do About This On a cold April evening, as an innocent Chinese was trudging home near Manhattan’s Chinatown, a random stranger suddenly stabbed him with a knife. Incidents like this are not at all uncommon in the status quo; anti-Asian violence, as a matter of fact, is becoming more severe of an issue by the day. The fact that this is slowly becoming a norm in society is simply disgusting and so morally reprehensible that action must be taken to counter it. The underlying cause of such depravity is quite straightforward––it’s racism-driven xenophobia. With the current context being COVID-19, and with uneducated people considering the Asian populace entirely blameworthy of the dissemination of the pandemic, people are cultivating hateful attitudes towards Asians as a whole, manifesting a whole new level of hasty generalization and stigmatization of a race. Of course, Asians are not the only people that are to blame. Sure, the virus itself may have originated in Wuhan’s wet markets; however, it would not have spread to 28 · Humanite Magazine
nations like the US so extensively had the government controlled the situation better and regulated its citizens in a more sagacious manner. If anyone is to blame, it is Trump’s administration, and yet Asians are the prime targets of COVID-related hate crimes. However, regardless of how many hours we spend analyzing the causes behind hate crimes targeted towards Asians, what matters is that they are only getting worse. Therefore, the real question is not “why do they exist?” but rather, “how can we prevent them?” Kelly Sung Writer Jiyoon Lee Layout
Some say that Asians should counter the attacks against them by fighting back and resisting the aggressors by means of violence. However, the problem with fighting fire with fire when the subjects being countered are the stronger ones is that it equips them with the leverage and political leeway to further frame the Asians as dangerously violent monsters who are not only liable for the dissemination of the virus, but also deserving of the violent attacks. This, of course, has even more dangerous implications for us Asians and would consequently continue to render us the target of escalated hate crimes. The alternate, more judicious approach for us would be to rather educate the populace and make them more informed about the virus, which can look like addressing questions such as who is and is not at fault, why hastily generalizing an entire continent is morally wrong and unjustifiable. As mentioned, one of the main reasons why these attacks will not cease is that people have a gross lack of knowledge that leads to impulsive and rash acts. Another way through which this can be solved is by giving more political attention to the issue. Even though politicians like President Biden vie to make speeches and enforce anti-Asian hate bills from the
senate, this is simply not enough attention diverted to this crucial issue. In order to amass more political capital, Asian Americans themselves must speak up. Of course, this will entail much social backlash in the short term, which can even look like a quick surge of anti-Asian sentiments. Although this may be subject to contention, short-term backlash is a trade-off worthy of making if it guarantees long-term change. If we want to even hope for a world devoid of such egregiously pervasive hate, then we must be the ones to speak up first. Asian Hate · 29
The L.A. Riots:
The Korean American Perspective and the Asian American Relation to Police Today Los Angeles in the 1990s was a tumultuous place and time regarding race relations. L.A. had (and still has, of course) a large African American community, but for years, it saw animosity with the growing population of the Korean American community in the city. Blacks frequently accused Koreans of discriminatory services when blacks entered Korean stores, while Koreans accused blacks of shoplifting and other crimes. Race relations worsened after a Korean American store owner killed a black girl, Latasha Harlins, and was ordered to serve a rather forgiving sentence by the L.A. County Supreme Court. In 1992, however, the killing of Rodney King by the local police sparked massive outrage from the black community, beginning the 1992 Los Angeles Riots. Koreatown, where many Korean Americans resided and worked, was a large target of the violent riots, targeted due to the Latasha Harlins killing as well as years of animosity and tension (blacks found it unfair that Korean Americans, relatively new community members, were able to be much more economically successful in L.A., claiming that they exploited black communities for money, unknowing that Korean Americans typically economically supported each others’ businesses, earning their success). When rioters and looters reached Koreatown, the local police fled the area, leaving the Koreatown residents to fend for themselves. Though the area sustained around $400 million worth in damages, Korean Americans bravely stood their ground, forming community help centres, defence militias, and political organizations to protect their friends, families, businesses, and communities. $400 million worth in damages, Korean Americans bravely stood their ground,
forming community help centres, defence militias, and political organizations to protect their friends, families, businesses, and communities. Asian discrimination is still a rampant issue today and is very much overlooked by most Americans. Due to harmful
rhetoric used by former President Trump in regards to the COVID-19 pandemic and its relation to China and Asians, conspiracy theories on the virus, and general mistrust and fear, hate crimes against Asian Americans have risen tremendously in the U.S.. There have been multiple incidents of Asians, particularly elderly Asians, being assaulted, robbed, or even killed. These increases in violent attacks have made many Asian American communities feel as though they need Peter Kim Writer Jiyoon Lee Layout
30 · Humanite Magazine
serious protection conspiracy theories on the virus, and general mistrust and fear, hate crimes against Asian Americans have risen tremendously in the U.S.. There have been multiple incidents of Asians, particularly elderly Asians, being assaulted, robbed, or even killed. These increases in violent attacks have made many Asian American communities feel as though they need serious protection from those who want to hurt them and their communities. Many of these communities have turned to police forces, which have been deployed in Asian communities, and have been protecting the people from violence and hate
crimes. forces, which have been deployed in Asian communities, and have been protecting the people from violence and hate crimes. These communities, such as the Chinese American community, feel safe and protected with the reassurance of police protection, both from the more frequent patrols as well as the encouragement to report more hate crimes to the police to deal with the issue. Recently, there has been a debate around the role of police in society in the U.S. Most of the debate has been between blacks, who feel
as though the police system is racist and must be radically changed and broken down, and mostly whites (plus conservative blacks) who believe in conserving the police institution. However, perhaps it is time for Asian Americans to be involved in this debate, and speak up for how they feel about the police. Historically, in L.A., the police have been lacking in sufficiently protecting Asian communities from harm. Though, in recent times, Asians have turned more and more to increasingly trustworthy police institutions to protect themselves and their communities from racial violence and business destruction. Some Asians feel that though the police may have its flaws, limitations, and bad apples, the institution has reformed itself and progressed itself enough to become an increasingly reliable force to help protect their communities from harm. However, it is still not perfect. The recent mass shooting targeting Asians in Atlanta saw an ignorant, biased response from the police force, which minimized the actual harm that the shooter caused while claiming that the perpetrator was having a “bad day.” In the end, however, Asian communities want a police force to be reformed to be an effective civilian protection institution; one that can truly be trusted and relied upon to protect them from racial violence that the Asian community has faced for years. It is not only important, but necessary for Asian Americans to be involved in the police debate.
Asian Hate · 31
Child’s Play A ski resort In some alpine corner Of upstate New York Promising an endless snowy horizon Of fun. I was twelve; In a gaggle of other Rosy-cheeked children Blowing steam off of hot cocoa Our instructor gave us. The air filled with Passionate banter Over the best way To kill the Ender Dragon in Minecraft. (I advocated for snowballs.) You know, all Asians are dirty,” A change in topic. You know, all Asians are dirty,” A change in topic. The culprit A boy In a sprite-colored ski jacket, Casually— Like it’s no big deal, Something off the news. Greeted with silence, he continues. Yeah, they’re all poor and dumb.” Unfortunately, (for him) He mistakes Silence For Agreement. 32 · Humanite Magazine
You see, Our childish minds, Concerned more with Minecraft than Racism, Could still detect a diss When we heard it.
In a language That heaves under The fervency of her voice. I think that’s when I realized— Oh
Chaos springs up— Someone pours hot cocoa On the kid’s (expensive) Ski jacket, We assure him it’s ok— He’s not Asian so he can Buy it again. My friend’s mom, With ears more accustomed to Korean than English, Recognizes something
This is how it was This wasn’t a game Of pixels and dragons But life Of hatred and stereotypes I didn’t understand, Of moms defending our rights That shouldn’t need defending, Right?
We didn’t In that boy’s words. Something more serious
Oh, this was life, Which I learned that day, Was so much more Scary Yet hopeful
Than Minecraft and cocoa As she berates that boy
Rosa Suh Writer Jiyoon Lee Layout Asian Hate · 33
How have Asian Hate C Students i Hate crimes have always been around throughout history. However, hate crimes against Asian Americans have rapidly increased in recent months, especially after the outbreak of COVID-19. These hate crimes are not just “crimes.” They are violent and life-threatening incidents that constantly happen, especially in the states. As these crimes have increased over time, many students, especially Asians or Asian Americans studying in the United States, have felt a major connection with the Stop Asian Hate movement. After hearing about multiple incidents of Asian hate crimes, whether it resulted in deaths or serious injuries, students decided to protest for Asian rights and to stop violence against Asians. For instance, right after the Atlanta shooting at the three spas owned by Asians, students from schools in the state of Ohio gathered to protest against Asian hate crimes. Other high schools also organized gatherings in local areas in order to protest for Asian rights. An exceptional protest was seen at Berklee, a music college located in Boston, Massachusetts, where students used the power of art and music to protest for Asian rights. A student (Anoushka Kota) from Berklee College of Music stated that “With art, you can convey that with passion and love and even if there’s aggression in the music, you’re not abusing somebody, you’re not calling.” 34 · Humanite Magazine
Crimes affected Asian in the U S Lindsey Lim Writer Alexis Choi Layout
Lindsey Lim
So, the question is, was all this protesting and fighting actually doing its job by decreasing the frequency of Asian hate crimes in the US? At a recent protest in Boston, a student, Rachel Bartkowski, stated, “When you see those headlines and the names and faces of people, you see your own family—your grandparents, your cousins, aunts, and uncles.” Seeing the crowds of people protesting for their rights, many people have felt the strong urge to go out and protest with others to help. When looking at the BLM protests, it was described in an article that the protests “[sparked] nationwide protests calling for justice and changes to the criminal justice system.” This is the case with Asian rights as well. In addition to physical protests, peaceful protests that mainly occurred online were also a vital part of trying to change society’s view on the Asian race. Using social media hashtags such as #AsianLivesMatter or #StopAsianHate, or reporting posts to spread awareness has also helped change people’s views on this matter. According to Stop AAPI Hate, “roughly 3,800 hate crimes against Asian Americans have been reported from March 2020 to April 2021.” They are labeled as “crimes” when they can even be labeled as a form of murderand attack. Starting with adults, now, students have found their own voices to show to society, and they have really stood up for themselves. Despite the fact that they were frightened of another hate crime that could come at them any second of their life, they chose to stand out on the streets and stand up for their opinions. In all, it can be clearly and strongly seen that students are trying hard to participate in the change in society and that they are actually making a difference. Asian Hate · 35
How COVID 1 Asian ha
Asian hate crimes are nothing new to the world But recently the issue has received international attention due to a surge in these crimes in the United States and many Asians are currently risking their lives protesting for racial equality These Asian hate crimes have worsened after the outbreak of COVID 19 So what is the correlation between COVID 19 and Asian hate crimes As the outbreak of the virus was announced to the world, the news also stated that it had come from a province in China, which worsened perceptions about Asia. For example, recently, in Manhattan, “two Asian women, ages 29 and 31, were approached from behind Sunday by a person who asked them to remove their face masks,” the NYPD said. A video shows the attacker swinging a hammer at the woman, who tried to fight off the attacker before running away. Many incidents like this have started to erupt after the outbreak of the virus. Research shows that around “58% of Asian Americans believed that racist views had increased towards them during the pandemic”. The reason for this increase is due to the stereotype that all Asians are just infected by the coronavirus. This stereotype actually began when Donald Trump started to blame Asians for the spread of the virus. Former President Donald Trump started calling the virus the “Chinese virus” or the “Kung Flu,” prompting people in the US to physically and verbally attack Asians living in the US for starting the virus. This led to further xenophobia and racial discrimination, provoking Asian Equality protests in which even more people were injured.
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Lindsey Lim Writer Alexis Choi Layout
19 has affected ate crimes
By. Lindsey Lim
With all the hate crimes rushing in, the Asian community was in shock for quite a while, but soon after, organizations that supported the standings of Asians living in the midst of hate crimes formed, and the voices of Asians started to spread. Not only did organizations advocate arguments against hate crimes, but many people were gathering to initiate anti-Asian-violence rallies all over the country. With these great efforts, the word of anti-Asian-violence spread around the world, but there were even more accidents at the rally sights as well. It was said that “many of these rallies occurred in the wake of a series of shootings three Atlanta spas that killed eight people, six of whom were Asian women”. Places such as Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, and New York are just a few examples of the many places these violent rallies were held. Though these rallies were meant to stop the violence against Asians, it actually led to more violence within the rallies, prompting some to wonder whether there were any more peaceful means to achieve their ends. All in all, one of the many devastating results of the virus is the increase in Asian hate crimes. Although these hate crimes are being more known around the world, spreading the word to help Asians that need more support, nothing seems to be fully stopping the sentiment of blaming Asians for the start of COVID-19. Many more Asians in the States are getting abused and pressured for situations they, as individuals, did not actually start. Though this may not seem fully relevant to people of different ethnicities, matters of unjustracism and violence concerns the very basic freedoms of people everywhere. In the face of such oppression, we mustn’t care what our cultural background are: instead, follow your instincts of integrity and join the fight. Asian Hate · 37
Who is primarily bei to protec
With the recent influx of acts of violence against Asian-Americans due to the coronavirus, many are left wondering what steps one can take to protect themselves. Although the main approach to tackling hate crimes should be to proactively prevent them from happening in the first place, there are many basic defensive measures that can greatly improve one’s chances of not falling victim to one of these attacks and ensuring that they can get help if needed. While there are no precise measures of how much the frequency of these attacks have increased, it is clear that there has been a meteoric rise and knowing how to stay safe is extremely important.
We can categorize the methods of protection into preventative measures and responsive measures. These include, but are not limited to, avoiding unfamiliar places alone and keeping a personal alarm on your body. Goingto unfamiliar places most certainly boosts the likelihood of crimes happening as you might get lost, get harassed by someone you don’t know, and not be able to find your way out of that neighborhood. Furthermore, if you keep a personal alarm on your body, you can easily ring this personal alarm to alert anyone near you to your presence in a situation where you are being harassed, thus warding off the person who might be harassing you. 38 · Humanite Magazine
ing targeted and how ct yourself
e t o c m e e y .
g
t
d
,
g
By. Sam Hong & Nate Wilson
Some preventive measures you can take when you might, unfortunately, be attacked are that you can have personal health monitors such as Apple Watches to quickly alert authorities that you are being attacked and to also know basic disarming movements to possibly disarm your attacker if you are at gunpoint. Apple Watches, which are becoming more and more commonplace as technological advances have allowed for the common consumer to easily purchase these, are devices that can save your life in dangerous situations. You can set it so that two taps of a button on your Apple Watch alerts authorities immediately that you are being attacked, which then allows the police to assist you more effectively. Knowing disarming movements also significantly boosts your chances of survival as it will buy you time to escape from wherever you might be. For instance, you can always target the attacker’s eyes or groin area which will cause immense pain to the attacker, consequently buying you lots of time to make your escape.
At the end of the day, no one knows what the future holds, and we are all vulnerable to being attacked. Although we can all hope that none of us are attacked, we can never be too sure. Preventative measures and strategies you can have for situations that are listed above can help tremendously with avoiding such unsafe scenarios in the first place, and they can also help your chances of making it out alive if you are placed in a life-threatening situation. Sam Hong, Nate Wilson Writer Alexis Choi Layout
Asian Hate · 39
The New York Times
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Daniel Kim, Brian Cho Writer Andrew Ham Layout
The Atlanta Shooting A Deep Dive Analysis By Brian Cho & Daniel Kim
In a cataclysmic event on March 16, 2021, eight people, including six Asian women, were shot dead by Robert Aaron Long. While this incident remains an isolated one and Long has been detained since, it can unfortunately be viewed as a significant addition to a string of violent atrocities directed towards Asian Americans in the US ever since the breakout of COVID-19, a pandemic that has sparked racial stereotypes. The first shooting occurred Tuesday evening at Youngs Asian Massage Parlor in Acworth, about 30 miles north of Atlanta. Five people were shot, four of whom died. Atlanta Police responded to a robbery about an hour later at Gold Spa in northeast Atlanta, where they found three women dead from apparent gunshot wounds, according to a statement. After hearing shots fired from another business across the street, they found another woman shot dead inside of Aromatherapy Spa. Robert Aaron Long, the man responsible for the tragic deaths of eight unsuspecting people, is a 21-year-old white Georgia resident. Despite the fact that six of his eight victims were of Asian ethnicity, Long claims that his shootings were not racially motivated, but were rather the culmination of his sexual desires. Many have rejected his assertion, labeling it as an “excuse” for an evidently racially motivated hate crime. While it is conceivable that sexual addiction may have stimulated this incident, it is paramount that we consider the fact that racism played a major part in such an atrocious event.
This fact can be buttressed by the knowledge that the onset of the pandemic has directly resulted in an exponential rise in the number of hate crimes against Asian Americans in the US. According to research recorded by Stop AAPI Hate, a nonprofitable organization striving to diminish crimes against unjustly stereotyped Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, there has been a recorded number of 3,795 incidents of hatred directed towards this group of minorities in the US. Long’s crime is merely one of thousands of crimes directed at these individuals though they are free of any guilt from the spread of the pandemic. Unjust hatred and narrowminded vision was thrust upon them, as people were quick to label them as the medium in which the virus is spread. This incident only exacerbated growing fears amongst Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders—fears that were– already intensified at the time of the incident. It is brutally unfair that a group of individuals are unfairly labeled as perpetrators of an international pandemic that they played no role in spreading nor originating. This level of hatred towards Asian Americans for ineffable reasons must be eradicated immediately. But that is basic knowledge. What has already transpired with Robert Aaron Long and many other victims is only the tip of the iceberg of deeply rooted Asian Hate.
Asian Hate · 41
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Daniel, Brian: Ladies and gentlemen, we are here to address a serious matter today. Asian Hate. Ergo, today we have scheduled to discuss this pressing complication with none other than the Mad Titan himself. An avid rock collector, loving father, and conservationist, please welcome Thanos!
Thanos: Indeed. But now is no time to mourn. Now is no time at all. I’ve come home. Because I’m tired of running from who I am.
Thanos: You couldn’t live with your own failure. Where did that bring you? Back to me.
Thanos: Do you know what I think you guys should have done to solve this issue?
Daniel, Brian: Hi Thanos. It’s been a while since we’ve talked to you regarding serious matters such as these. Your snap… you took everything from me. Thanos: I don’t even know who you are. Daniel, Brian: Anyways, Thanos are you aware of the contemporaneous issue that plagues Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States? Thanos: You are not the only one cursed with knowledge. Daniel, Brian: The United States as of now is facing a mass problem due to an intense level of hate crimes and discrimination directed to Asian Americans. Thanos: Impossible. Daniel, Brian: This is partially due to the COVID pandemic, which originated in Wuhan, China. This caused intense amounts of discrimination towards Asian Americans who were blamed and labeled as the originators of this incessant pandemic. Thanos: Ah. With all six stones, I could simply snap my fingers. The pandemic would cease to exist. Daniel, Brian: I’m afraid the Infinity Stones are fictional. However, this issue is not. Thanos: Reality is often disappointing. Daniel, Brian: So, Thanos. How do you feel regarding this issue? Thanos: Well, personally, I’ve experienced similar problems in my youth. I belong to a species spawned by the Celestians, god-like creatures that took a part in shaping our universe, named the Eternals. However, in my genesis, my DNA was mixed with a deviant gene, deforming my face and making me purple. Daniel, Brian: Oh dear, I was not aware of that. Thanos: Therefore, I was ridiculed everyday by fellow Eternals. They called me a madman. This discrimination exacerbated when another Eternal with a deviant gene committe a mass murder in Titan Square. Daniel, Brian: Oh! I see why you are telling us that story. We can draw parallels between your tragic backstory and the ongoing discrimination against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders due to COVID-19!
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Daniel, Brian: Given that you have prior experience with handling such atrocities, how would you go about solving this issue?
Daniel, Brian: What? Thanos: You should have gone for the head. The head of all those who dared to unfairly discriminate against these innocent individuals due to unjustly established stereotypes regarding a pandemic that has no relation to them. Daniel, Brian: Would you care to elaborate? Thanos: Decimate the population that discriminates against Asian Americans. It sounds harsh, yes. But the hardest choice requires the strongest wills. Daniel, Brian: Thanos! We believe that there can be an alternative solution to this problem. We must not fight violence with violence. Thanos: Your politics bore me… However, I reached a conclusion. I thought by eliminating those who discriminate against these individuals, Asian Americans would thrive. But you have shown me that's impossible. No, unwise. Daniel, Brian: Yes. Instead, we can raise awareness on this matter through platforms such as social media, campaigning, etcetera. We must also strive to dismantle the erroneously proposed notion that Asians are the central cause of COVID-19 and attempt to restore a secure society in America and around the world. Thanos: Fun isn’t something one considers when trying to restore peace in a country. But this… does put a smile on my face. Daniel, Brian: This must be done immediately as we cannot have any more of these racist, discriminatory incidents transpire. Thanos: Fine, I’ll do it myself. Daniel, Brian: No! Thanos, there must be a collaborative effort made by the people of America and the world in order to stop a social issue as prevalent and unlawful as this. Thanos: Kim, Cho, you guys have my respect. When I'm done with this interview, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders will be alive. I hope they remember you. Daniel, Brian: And that’s all the time we have today folks! Thank you for your time Thanos. Thanos: I am… thankful.
Daniel Kim, Brian Cho Writer Andrew Ham Layout
Asian Hate · 43
JIM THE PANDA A STORY BY BRIAN CHO & DANIEL KIM It was merely another mundane postmeridian in the jungle. Jim, the friendly panda, strolled across the riverbank, scouring for bamboo. It was then that he stumbled upon a mystical glowing cube. Jim grabbed his globular stomach and wondered whether being in close proximity to such a foreign material was a wise idea. But curiosity welled up inside this innocent, young bear as the cube beckoned him forward with a mystifying aura. Taking one minuscule step after another, Jim approached the cube until he finally laid his delicate paws upon it. From afar, Bobo the monkey had observed this devastating folly. Given his tendency to gossip, Bobo began to spread word across the animal community that Jim the panda had recently come in contact with a mysterious entity. Within a matter of weeks, two to be precise, Jim started experiencing unusual and baneful symptoms and was soon labeled patient zero of a new disease that the animal community was pitted against. Highly contagious in character, the virus began to spread to numerous other animals, the jungle becoming infested with patients of an illness dubbed “the pandamic.” Monkeys fell from the trees, birds dropped dead from the sky, and tyrannous tigers began to lose their edge. Another infectious malady manifested itself in the very core of the jungle: resentment and discrimination against all pandas. Given that Jim, a panda, was the source of this calamity, all pandas were labeled as disease spreaders regardless of whether they were victims of the pandamic or not. Riots took place as animals took to the streets to protest against what they perceived as a dangerous new world order created by the pandas.
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Monkeys welded bats made of branches and elephants used their mighty trunks and tusks in an effort to impale and wound pandas across the jungle. Even the RPD, the Rhino Police Department, an institution designed to maintain law and order in the jungle, began to practice cruel forms of punishment specifically towards pandas, targeting them as criminals in spite of their innocence. Truly, the police became the very thing they had sworn to destroy. Jim, who had been recently released from hospital and subsequently prison, witnessed firsthand that the jungle he had previously lived in had truly turned into a jungle. In an effort to stop this chaos, Jim was determined to give a speech addressing the animal population about this illogical hatred towards a species burdened under preconceived stereotypes. At Jungle Square, which had been nearly abandoned following the advent of the pandamonium, Jim began to give his masterful speech which would soon be remembered as the “Teddysburg Address.” “Four score and seven years ago our mothers brought forth, upon this land, a new kingdom, conceived in unity, and dedicated to the proposition that all animals are created equal." Now we are engaged in pandamonium, testing whether that kingdom, or any kingdom so conceived, and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We come to realize the significant levels of unjustified, nay, irrational stereotypes burdening my fellow brothers and sisters of the panda community, A house divided against itself can not stand. And when one species, the pandas, are subtracted from the overall kingdom… we as an animal society cannot persist.
Daniel Kim, Brian Cho Writer Andrew Ham Layout
It is for us, the animals, not an individual animal but animals, to fulfill the great task remaining before us that, from these honored dead from the pandamonium we take increased devotion to reduce the levels of discrimination they so would have resented; that the kingdom, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the animals, by the animals, for the animals, shall not perish from the earth.” Lions opened their mouths in awe. Zebras stopped to gaze at words that almost felt palpable to their hearts. Gazelles? They cried. The whole animal community never felt such juxtaposing emotions of unity and disunity as they slowly began to acknowledge the unjustified discrimination directed towards the panda community. It was the beginning of the end. A momentous task lay ahead, and quite frankly, it would be years until the hate would truly alleviate; nonetheless, it was a triumph for the very ideals that the kingdom was founded upon, the ideals that had brought the kingdom together in the first place.
Asian Hate · 45
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Hy e o n s e o Pa r k Asian Hate · 47
How has COVID-19 intensified anti-asian crimes? 48 · Humanite Magazine
Vi v i e n n e C h u n g Asian Hate · 49
How Asian Hate has affected Asian students across the world
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Nameless
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Unique 52 · Humanite Magazine
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