The #StopAsianHate Movement

By Grace Yoon & Alda Nasywa, Edited by Harvi Karatha, Parker McElroy, Neve Walker, & Myint Myat Theingi, Art by Evelyn Chen, Layout by Inchara J, & Blogged by Kavya Gurunath

Due to the fact that the statement about COVID-19 originated from China, hate crimes against Asian people have increased dramatically, especially in bigger cities such as NYC and LA. Out of 3,800 attacks on AAPI (Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders), 2,600 were Asian hate crimes. Out of those 2,600, 126 of those incidents were against defenceless Asian women over 60 years old who could barely speak English. Based on the Anti-Defamation League's most recent annual survey, Asian-Americans have suffered the largest spike of harassment and hate online. Some experts believe that Donald Trump’s irresponsible remarks such as calling COVID-19 the “China virus” and “Kung Flu” fueled much of the hatred against the Asian community. These hate crimes brought horror to Asian-Americans across the United States. Akin to what the police do with most hate crimes, they ignored this serious issue.

One of the more memorable hate crimes is the Georgia shooting of six women. During the March 16th in Atlanta, Georgia shooting, six out of eight people were shot at a massage parlour, and 8 of them were of Asian descent. Robert Aarong Long, a white American man, fatally shot eight Asian-Americans at three different massage shops. Although Long claims that his crimes were not racially motivated, many believe this mass shooting is once again of another hate crime.

Since the Georgia shooting, more hate crimes have occurred across the United States. A 75-year-old woman was brutally assaulted in San Francisco. On March 21st, three different assaults took place in New York City; a 54-year-old woman was beaten, and two women were assaulted while on their way to an anti-Asian violence protest.

#StopAsianHate marches were scheduled throughout the United States and Canada as a response to countless hate crimes. This activism extended beyond marches as Tammy Duckworth threatened to vote against white nominees for President Joe Biden's administration. As a result, more Asian-Americans were promoted to higher roles in government. In addition, thousands of people flooded multiple social media platforms with #stopasainhate and #stopaapihate while informing many Asian-Americans to be more cautious when going out in public. Many stars and celebrities with a platform have also begun speaking about this issue.

Together, we must unite to #StopAsianHate. Lana Condor, the star of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, said the following: ``Wake up....your Asian friends and family are deeply scared, homefed, sick to their stomachs and wildly angry. Please please please check in on us. Please please please stand with us. Your Asian friend needs you, even if they aren't publicly grieving on social media." Cynthia Choi, the co-founder of Stop Asian Hate, shared some steps that inform people on how to help. First, support those who have experienced or witnessed acts of hate towards the AAPI community. Secondly, be informed about what is happening. Thirdly, be civically engaged in your local community, and ask your elected officials what they are doing to address racism. Last but not least, you can donate. Unfortunately, the situation right now with Asian-Americans all over the world proves to be a problem that we simply can't ignore. Call out racism towards the Asian community when you see it. Be the change you wish to see in the world.

References

Editors, T. (2021, March 23). 68 Ways to Donate in Support of Asian Communities. The Strategist. https://nymag.com/strategist/article/where-to-donate-to-help-asian-communities-2021.html.

Gonzales, E. (2021, February 19). Calls to #StopAsianHate Take Over Social Media. Harper's BAZAAR. https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/politics/a35549052/stop-asian-hate-campaign/.

Gupta, M. S. (2021, March 27). What You Need To Know About The Stop Asian Hate Movement. Augustman. https://www.augustman.com/my/culture/events/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-stop-asian-hate-movement/.

Ramirez, M. (2021, March 26). Asian American activists are demanding equal civil rights, better education in schools after Asian hate attacks. USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/03/26/stop-asian-hate-asian-americans-across-us-demand-reforms/6990150002/

By Evelyn Chen