IMPORTANT ASIAN TOPICS
AAPI Hate: An Issue that Existed Before the Pandemic
written by: Makena Armitage
Throughout American history, people had the tendency to blame minority groups for causing disastrous events. Especially today, many people have pointed fingers towards the Asian community and blamed them for the Coronavirus. Non-people of color feel like it’s acceptable of them to vilify and mistreat marginalized communities because they feel as if the resistance of people of color will get the best of them.
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The United States is currently being involved in AAPI hate crimes. With President Trump’s ill-mannered reference to the Coronavirus or in other words, the ‘Chinese virus’, has led to an uptick in anti-Asian racism on social media platforms. Since the first wave of the virus, people have blamed China for COVID-19; from this, the Asian community has been subjected to more hate crimes than before.
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During the pandemic, hate towards the AAPI community has risen 149% in 2020. The pandemic may have caused more cases of anti-Asian hate crimes, but they started prior to the disease’s arrival. In 2019, there were over 49 documented cases of hate crimes with anti-Asian bias. According to Tip of the Iceberg: Estimates of AAPI Hate Incidents Far MoreExtensive than Reported, a survey given to groups of minorities in the U.S. showed 27% out of 1,831 Asian Americans had experienced hate crimes over the past years, but only 12% had been from 2020. In addition, 24% out of 186 Pacific Islanders also had experienced acts of violence, but only had reported 10% from 2020.
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Before the pandemic, nationwide hate incidents consisted of 2,600 cases, but during 2020 the number of cases increased up to 3,800. Women have been the primary receiver of these crimes, as they have been reported to receive 2.3 times more hate crimes than men who comprise 68% of the reported cases. Stop AAPI Hate, a non-profit organization had released their documentation of reports they’ve received consisting of hate incidents. Apparently, verbal persecutions comprised 68.1% of the reports, shunning 20.5%, physical assault 11.1%, and civil rights violations 8.5%. Even now at the start of 2021, 503 incidents have already taken place.
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Hate crime statistics display determined percentages of hate crimes reported. Unfortunately, the other remaining number of crimes that don't get documented goes to show the massive amount of ignorance the AAPI community receives. We cannot blame the pandemic for these actions, only ourselves for spreading hate based on prejudice.
Sources:
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/covid-19-has-led-to-an-uptick-in-anti-asian-racism/
Asian American Figures Respond to Asian Hate Crimes
written by: Alyse Cho
Ever since the start of the pandemic, Asian hate crimes have been dominating the news headlines. People are perpetually being attacked, assaulted, and murdered almost every day of their lives. The mistreatment towards Asian Americans have led to several strikes and protests rooting for change. Some well-known figures like Lana Condor, Sandra Oh, and President Joe Biden have been able to shed light onto this critical matter. In case you have missed it, here is a quick spotlight on public figures who’ve recognized the surge of violence towards Asian communities.
With the use of their social media platforms, celebrities across the nation have spread information and resources to assist the Asian community. The To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before actress, Lana Condor, recently addressed the issue by tweeting: “Wake up… your Asian friends and family are deeply scared, horrified, sick to their stomachs and wildly angry.” Over the past two weeks, the Vietnamese-American actress voiced her concerns and sympathy towards Asian-American families and friends. As for the author of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before series, Jenny Han, expressed aversion in replying to Condor’s tweet: “I feel absolutely sick right now.”
Former President Barack Obama also recently shared his concern for the Atlanta shootings. He alarmed Americans, “Although the shooter’s motive is not yet clear, the identity of the victims underscores an alarming rise in anti-Asian violence that must end.” He continued by mentioning his support for the victims and their families. Alongside Obama, President Joe Biden recognized the issue as well, responding, “I know Asian Americans, they are very concerned, because as you know I have been speaking about the brutality against Asian Americans, and it’s troubling.” As the current President, Biden has approved of hate crime legislation and further demands action for immediate gun control reforms.
At a Stop Asian Hate protest last Saturday in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Sandra Oh made an unexpected appearance. The Grey’s Anatomy actress recited a heartfelt speech acknowledging the challenges the AAPI community is experiencing and standing tall in the fact that she is grateful to be Asian. Atlanta-born K-pop star, Eric Nam, spoke with CNN and gave his stance on the current anti-Asian racism. He feels that the AAPI community is often treated as outsiders and his experience with racism as an Asian-American is widely ignored.
The shooting that occurred on March 16th is a lesson for all of us to learn. Asian Americans shouldn’t be expected to meet society’s expectations or “follow” the model minority myth. The AAPI community are humans and we cannot stress this enough. Share your stories and experiences and make your voice heard.
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