Dear Activist,

There is an evident increase in the violence targeted towards the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. Hit hard from xenophobia over the course of 2020, Asian Americans are experiencing discrimination at paralyzing rates. The New York Police Department reports that anti-Asian hate crimes escalated 1,900% in New York City in 2020. Stop AAPI Hate, an organization responding to the high rates of racial violence, received 2,808 reports of anti-Asian discrimination over the duration of five months.

The model minority myth accounts for the media’s lack of coverage on this issue. According to CNBC, the model minority myth “holds the economic advancement of some Asian American individuals as a measure that AAPIs as a whole don’t experience racism.” Issues concerning Asian Americans are disregarded as people tend to assume that they have a high socioeconomic status, and, therefore, do not face disparities. In reality, these acts of violence are increasing with a substantial number of cases in San Francisco and Oakland.

A TIME article states that many people “attribute the 2020 uptick to the xenophobic rhetoric of Biden’s predecessor; former President Trump repeatedly referred to COVID-19 as ‘the China virus,’ blaming the country for the pandemic.” Violence against AAPIs, however, continue to occur on a large scale. President Biden, in an effort to alleviate the rates of discrimination, signed an executive order condemning these acts of violence.

The House of Representatives also addressed this issue by passing a resolution denouncing anti-Asian racism; however, there were still 164 representatives opposed to it. In fact, House Minority Leader, Kevin McCarthy, called the resolution “ridiculous” and uses the term “China virus” when referencing the pandemic.

The History of Anti-Asian Discrimination

The racism and prejudice towards AAPI populations are embedded in American history. According to NBC News, the first Chinese migrants entered the United States as tea and porcelain traders. The California Gold Rush, however, marked the first wave of Chinese to come to the country in large numbers and work as miners.

It was not until the 1870s when anti-Chinese movements began to surface. The Chinese population faced discrimination in the forms of massacres, riots, evictions, and legal restrictions. NBC also states that “rural Chinatowns were destroyed, forcing many Chinese immigrants into urban areas.”

In 1882, the Chinese Exclusion Act was enforced in the United States. The purpose of the act was to prevent Chinese from entering the U.S. Following that legislation, California implemented the Alien Land Law in 1913. The law “prohibited ‘aliens ineligible for citizenship’ — including first-generation Japanese as well as other Asian immigrants — from owning or holding long-term leases on land.” The United States also passed a law that ceased Japanese immigration in 1924.

The use of Japanese internment camps during World War II also communicate the deep-seated racial oppression in the United States. President Franklin Roosevelt, through an Executive Order, required Japanese Americans to be taken to isolated camps. According to HISTORY, the internment camps are “now considered one of the most atrocious violations of American civil rights in the 20th century.” Prior to the legislative order, the FBI also arrested 1,291 Japanese citizens “without evidence and freezing their assets” after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

Personal Encounters with Anti-Asian Violence

Vicha Ratanapakdee, an 84-year-old man from San Francisco, was shoved to the ground on one of his morning walks. Unfortunately, he passed away two days after the incident. Following the event, 19-year old Antoine Watson was charged with murder and elder abuse, but he pleads not guilty.

Other cases of anti-Asian violence have also been recorded. In San Jose, California, a 64-year-old Vietnamese grandmother was robbed $1,000 and assaulted. On a New York City subway, a 61-year-old Filipino man had his face sliced with a box cutter. Additionally, a 91-year-old man was forced to the ground in Oakland, and the entire incident was caught on camera. In Oakland, specifically, there have been more than 20 violent attacks reported since January.

Activate Change

We are changemakers. Discrimination, prejudice, and violence towards Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are not justified. In fact, they directly interfere with these people’s fundamental human rights. AAPIs live in constant fear, especially as the global pandemic perpetuates more cases of Asian oppression. We are embarking on the journey towards systemic change; however, it will take the full force of our voices to obtain permanent justice.

• If you are not Asian American, you can serve as an ally to the community. You can support Asian Americans by checking in with them and offering them any help.
• Visit Stop AAPI Hate’s resource page and pass along their safety tips for those experiencing or witnessing violence.
• CNBC mentions that managers of businesses can “use their privilege to acknowledge the recent news of anti-Asian violence, and give space for impacted individuals to process, grieve and heal.”
• Visit AAPI Women Lead’s website for resources and ways you can help end these discriminatory acts.
• Apply to AAPI Women Lead’s Youth-led Mutual Aid Project Relief-Fund if you have a project that combats anti-Asian racism already. You can apply here.
• Join Athletes for Impact as a member of their campaign in ending racial oppression and discrimination. Here is a step-by-step guide!
• Donate to Asian Americans Advancing Justice. You can make scheduled donations or a one-time contribution.

Even amidst COVID-19, there are so many ways you can help AAPIs during these unprecedented times. We need to provide them with a sense of hope. We need to show Asian Americans that change is on the horizon. Change starts with us, and we are working towards it everyday. Staying educated, pushing for justice, spreading awareness, and directly getting involved to alleviate global issues go a long way.

Cordially,

Nika Tarkian