In the light of many acts of violence towards Asian Americans and thousands of instances of discrimination comes one of the worst instances of a hate crime that the COIVD-19 pandemic has seen. On March 16th, three shootings occurred at three different spas in Atlanta, killing eight people. Of the eight deaths, six had Asian heritage, four of which were South Korean; all of the Asian victims were also female. These shootings represent the continuing trend of anti-Asian American sentiment in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. These incidents of hate represent the worst of America; however, that does not mean that the American people cannot come together and heal. Asian Americans have always played a pivotal role in American society; people of Asian descendant are no less American than people descended from Irish or German immigrants. The opportunities that the United States has to offer has attracted millions from all over the world to seek better lives and contribute to the American way. In order to make it through the pandemic(s), all Americans must unify against racism, bigotry, and ignorance. The intentional harm inflicted upon fellow Americans due to their heritage hinders progress towards racial equity in the United States. If people from all backgrounds take a stand and unite against hatred, they will help establish a more fair and just society for all Americans.
Helping Asian Americans during these times of discrimination can come in several different forms. One does not have to take to the streets and start a new movement in order to protect their fellow Americans. A simple act to combat against anti-Asian sentiment involves reporting discriminatory incidents. While people reported over 3,800 incidents of hate during the pandemic, many more could have gone unreported and unnoticed. People may not have racist assumptions towards the Asian American community but doing nothing and acting as a bystander in the midst of all this only helps those who perpetrate animosity. Letting these scornful acts happen shows a lack of will to make a positive difference. By reporting instances of hate when they occur, it allows for the authorities to take the proper measures to protect those affected and to go after offenders; it also generates awareness in the community and enlightens people as to the experiences Asian Americans may go through. While reporting incidents is not enough to stop the whole issue of Asian American hatred, it allows for others to see that these things happen, and this issue exists prevalently in modern American society. People can report these incidents to the Stop AAPI Hate and the Stand Against Hatred organizations. Each offers services in multiple languages and publishes data regarding these issues. If more Americans have awareness of these acts of bigotry, the more likely people will come together and make a difference.
People can also help combat anti-Asian American hate by donating to organizations that provide support to those effected by hurtful incidents and that provide support to the Asian American community. Several GoFundMe pages have been established to collect donations in order to help hate crime victims and provide safety in Asian American communities across the nation. The Gold House and Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment organizations initiated a StopAsianHate page to help spread awareness about what the donations will go to and how they will help those communities; GoFundMe also created the Support the AAPI Community Fund for the same purpose. Donating to GoFundMe pages, business, or other organizations all provide support to the Asian American community during these difficult times. Many fundraises and GoFundMe pages have been created to help Asian American businesses in Chinatowns across the country. The pandemic and it’s negative association with Asian Americans have slowed down and impeded business. Contributing funds to help keep these businesses afloat shows support to a community impacted by racism.
Finally, people can express their support for the Asian American community and disdain for the hateful acts enacted against them by engaging in educational dialogues with people about these issues. Discrimination against Asian Americans is not solely a 21st century trend. From the mid 19th century to the Japanese internment camps during World War II to 2021 Asians have experienced marginalization in the United States. In order to understand the discrimination now, it is important to understand the history of anti-Asian sentiment in the United States. Also, understanding the many unique histories of the different Asian ethnicities can help people understand the cultural differences between them. Understanding race, culture, and history can prevent people from forming anti-Asian sentiment and could forge greater unity between the different ethnic groups of the United States moving forward.
Asian Americans have suffered immensely throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only due to health issues concerning the coronavirus, but the acts of hatred and bigotry that have taken the lives of many Asian Americans have affected many families and communities. As America continues into the 21st century, its people hope to move past a history plagued with racism and marginalization of minority groups. The Asian American experience during COVID-19 has been full of prejudice and unnecessary violence. In order to fight against these issues, Americans of any race or ethnicity can report hate crimes when they occur, donate to organizations or charities that support the Asian American community, or educate others about Asian culture and race to give people a greater understanding of their unique histories. People from many different ethnicities, backgrounds, and countries have always flocked to the United States in pursuit of the American Dream thus creating a melting pot of different cultures. In order to move forward as a country, people must accept their differences and not judge or discriminate against others due to their race. People should not solely view themselves as German, Irish, Persian, Chinese or Vietnamese but as Americans. Citizens can always have pride in where they come from but must never use their background as a reason to deem themselves superior to others. Understanding differences while uniting under the same flag will propel America into a new age of prosperity and understanding.
Works Cited:
Liu, Warren. “Be an Ally: How to Help Fight Anti-Asian Racism and Xenophobia: Hey BU.” Boston University, Trustees of Boston University, 19 Mar. 2021, www.bu.edu/articles/2021/be-an-ally-how-to-help-fight-anti-asian-racism-and-xenophobia/.
Moon, Kat. “How to Help Combat Anti-Asian Violence.” Time, TIME USA, 18 Mar. 2021, time.com/5947603/how-to-help-fight-anti-asian-violence/.
Nuyen, Suzanne. “Anti-Asian Attacks Rise During Pandemic. Read NPR’s Stories On The Surge In Violence.” NPR, NPR, 17 Mar. 2021, www.npr.org/2021/03/17/978055571/anti-asian-attacks-rise-during-pandemic-read-nprs-stories-on-the-surge-in-violen.
Rabin, Louise, et al. “Unity in Diversity and Racial Identification.” Bahaiteachings.org/, BahaiTeachings.org, 14 Aug. 2020, bahaiteachings.org/unity-diversity-racial-identification/.
Richard Fausset, Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs and Marie Fazio. “8 Dead in Atlanta Spa Shootings, With Fears of Anti-Asian Bias.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 19 Mar. 2021, www.nytimes.com/live/2021/03/17/us/shooting-atlanta-acworth.
