A few weeks ago, 21-year-old Robert Aaron Long killed eight people at three massage parlors across Atlanta. Six of the victims were of Asian descent, and four of them were Korean. As someone who is proud of their Korean heritage and culture, I feel the need to speak out about this.
Hate crimes against Asian-Americans have dramatically increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. A June 2020 Pew Research Study states that 58% of Asian Americans felt that racist views toward them increased during the pandemic started. Since June of last year, many more racist events have occured. I don’t exactly understand why, because Asian-Americans aren’t to blame for the pandemic. The first cases may have emerged out of China, but that doesn’t put the typical Asian-American at fault, nor does it mean that Asian-Americans are better at spreading COVID-19.
As a mixed Asian-American (my father is White), I’ve always been aware of my position as a minority, but I rarely felt discriminated against or looked down upon. I am proud to be an American, and I feel comfortable in the United States. The people around me have always been kind to me, and I felt welcome. Only in the past year have I felt truly threatened by the events around me.
In Elementary and Middle School, I certainly heard the occasional comment about “eating dogs” or having “squinty eyes”. I remember a time in Middle School when I was on the school bus and another kid yelled “konichiwa” in my face in an obviously stereotypical racist accent. These events made me feel down, but I never took them to heart. Like many minorities growing up in America, I have learned to expect and prepare for racism, which is systemic and apparent in this country. Nevertheless, I felt that in general, my Asian-American heritage didn’t make my life more difficult in America.
In a situation where a lone gunman can kill eight innocent Asian-American lives, the story changes. Every time I go somewhere, particularly Asian-owned businesses, the thought crosses my mind that something could happen. My worry is even stronger when I worry about my mother, who is fully Korean. I absolutely love my mom, but I feel that she is in a more vulnerable state than I am. She is not a large woman, and she does speak with a distinctly foreign accent. Especially when I am not there, I fear that she could be targeted and suffer from racism. My heart also goes out to all of the elderly Asian-Americans I know and truly love, because they are arguably in an even more vulnerable situation than my mother.
My concern is reverberated among other members of the Asian-American community at LHS.
“I am very worried about the rising problem in our country. I’m not necessarily worried for my own safety but for the safety of my older family members that live here, especially my grandparents,” said sophomore Vy Phan, who is Vietnamese-American.
“The rise in hate crimes against Asian-Americans is very troubling … I know I don’t live in a bad part of town but I have to be overly cautious when walking to my car,” said junior Elle Berendt, who is Chinese-American.
How can you help? https://stopaapihate.org has a lot of valuable information about where to donate and how to report hate crimes. In addition, you can support the community by visiting your local Asian-American businesses. Try out a new restaurant, or buy some gifts for others. Lastly, just listen. I absolutely understand that it’s hard for many people who aren’t Asian-American to fully understand this situation. But it’s important to listen to the people who have suffered, who have experienced hate. By doing that, you will give Asian-Americans a voice in a concerning time like this.