Anti-Asian sentiment and violence has not stopped or slowed down since the beginning of the pandemic. NYPD data have shown that there has been a 1,900 percent increase in anti-Asian hate crimes in New York City in the past year. According to Stop AAPI (Asian American/Pacific Islander) Hate, between mid-March and early August 2020, the organization received nearly 2,600 reports of anti-Asian incidents across the U.S.
Read about some recent attacks in California here:
Just this past weekend, my sister and I were accosted by a woman on the New York City subway using racial slurs. She got uncomfortably close to us but we walked away physically unharmed but emotionally heavier.
As we recognize Black History Month in the U.S. and Canada and highlight the importance of the fight for Black lives and the elevation of Black voices, I believe it is also important to call out these hate crimes. We need to unite to fight racism and xenophobia.
With that, I’d like to share some ways we can all take action and show support for our Asian colleagues and communities:
- Partake in Lunar New Year celebrations this weekend in your local Chinatowns, Korea Towns, Viet Towns, etc. to support businesses that have been disproportionally impacted by the pandemic. (Please be safe and wear your mask.)
- Sign petitions like this one from Change.org: http://chng.it/dBS4rchDDP.
- Reach out to your Asian friends and colleagues to let them know that their pain is not invisible.
- Follow more Asian voices and anti-racism resources on social. Here are a few resources and influencers I follow on IG: @antiracismdaily, @everydayracism_, @kalamendoza, @beyonkz.
I ask that if you witness an attack or experience violence yourself please consider reporting it to stopaapihate.org so they can track and help respond to incidents where possible. Stop AAPI Hate also provides safety tips for those experiencing or witnessing hate.