Violence against Asian Americans is not an "Asian problem" it is an "American problem"

As Americans face unprecedented impacts to the lives of their loved ones and our economy, one of the most unfortunate outcomes of this pandemic has been the extreme and exponential rise in hate crimes against Asian-Americans.

The scale and escalation of these crimes over the last several months has been extremely heart-wrenching and alarming: Vichar Ratanapakdee, an 84-year-old Thai grandfather who was murdered in San Francisco after being brutally shoved to the ground. An 89-year old Chinese woman publicly slapped and set on fire in Brooklyn. A Filipino-American man getting his face slashed with a box cutter on a NYC subway. Graffiti, flyers, and dead cats left on the doorsteps of Asian American small businesses telling them to "go back to where they came from".

In my conversations with friends and family, this is not just an abstract concept we read about in the press, but an everyday occurrence. Glaring stares at the supermarket, people shouting "go back home" in broad daylight, sneering and being coughed at or spat on in public, being refused service in an Uber or a local restaurant. Even my own parents narrowly managed to avoid a racially motivated altercation at the grocery store very recently. Indeed, almost 1-in-3 AAPIs have felt a noticeable increase in hostility. If you're Asian American, it's not just you.

These graphic stories are a small representation of the rapid and alarming escalation of verbal and physical violence against Asian Americans as the pandemic has raged on, as many American lives have become upended, and as terminology like the "Kung Flu" and "China virus" have deepened American mistrust towards Asian Americans. Perhaps it is for these reasons racial hatred towards Asian Americans is "moderately tolerable" as a country, as Asian Americans are not expected to be vocal or outspoken about these issues.

Unfortunately, I can only speak for myself in saying that it's no longer a surprise when I hear these stories. Internationally, Asians (those who reside in the largest continent on the planet by population and economy) who previously sought to immigrate to America are actively avoiding the blatant hatred and lack of economic opportunities while choosing to stay in their home countries, depriving the US of talent and skills, and furthering our perception that America is not the land of hope and opportunity (at least not for Asians).

Despite now being the fastest growing minority group in America, Asian Americans have always had their own unique stories of struggle in the United States. From being banned from entering the country under the Chinese Exclusion Act/Geary Act (which among other things required Asians in public to carry paperwork to prove their legal status), being rounded up and put into concentration camps during World War II, being ignored and unspported after the destruction of Koreatown in the LA Riots, etc. This is without mentioning the blatant discrimination in higher education, the emasculation of Asian American men in entertainment and business, the under-representation in mainstream media or politics, or the dehumanizing "other-ization" of being Asian in America.

I am American. I was born in the Midwest (Michigan), grew up in suburban Maryland, went to schools in New Jersey and Boston. I grew up watching Disney movies and the NFL, listening to Top 40 music on the radio after getting my Driver's License at the DMV at 15, and volunteering at my local church. I worked on a presidential campaign, served in office, and started a company in Silicon Valley. And yet through it all, while I have been blessed more than most, I can honestly say that this pandemic has tested me and my peers to the limits of our beliefs in what it means to belong to this country and be American. This cannot be okay.

So what can we do about it?

1. Regardless of whether or not you're Asian American, speak up to your local elected leaders to strengthen and and measure hate crime enforcement against Asian Americans (feel free to use this free tool: https://fiscalnote.com/find-your-legislator). They need to hear directly from Asian Americans and their allies that our collective institutions need to take these assaults against Asian Americans more seriously.

2. Donate your time and your money to organizations supporting Asian American groups that are working every day on behalf of representing Asian Americans in all walks of life, but particularly in civil rights. There are so many organizations to name (feel free to do your own research), but I'll name two here: Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC) and the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF).

3. If you see a hate crime occur against an Asian American, don't stay silent. Come to their defense and report the crime immediately.

The violence against Asian Americans is not an "Asian community problem" it is an "American problem" - one that requires us all, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, or belief to speak up to improve. Consider this a call to action. If you are Asian American, your small, everyday contributions at your work and in your community matters. If you are a supporter, your active support, dialogue, and vigilance in the community in preventing and educating against hate crimes against Asian Americans matter. And regardless of who you are, it will require us to speak up and change our institutions, to get engaged and work collaboratively to change mainstream perceptions, drive societal enforcement and accountability, and ultimately make an impact towards creating a better country and future for us all.

#StopAsianHate #StopAAPIHate