A Written Podcast by Nico Rarick, Haley Bullock, Ytien Pham, and Andrea Maynard.
Nico: It is difficult to imagine if you have not experienced it yourself, but take a moment to visualize being a target simply due to your race which is a part of yourself that you cannot change. Asians no longer feel safe being alone taking their daily walks because there is a potential chance that someone decides to hurt them. Imagine the feeling of isolation, where you no longer feel connected to society because it has decided that you no longer belong. You know you are not at fault for the spread of the pandemic, but because of their ignorance they continue to cause harm among your community, making a trip to the grocery store as dangerous as walking on a tightrope between two high rise buildings. Despite the pandemic being out of the Asian community’s control, Asians now feel like they have to warn their loved ones before they step outside to partake in daily tasks. It has only been recently that the government has incited reform in order to be more inclusive to AAPI (Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders). These changes, although still ongoing, have been the first steps towards ensuring that they are protected during a time when there are people who truly believe that they are the cause for the pandemic. In America, xenophobia has remained a prevalent issue that has remained intertwined in its history. This “Blame Game” has caused many to disregard the blatant insults that have been targeted to Asians throughout this pandemic which wrongfully upholds the ideology that committing violence against Asians would also mean the eradication of COVID-19. Overall, by making reforms in response to these events, taking the time to read reliable information, and understanding the problems with these hate crimes, we can do our part in helping the Asian community.
Haley: The initial spread of the Coronavirus has incited numerous counts of Asian hate crimes in its time-frame. The blame being placed on Asians has caused awareness to rise on the rampant spread of xenophobia. Although they are not at fault, this false narrative has escalated on social media. With the internet being a place where one can hide behind a screen, it is much easier for others to harshly discriminate and disrepute Asians beyond what is being done in accordance to hate crimes. However, this is not the first time in which xenophobic remarks have been commonuse on the internet. Not long ago in June 2020, during the Black Lives Matter Movement, Claire Janover had posted a video on her TikTok page in which she had commented on the issues with the All Lives Matter movement. In response to this video, she was sent disheartening messages. In an Insider article, “Uproar over her video, Janover said in a follow-up TikTok, led to a deluge of death threats, harassment, and racist comments” (Harris, 2020). This shows that it was not unusual to witness xenophobia to be used in response to statements that others do not agree with. It is not just in response to the pandemic, it has become a joke and a bad one at that. Countless memes and tweets have been made in response to this pandemic in blaming Asians which shows the gravity of this situation. While in office, Donald Trump was consistent in calling the pandemic “The Chinese Virus” across news press conferences and across his twitter account. This then resulted in hate and backlash towards Asian-Americans although the information that China had created this virus had been debunked and proven wrong several times. Members of the younger generation of the Asian community have also faced hate that could potentially have a long term impact that negatively affects how they view themselves and their country. Many latch onto the idea that Asians are at fault for the severity of this pandemic as a way to cope although their ignorance has easily been proven wrong.
Former President Trump Uses Offensive Rhetoric to Refer to the Coronavirus
Ytien: In light of the pandemic, these attacks on Asian-Americans have been crippling to the Asian community. Asian youth and elders have been targeted as a result of the blame placed on the Asian community which have caused them to become fearful throughout the duration of COVID-19. The violence against Asian-Americans has been disguised as justification for the creation and spread of the pandemic. However in reality, the pandemic has only highlighted the xenophobia that has run rampant long before this pandemic. It is not uncommon to witness the marginalization and discrimination directed to specific races during this current political climate, that had been intensified as a result of Donald Trump’s term. From inappropriate and insulting language regarded to Asians throughout this pandemic, there have been debates on whether what is happening to Asians is really acts of hate or simply a result of someone’s “bad day”. We can witness this in the recent shooting in Atlanta, Georgia where Soon Chung Park, Suncha Kim, Yong Ae Yue, Xiaojie Tan, Hyun Jung Grant, Delaina Yuan, Paul Andre Michels, and Daoyou Feng lost their lives due to the assailant’s “bad day”. As stated in an article by the New York Times, “A sheriff’s deputy will no longer serve as his agency’s spokesman for the investigation into the Atlanta-area spa shootings after he drew criticism for saying that the suspect in the attacks had ‘a really bad day’ before the shootings, and for anti-Asian Facebook posts that he made last year” (Bogel-Burroughs, 2021). Former president, Donald Trump, was not the first to be explicitly racist, however his high position only offered others the chance to do the same without regard for the dangerous narrative that it caused. The racist remarks and name-calling, and the fact that the virus had originated from an Asian country, the degradation and hate against Asian-Americans have significantly increased within the past year. The media coverage on these incidents do not fully showcase the fear that has embedded itself in all Asians in America. As these hate crimes are commonly not reported due to language barrier, and in response it is incredibly important to make efforts to make emergency lines available in their fluent language, whichever it may be. Now that President Biden is in office, he has taken steps to approach this topic and do what he can for the Asian community. In his statement he addressed, “The Federal Government must recognize that it has played a role in furthering these xenophobic sentiments through the actions of political leaders, including references to the COVID-19 pandemic by the geographic location of its origin. Such statements have stoked unfounded fears and perpetuated stigma about Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and have contributed to increasing rates of bullying, harassment, and hate crimes against AAPI persons” (The White House, 2021). President Biden announced that “the subcommittee will lead policy sprints to develop actionable recommendations for advancing cultural competency, language access, and inclusion towards Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders as the United States ends and recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic” (The White House, 2021). These crimes against Asian-Americans are correlated to the xenophobia that has lived discreetly in this country, and it is time for society to acknowledge that there is a community that needs help and support because they have been overlooked for a long time. It is also important to not overlook the value of reliable information during a time when a worldwide pandemic and its unfavorable effects have been placed on the shoulders of all Asians. This blame does not absolve the fact that we have to do what we can to keep ourselves and others safe by taking necessary precautions.
Andrea: These violent hate crimes committed against the Asian community have been occurring over years, but as of late, the older generation of Asians have been targeted most severely. Recently, an 84 year old Thai man was murdered in San Francisco, a 64 year old Vietnamese woman robbed of her Lunar New Years’ money, and a 65 year old Filipino woman beaten in New York. These are only a few incidents out of the hundreds this year which have been reported and deemed as racially motivated. Recently watching an interview with Olivia Munn on MSNBC, she addresses the fearfulness that Asians have had throughout the pandemic and that oftentimes, Asians are expected to “be quiet and not be disruptive” in order to maintain the peace. Munn states that the Asian community is enduring a “mental health crisis” while also living in fear of being attacked due to the misconception that being Asian also meant being the source of the coronavirus (Munn, 2021). With the harmful rhetoric of “The Chinese Virus” and the “The Kung Flu”, it is sadly not surprising to see that this issue has maintained longevity in the duration of the pandemic. Asian-Americans are not being heard and they are crying out for people to understand that they are not the issue and are not the ones that have created nor spread this virus. We need to stand together as Americans and fight against these hate crimes, it is not enough to express discontent with these events but rather to incentivize others to understand the history of xenophobia, the harm it causes, and how to protect those in the Asian community as it is difficult to protect themselves as they are the targets.
Nico: In the past year, the violent attacks towards the Asian community have risen significantly and these incidents have all been racially motivated. Through the negative narrative being spread along social media and the ignorance reflected in the rhetoric used by former president, Donald Trump, it is simple to see the harm it has caused for the Asian community. The deep rooted effects left on the Asian population from social media enforced beliefs that have forced the elderly to be fearful and dehumanized and the youth to feel unprotected and misunderstood. The xenophobia that has existed prior to the pandemic has only been highlighted due to the origin of the coronavirus, but it also highlights the failure of others in trying to understand that the pandemic was a circumstance that the Asian community could not control. The United States has proclaimed equality and liberty for all, yet our society has not fulfilled these goals in regards to the Asian community. Many join with those who support these violent acts to avoid being targeted themselves, or stay silent on these issues to avoid confrontation or to excuse their lack of support shown towards Asians. To start change, society needs to fight for the Asian community and become vocal in these issues to spread awareness against Asian hate, and remain united in order to overcome the hate and degradation the Asian community has been enduring. Although reform is beginning to appear in government, there needs to be a societal understanding of the history of xenophobia and what we all can do to make sure that discrimination is not allowed to fester even further.
“Asians Are Not Viruses, Racism Is.”
Works Cited:
Bogel-Burroughs, Nicholas, et al. “8 Dead in Atlanta Spa Shootings, With Fears of Anti-Asian Bias.” The New York Times, 26 March 2021, https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/03/17/us/shooting-atlanta-acworth#bad-day-captain-jay-baker-atlanta.
Harris, Margot. “A college student says she lost her internship after posting a satirical TikTok video criticizing ‘All Lives Matter’ statements.” Insider, 2 July 2020, https://www.insider.com/college-student-deloitte-internship-anti-all-lives-matter-tiktok-2020-7.
The White House. “FACT SHEET: President Biden Announces Additional Actions to Respond to Anti-Asian Violence, Xenophobia and Bias.” The White House, The United States Government, 30 March 2021, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/03/30/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-additional-actions-to-respond-to-anti-asian-violence-xenophobia-and-bias/.
MSNBC. “Olivia Munn: We ‘Are Living In A Country That Is Attacking Us Simply For Just Being Us’ | Deadline.” YouTube, YouTube, 17 Mar. 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcllJFcgNI0.