Vigil for the Atlanta 8
20 March, 2021
On March 16th, a man in Atlanta, Georgia entered three massage parlors and killed eight people. Of the eight victims, six were Asians and seven were women. Although authorities claimed that this was not racially motivated, this shooting occurred in the background of other hate incidents against the AAPI community and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The organization Anakbayan not Columbus held a Vigil for the Atlanta 8 in Goodale Park on March 20th in order to honor the lives lost and to stop Asian hate. At the vigil, there were four planned speakers, all from the AAPI community who spoke about their reactions to the events in Atlanta, their identities and how the coronavirus pandemic and the rise in Asian hate has impacted their lives and their work. Then, there was the opportunity for attendees to speak in an open-mic portion, where more members of the AAPI community discussed their reactions to the shooting and their experiences in life. Finally, there was a candle lit, two minutes of silence for the eight victims of the shooting. This event relates to IA because it deals with the struggles of those that are not ethnically American and the discrimination and hate that they receive within our country due to biases related to Asian countries, and more specifically the stereotypes perpetrated about Asian women. As a white woman, it is important to educate myself on the struggle of the communities that I don’t identify as and be a strong advocate for change. Attending this vigil was a way for me to show support and to connect with more resources in order to educate myself and work for actual change within America. Asian hate is so prominent and it is important to recognize my biases and let the AAPI community speak about their experiences and amplify their voices.