40% of U.S. adults believe "it has become more common for people to express racist views toward Asians since the pandemic began" (Source: Pew Research)
More than 1,800 racist incidents against Asian Americans were reported between March and May of 2020, according to a United Nations Report (Source: CBS News)
Stop AAPI Hate National Report (March 19, 2020 - February 28, 2021) has received a staggering 3,795 reports of anti-Asian hate incidents. (Source: Stop AAPI Hate)
Where to Report or Document Incidents of Hate Crimes, Harassment, or
Discrimination
Anti-Asian Violence Resources:
https://anti-asianviolenceresources.carrd.co/ (Resources to Educate, Allyship, Donate, Mental Health, Social Media, More Actions)
Anti-Racism Resources for Asian Americans (live google document)
Combating Anti-Asian Racism during COVID-19 Pandemic
Combating AAPI Hate in Age of COVID-19 (guide for students and educators)
Show up! Bystander Intervention Training
Tips for Coping and Care
Some key points
Racism against AAPIs has a long and painful history, dating back to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which barred Chinese laborers from entering the United States. Scholars say this law scapegoated Chinese workers on the West Coast who were often blamed for declining wages and job opportunities. A century later, many Americans continued to blame Asian Americans for their economic woes, this time in the auto industry, as Japanese manufacturers made their way into the U.S. market. In 1982, Vincent Chin, a 27-year-old Chinese American was murdered in Detroit by two white men — one a Chrylser worker and another a recently laid-off Chrysler worker — who, according to a witness, used obscene language while blaming him for losing his job. Resources: --“Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning” is a collection of essays published in 2020 about the nuances of the Asian American experience -- “Yellow: Race in America Beyond Black and White” examines stereotypes, such as the perpetual foreigner and the model minority myth, and tackles issues including affirmative action, immigration and interracial marriage --Self Evident: Asian American’s Stories is a podcast that aims to challenge assumptions about Asian Americans --PBS’ Asian Americans is a five-part documentary series on the history of Asians in America. --#AsianAmCovidStories is a YouTube documentary series exploring Asian Americans’ experiences and challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Many members of the AAPI community have long said they feel the need to “prove” they experience racism, and social media has been somewhat of a game changer in terms of being able to offer “receipts.” Though experts say the fact the community even feels compelled to do so points to a larger problem. “Asians have had a harder time proving racism in a large part because, in general, people still don’t know the history and struggles of Asian Americans,” Stewart Kwoh, president emeritus of Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Los Angeles, said previously. “That’s the overwhelming problem we have to confront as a society.” Sharing racist incidents on social media helps dispel the myth that Asian Americans don’t experience violent crime or racism, said Manjusha Kulkarni, executive director at the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council and a co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate, told NBC Asian America. “The enormous force of the model minority myth — that you’re all doing well, that your issues are not the same as others who are really suffering — is what we’re fighting against,” she said.
Don’t dilute language when talking about hate crimes and racism, but be accurate Resources: -- Asian Americans Advancing Justice - AAJC’s tool for reporting hate incidents and Stop AAPI Hate’s tool for reporting hate incidents. -- Learn what makes a hate crime from the U.S. Department of Justice. -- Learn about coded language from the National Education Association's EdJustice.
Seek out mutual aid efforts “It’s important for us to always be building coalition, working in solidarity so that it’s not only when crises happen that we’re reaching out to an organization for support,” said Michelle Kim, author of The Wake Up and CEO of Awaken, a company that offers diversity and inclusion workshops. Resources: -- Oakland Chinatown Coalition brings together cultural organizations to advocate for neighborhood improvement projects and community engagement. -- Asian Americans Advancing Justice - AAJC develops projects, training, education and advocacy to advance civil and human rights for Asian Americans. -- The Center for Asian Pacific American Women offers professional development programs for Asian women.
Although the current moment is focused on hate incidents and crimes as a result of language such as “China virus,” many Asian American subgroups have long been the targets of racism as well. Groups such as South Asian Americans and Southeast Asian Americans face other challenges and issues that are often hidden by the model minority myth, the belief that all Asian Americans are successful. Support and seek resources from a broad range of AAPI advocacy groups, such as South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT), which focuses on public policy analysis, advocacy and community building; The National Federation fo Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA), which develops young leaders, urges political participation and supports small businesses; the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA), which promotes visibility and provides education and tools to tackle homophobia and racism; the Sikh American Legal Defense & Education Fund (SALDEF), a media and educational organization that promotes civic and political participation; and Empowered Pacific Islander Communities (EPIC), which seeks to empower Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) communities through advocacy and research.
Support groups like StopAAPIHate, which organized a tracking tool for hate incidents last year; The National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association, which helps provide affordable care, translated resources and cultural competency for professionals; Send Chinatown Love, which supports restaurants, many of which are immigrant-run and cash-only and so were rejected for government aid. In addition, the Asian American advocacy group Goldhouse has compiled a comprehensive fundraising page on GoFundMe featuring local nonprofits by region, ways to help small businesses and social media toolkits.
Experts have pointed out that it’s a sign of progress that we no longer name viruses after their country of origin.
For AAPIs, acknowledge the fact you might have your own biases, as well
Resources:
-- “How to talk to your Asian immigrant parents about racism while considering their lived experiences”
-- “How to talk to parents about race if you're adopted or multiracial”
-- Resources for Asian Americans learning about anti-Blackness by Asians American
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