AAPI Violence & Asia Club Response

Since the start of the pandemic, Asian Americans have faced racist violence at a much higher rate than in previous years. The NYPD reported that hate crimes motivated by anti-Asian sentiment jumped 1,900% in New York City in 2020. Stop AAPI Hate, an organization launched last March in response to the escalation of xenophobia and bigotry resulting from COVID, received 2,808 reports of anti-Asian discrimination between March 19 and December 31, 2020. While anti-Asian violence has taken place nationwide, the uptick in attacks in 2021 has been particularly concentrated in the Bay Area, especially in San Francisco’s and Oakland’s Chinatowns.

The death of Vicha Ratanapakdee, the violent attack on Noel Quintana, the police killing of Angelo Quinto, and the nearly 3,000 incidents in the past year must be acknowledged. This past Lunar New Year, the holiday was marred by the violence against Asian elders when it should have been a time for uplifting our vibrant cultures and traditions. While we have witnessed an alarming surge, anti-Asian xenophobia is not new to our country. People of Asian descent have lived in the United States for more than 160 years, and have long been the target of bigotry. Such a spike was tragically foreseeable in a nation so divided, not to mention led by a former president whose blatant racism when referencing the novel coronavirus helped stoke anti-Asian sentiment. 

I was so frustrated that these events were initially not getting national coverage, and it took a mass shooting in Atlanta for there to be a larger outcry for help in the Stop Asian Hate movement. Asians have long been the scapegoat for such issues, as we are stereotyped as “quiet” and “shy.” What became so clear to me was that targeted words supporting ethnic stigmas, even when folded into a joke, were so deeply entrenched in racism that we would never know it was there without peeling back deep layers of history. This has been clearer than ever since the start of the pandemic when ‘eating bat’ jokes made me cringe as they reminded me of the ones I heard as a child. Not addressing the issue results in more complacency, and other Asians not speaking out results in more internalized pain — a pain that started for some at a young age.

Asia Club leaders, seniors Nina Owen, Brennan Benson, and I, were determined to support our AAPI community at school. This included initiating discussions, putting out statements to the wider community, and most notably, having actor and director Daniel Wu come speak to us. He spoke eloquently about his experience as a minority in the Hollywood film industry and encouraged us to continue advocating for those who deserve justice, prompting allies to join the fight. 

Additionally, we wanted to team up with a local organization for our annual fundraiser. We chose to support Stop AAPI Hate, donating all profits earned from selling custom masks created by sophomore Charlie Yee, and candy bags with an assortment of traditional Asian candies. This money will help them continue to track and respond to incidents of hate, discrimination, and violence against Asian Americans in the U.S. while also supporting community-based safety measures and restorative justice efforts. Thanks to the overwhelming support of the entire School community, we were able to raise over $2,500.

We want to continue to use this movement to amplify Stop AAPI Hate’s mission and approach: in order to effectively address anti-Asian racism, we must work to end all forms of structural racism leveled at Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color. 

While this crisis has reached a standstill in national news coverage, it is not over. On behalf of Asia Club, we urge community members not to stay silent on this issue — stay informed and check in on others. It is crucial to address the current hate-related crimes against the Asian community, acknowledge our pain, and condemn racism in all forms.