Anti-Asian Sentiment and Other Troubles in the New Year

Since China was first blamed for the spread of COVID-19, racism and xenophobia against Asians in America have skyrocketed. According to the organization Stop AAPI Hate, which records instances of hate and discrimination experienced by Asian Americans, 2,808 incidents of racism were reported in 2020 after March 19th. A KQED analysis of the study revealed that “of those reports, 1,226 incidents took place in California, and 708 in the Bay Area alone.” 

The New Year in both Western and East Asian cultures represents a time for new beginnings, yet if the past couple of weeks have been any example, anti-Asian sentiment is not letting up in 2021. According to the New York Times, Carl Chan, the president of the Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, counted more than 20 assaults within just two weeks in Oakland’s Chinatown. Additionally, multiple videos and posts documenting racist attacks on Asian Americans have been circulating through social media. 

Sadly, elderly Asians especially have been targeted in these attacks. On January 28, 84-year-old Vicha Ratanapakdee was shoved to the ground. He died two days later due to his head hitting the pavement. Another 91-year-old Asian man was attacked on January 31, falling face-first onto the ground. The suspect of this incident then went on to assault three more people in the next two days before being arrested, according to NBC.

 However, while the hate is not showing signs of stopping, neither does the fight against it. Nancy O’Malley, the district attorney for Alameda County discussed the attacks in an interview with NBC. O’Malley said that since the elderly are targeted “because of the stereotype that they don’t report crimes due to language barriers,” she and her team are focusing on outreach to encourage victims to report crimes. LeRonne Armstrong, Oakland’s police chief, has increased police presence in Chinatown, and visited it “twice in his first week to build trust with business owners and residents.” A Go-Fund-Me started by Eda Yu and Myles Thompson to raise money for Bay Area Asian communities reached $50,000 (ten times their initial goal) in two days, according to the New York Times.

Additionally, Head-Royce students have been a part of the fight, sharing statistics, proclaiming that “Asian Lives also matter,” and sharing posts denouncing anti-Asian hate through Instagram. A popular picture currently circulating posted by the New York Times features an Asian woman standing with a sign that reads “Asian is not a virus, Racism is.” Now more ever, it is important to unite behind this message and continue to raise awareness.