In case you missed it: CBS special report on Asian Americans battle against pandemic and racism

 

SCREEN CAPTURE / CBS

Elaine Quijano hosted the CBS report "Asian Americans: Battling Bias."

CBS News aired a special report on "Asian Americans: Battling Bias" Friday morning making the first of the major networks to focus on the toll the coronavirus is having on AAPI communities.

Hosted by long-time journalist Elaine Quijano, the half-hour program made use of CBS' Asian American reporters including Nancy Chen, Michael George and White House correspondent Weijia Jiang.

Star Trek star George Takei gave a historical perspective of the role anti-Asian sentiment has had in the United States' history, citing his personal experience being incarcerated in the detention camps during WWII.

The special reported on the growing number of attacks against Asian Americans spurred on with the anti-Chinese rhetoric used by the Trump administration. "The South Asian and the Filipino American population are known to have higher rates of diabetes," which is known "to be a predisposing factor to worse outcomes," said Chicago cardiologist Dr. Nilay Shah.

The special examined the impact of the coronavirus on Asian-owned businesses, Economically, over 233,000 Asian American businesses have closed and unemployment has tripled. 

The documentary also looked at the growing alliance between Black and Asian American activists. "COVID-19 definitely sparked another awakening, where younger generations of Asian Americans have been for the first time experiencing — this more overt, in your face racism," said Tiffany Tso.

The new-found activism driven by the anti-Asian attacks, have also driven the growing political activism of Asian Americans and the potentially pivotal role they could play in the upcoming elections.

The special shows the advantage of having AAPI journalists on staff who can have editorial input and a personal stake. in giving an Asian American perspective on news of the day.