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| An elderly man was violently and senselessly shoved to the pavement in Oakland, CA. |
Attacks against Asian Americans that began rising in 2020 are continuing into 2021 and will likely continue until the pandemic comes under control.
The new year didn't end the violence. One resulted in the death of a Thai grandfather on his morning walk in San Francisco last January.. His attacker ran from across the street and at full speed pushed 84-year old Vichar Ratanapakdee to the ground where hit the grandfather hit his head on the pavement. It was a fatal injury. His suspected attacker pleaded not guilty even though the attack was caught on surveillance video.
Ratanapakdee's death and several other attacks in New York and San Francisco Bay Area spurred outrage and fear in the AAPI communities.
And the attacks continue, seemingly unabated. Just this past week:
- A 67-year old man was doing his laundry in a laundromat in San Francisco last Saturday. Three hooded men with masks came in, pulled him from his chair and held him down as they robbed him of his cash.
- An 83-year old Nancy Toh was collecting cans in White Plains, NY last Tuesday when a man spat in her face then punched her. A male suspect was arrested on Thursday.
- A 25-year old mother with her infant was spat upon Tuesday and called "Chinese Virus" by a man in Queens, NY. The attacker ran off and is still at large, according to Rep. Grace Meng ,who represents the portion of Queens.
- A Filipino American health care worker on her way to catch a commuter train Wednesday morning was pulled down by the hair and beaten in San Jose, CA. “He was saying f-u, f-u Asian, this is completely bull," she wrote in social media. “All while he was keeping me on the ground with his grip on my hair." Bystanders came to her rescue. The attacker was identified and arrested for a possible hate crime.
- On his daily walk, an elderly man died after he was punched, knocked to the ground and robbed Tuesday. Traumatic head injuries led to his death on Thursday, hours before President Biden decried the violence against AAPI. Pak Ho's attacker, who has a history of assaulting elderly Asians, was arrested. Investigators haven't categorized it as a hate crime yet.
The troubling trend targeting Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders was brought to light once again by President Joe Biden when he spoke to the nation during prime-time TV last Thursday, March 11, about the impact the pandemic has had on the United States.
"Too often, we've turned against one another," said Biden. "Vicious hate crimes against Asian Americans, who have been attacked, harassed, blamed and scapegoated."
"It's wrong. It's unAmerican. And it must stop," said the President.
Because of the previous White House occupant and his administration, many Americans blame the coronavirus on people from Asia, or appear to be Asian. Trump's rhetoric opened the door to unleash the darkest part of people's nature. Sometimes this came in the form of name-calling. Sometimes it resulted in death.
If you see it, report it. We're talking about the growing violence against Asian Americans. It's hard, I know.
Many Asian cultures believe that it is better to not create waves or don't draw attention to yourself. It's hard, I know, to draw attention to oneself when humility is a valued characteristic in many Asian communities. It's hard, I know.
"There are far more people who have not reported incidents than those who have," Connie Chung Joe, CEO of Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Los Angeles, told NPR.
"This silence, however, keeps us from dispelling persistent myths and misconceptions that define AAPIs as model minorities and perpetual foreigners—rendering us invisible and insignificant to non-AAPIs who don’t really know us," writes marketing expert Bill Imada in an AdAge oped. "And if others don’t hear our stories and share them with others, these myths and misconceptions will continue to haunt us when another virus, act of terrorism or economic downturn surfaces in our country or in another part of the world."
It's hard, I know. It is up to you to evaluate the risk but it is important to act in some way, even if it's an offer of assistance to the victim or recording the incident on your smartphone or just tweeting about the incident.
For too long, the history of discrimination against AAPI have neglected reinforcing the model minority myth of silent perseverance overcoming bias. By calling attention to the current wave of violence towards AAPI we shine a light on the history of racism that that placed one group over others.
Here are some resources to help you. (It's not a complete list, but it's a good start.) It's hard, I know.
RESOURCES TO EDUCATE
SIGN PETITIONS
DONATE
REPORT AN INCIDENT
MENTAL HEALTH
MORE ACTION
CORPORATE STATEMENTS
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