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| SCREEN CAPTURE /ABC |
OPINION
A year ago tomorrow, eight people were fatally shot in Georgia. Six of the victims were Asian American women.
Remember their names:
Those killed in what has become known as the Georgia spa shootings were: Xiaojie “Emily” Tan, 49; Daoyou Feng, 44; and Delaina Yaun, 33; and Paul Michels, 54; Suncha Kim, 69; Soon Chung Park, 74; Hyun Jung Grant, 51; and Yong Ae Yue, 63.
The six women became part of the plague of anti-Asian hate that began with the onset of the pandemic. A year after their deaths, incidents of anti-Asian hate numbers around 11,000. Law enforcement and AAPI community groups agree, that is likely an undercount.
As the White male shooter later confessed, he was targeting the Asian spa workers because of his own inability to control his sexual urges.
"I think there needs to be a commitment both from the community and from leaders in positions of power to direct resources to be in this for the long haul ... we can't only talk about it when somebody is murdered or the anniversary of a horrific event," she said.
Those killed in what has become known as the Georgia spa shootings were: Xiaojie “Emily” Tan, 49; Daoyou Feng, 44; and Delaina Yaun, 33; and Paul Michels, 54; Suncha Kim, 69; Soon Chung Park, 74; Hyun Jung Grant, 51; and Yong Ae Yue, 63.
The six women became part of the plague of anti-Asian hate that began with the onset of the pandemic. A year after their deaths, incidents of anti-Asian hate numbers around 11,000. Law enforcement and AAPI community groups agree, that is likely an undercount.
As the White male shooter later confessed, he was targeting the Asian spa workers because of his own inability to control his sexual urges.
Attacks against Asian Americans surged once the pandemic began and there is no sign of the attacks winding down even as the pandemic slowly comes under control through tough health care measures and more people getting vaccinated.
The group Stop AAPI Hate has collected nearly 11,000 reports of anti-Asian hate incidents from all over the country, from March 2020 to December 2021, with more occurring in 2021 than 2020.
A majority of those incidents targeted Asian women, according to the data from Stop AAPI Hate.
Indeed, a recent survey published earlier this month from the National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum (NAPAWF) found that 74% of Asian American and Pacific Islander women reported experiencing racism and/or discrimination over the last year, and 53% said the perpetrator was a stranger or someone they didn't know.
A majority of those incidents targeted Asian women, according to the data from Stop AAPI Hate.
Indeed, a recent survey published earlier this month from the National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum (NAPAWF) found that 74% of Asian American and Pacific Islander women reported experiencing racism and/or discrimination over the last year, and 53% said the perpetrator was a stranger or someone they didn't know.
On the night of March 11, police arrested Tammel Esco, for attacking a 67-year old Asian American woman in New York, reportedly called her a racist sur and began hitting her 125 times, then spitting on her.
Since the beginning of the year, there have been more killings of AAPI women.
Julia Li was driving her car in St. Paul, Minn.Michelle Go was waiting for a New York City subway train. Christina Lee was entering her Queens, NYC apartment. GuiYIng Ma was sweeping a sidewalk In her Queens neighborhood. Julia (Yuliya) Li was sitting in her car in St. Paul, Minnesota. Two spa workers in Albuquerque, New Mexico were at work when they were shot and killed.
None of the women knew their assailants. The fatal attacks were unprovoked. But police won't call their deaths the result of hate, or at least, the legal definition of what constitutes a "hate crime."
Tell that to their families, their coworkers or the scores of other AAPI victims of senseless attacks that didn't result in someone dying.
"The pandemic is still continuing, so people are angry and frustrated and still blaming Asians for it," Russell Jeung, a sociologist and co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate, told NBC. "People are mourning, clearly upset so they're directing all of that towards Asians. That why we continue to see racism even in 2022: It's the long-term historic racism that has just been unleashed."
"The pandemic is still continuing, so people are angry and frustrated and still blaming Asians for it," Russell Jeung, a sociologist and co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate, told NBC. "People are mourning, clearly upset so they're directing all of that towards Asians. That why we continue to see racism even in 2022: It's the long-term historic racism that has just been unleashed."
None of these recent vicious, unprovoked assaults meet the legal criteria for a hate crime. But there is no denying that there is an upswing in attacks against AAPI.
The attacks demonstrate the fragility of civility in US society. It took only four years of a racist president to undo decades of work trying to create some semblance of racial tolerance.
Starting last weekend rallies were held to remember the Georgia spa killings. Tomorrow, March 16, family members and close friends will remember the women in quiet gatherings.
There are no quick fixes to end the anti-Asian hate. The attacks against AAPI women add another element that needs to be addressed: the sexual objectification of the women that is deeply ingrained in U.S. society.
Education is one of the keys: teaching young people about the humanity of Asian Americans and their innate worth as human beings.
Training of law enforcement, health professionals, teachers and government officials to see the attacks in the context of American society. The hate and the stereotype of AAPI women won't fade away with an hour's HR workshop..
But, all this will take time and it will take a broad swath of society to take part in changing the perception of Asian Americans and the misogyny against AAPI women, specifically. As we've seen, if not addressed, that's a deadly one-two punch.
In the meantime, the attacks continue.
"We've had other Asian American women murdered since (the Georgia shootings), and that's what's really heartbreaking to me," said Choimorrow.
"I think there needs to be a commitment both from the community and from leaders in positions of power to direct resources to be in this for the long haul ... we can't only talk about it when somebody is murdered or the anniversary of a horrific event," she said.
There is no vaccine for hate.
EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news, views and tips from an AAPI perspective, follow me on Twitter @DioknoEd.
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