Anti-Asian Attacks In The United States

Writer: Abbie Geering

Editor & Picture: Gabrielle Pascal & Arta Anindita

17 March 2021

Anti-Asian attacks in the United States, throughout American history, Asians have oppressed and mistreated. The Asian American community has faced xenophobia and racism in some ways, especially over the last year with COVID-19. From robberies to assaults and harassment, they have faced it since the California Gold Rush in 1848 up until now.

In March 2020, former President Donald Trump called the Coronavirus the “China Virus” and “kung flu”, continuing to use that racist namesfor the rest of his presidency. Making these statements, especially coming from a person of power, encourages anti-Asian behavior. Reports from March 19th to December 31,2020 indicate that attacks have largely increased because of the belief that Asians brought COVID-19 to the United States.Though the number of reports is underestimated because of the lack of reporting.

This discrimination has been happening for a long time. In 1848, gold was found in California and Chinese laborers came to America for cheap labor. They faced harsh treatment, injustices, and racially motivated violence. Later, in 1867, America’s first transcontinental railroad was built over a span of a decade by 15,000 Chinese workers in terrible conditions. They went on strike against 10-hour shifts, beatings, and low wages.

The Chinese Exclusion Act was also passed in 1882. At first, this stopped Chinese people from entering the United States and receiving citizenship. The ban was extended until 1902 and also came to include many other Asian immigrants besides Chinese. One major event was an executive order that passed in 1942, imprisoning Japanese- Americans after the attack on Pearl Harbor in world war two. They were sent to military camps, where war relocation authorities prohibited them from buying land returning to their former homes after the war.

We can see that this has been happening for a very long time, but what is happening today? Well, we have seen a rise in hate crimes against Asians, specifically on elders. People have begun to fear and even hate Asians- Americans since the pandemic.

The term “model minority” was originally used in 1966, in an article for the New York Times. This was used to describe Asian- Americans, who were portrayed as having great success in society. Asians are typically seen as intelligent and financially stable. It might seem like this term is positive, but in fact, the opposite is true. This belief allows people to think that they don’t have it as bad. Using this term takes away the struggles they have faced and still are facing. It is calling Asian- Americans more exceptional than other minorities, even while they are marginalized and treated poorly because of their race.

Elders have been targeted the most, with videos showing brutal attacks. (Warning: these videos are disturbing and can be hard to watch.) One was of an 84-year-old man named Vicha Ratanapakdee being shoved to the ground as a man barreled into him. Sadly, he did later die from the attack. His family is demanding justice. They say that this happened because they are Asian. Another shows a 91-year-old man pushed to the ground.

Not all xenophobia is violent, or even direct. Some assaulters have been people of color. John C. Yang, president, and CEO of Asian Americans advancing justice says that we can’t focus on punishment, but on fixing the root causes and building alliances. Ian Kumamoto said when talking with CNN that, “when friends tried to comfort me, few seemed to have the language for how to deal with the vitriol directed against me, which I figured came from a notion that Asians didn’t have it so bad. I knew this because up until that point I thought the same thing.” Just like in any minority, racism affects every aspect of a person’s life, as well as how they view themselves and others. This can also affect people speaking out about the injustices they face.

In Oakland, Chinatown, they have been experiencing crime like never before. People remarked that they didn’t feel safe and were afraid to go out shopping for the Lunar New Year. A celebration that was quelled and tense during a time usually filled with cheer taking place on the 12th of February. The Asian community in Chinatown gathered on February 3rd, asking for help and the aid of the police. But Yang says that these things aren’t automatically going to solve the problem. Instead, he says we could establish community solutions. President Biden has signed an executive order aiming to direct federal agencies to find ways of combating racism against Asian Americans.

A. The Affects

1. The myth that Asian Americans haven’t been affected by white supremacy ignores the diverse communities of Asians.

2. People can feel as though Asians don’t “have it as bad”.

3. Many incidents go unreported.

4. Attacks cause racial trauma.

B. How You Can Help

1. Don’t deny racism and xenophobia. Call attention to injustices and protect each other.

2. Report crimes.

3. Make your community safer.

4. Provide resources for people if attacked and response groups.

5. Educate yourself. Make sure you understand the history and why these things are happening today.

6. Have honest conversations about this issue.

These acts of hate are not new, nor is systemic racism. There must be actions taken to stop this problem that has taken place over generations.