Stop Racism, Let's Love

     Imagine going out on the streets and being attacked only because of your race, it is terrifying.

 

     An Asian woman was pushed to her death in front of an oncoming train. An old Chinese lady was slapped and was set on fire. A Filipino- American was slashed in the face with a box cutter. Eight people were killed during a shooting rampage in three Asian spas in one night.

 

     Asian hate crimes have increased dramatically since the outbreak of the global pandemic. From being spit on or verbally assaulted to being physically assaulted. StopAAPIHate, a centre that tracks and responds to incidents of Asian hate, violence, harassment, and child bullying, has reported over 4000 firsthand accounts of Asian hatred from all 50 states in America. The shocking reality is that Asian and Pacific Islanders are experiencing historically high rates of hatred, verbal and physical assault.

 

     While Trump's racist and divisive language during the early outbreak, referring to COVID-19 as the "kung flu," only increased Asians' vulnerability to prejudice and violence.

 

     As an Asian, I have definitely experienced Asian discrimination, from being called "ching chong" to being told to "return to your country, you are a virus." Some would make fun of our appearance by making the "slitty-eye" motion. To be honest, Asians have suffered racism for many years. It is something not new to the asian community, but it's a deeply ingrained cultural thing to feel the sense of shame when mentioning it. Every time this happened, I would simply ignore it and move on, but the Black Lives Matter protest and people becoming more vocal about racism opened my eyes to the fact that remaining silent is not an option.

 

     I am beyond disgusted that people judge each other by their race. I’ve spent most of my life living in Hong Kong where I was the majority. It is really uncomfortable when people yell racial slurs and give us judgemental stares when we go on vacations. I felt alienated. 

 

     However, the movements to end violence and hatred towards asian people have begun to gain traction globally. Dozens of anti- asian hate rallies have taken place throughout the world. Young Asian Democrats have started to see the importance of speaking up and sticking to the truth. Viral social media campaigns have also captured the attention of the public, and more individuals have opted to support the campaign.

 

     I am asking all of us to speak up and take action in response to the anti-Asian violence, prejudice, and bigotry that Asians face.

 

     As the saying goes, “Don't judge a book by its cover” and I believe it is completely unacceptable to judge someone based on their skin color or accent. We should not form prejudices about communities. In the end, we are still humans, we feel and think the same way. We must learn to put ourselves in others' shoes and appreciate each others’ culture and faith.