By David Won
An 84 year-old man sitting in a walker chair waiting for a bus loses consciousness after being violently kicked in the face.
A 70 year-old grandmother grocery shopping is assaulted on a bus,
suffers a broken nose and has her hair pulled out.
Who is responsible for these hate crimes? Are these attacks random acts of violence done by a few cowardly folks or by a broader segment of our society?
Unfortunately the later is true, hate crimes against the AAPI community are more commonplace than ever, doubling over the past 12 months with over 3,795 incidents reported.
This hate crime statistic sadly includes only a fraction of the crimes that have been reported. Our community is hurting and we need your help.
Imagine how you would feel if an attacker targeted and physically attacked your grandparents from behind.
I am horrified to read articles daily where an individual of our society is abused, beaten and robbed just because they are Asian. What type of person would pull out their hair and break the nose of an elder simply out to buy groceries or for a walk? The perpetrators often target the most vulnerable members of our society.
The increase in hate crimes began shortly after the anti-Asian rhetoric from the Trump administration. Are there other underlying systemic issues?
For me, several racist incidents in history stand out. I vividly recall the killing in 1982 of Vincent Chin in Detroit beaten to death with
a baseball bat, the Incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II and the Chinese Exclusion Act(1882 to 1943).
Asians have long been stereotyped as the model minority. This is an unfortunate myth that has continued to negatively impact our community.
The consequences include reduced social services in areas where the need is greatest. The myth also serves to pit one minority group against others and helps hide the true fact that we are an “invisible” minority with little
representation.
Asians in the United States based on the 2019 census represent approximately 5.7% of the population. In the United States, the percentage of Asians living at or below the poverty levels is close to 9.6%, much higher than average.
Based on 2014 data in New York City, Asian Americans represented 17.9 percent of people living in poverty in New York City and had the
highest poverty rate of any racial or ethnic group at 29 percent. Also, fewer AAPI graduate from high schools compared to non-Hispanic Whites.
Asians and Pacific Islanders can be seen near the top economic rung of American society, but a disproportionate number are in the lowest
economic rung with many suffering poverty.
HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN DO
- Have a real and meaningful conversation with friends and family about the violence and racism against the AAPI community.
- If you see something, say something. If you are witnessing a crime, turn on your camera and call 911. Please do not stand idly by.
- Support legislation to help quickly prosecute these crimes and put these perpetrators behind bars. Write to your elected representative to ensure they stand against hate crimes in our community.
- Get involved. There are many ways you can assist. Volunteer for foot patrol in your area, or join a group providing chaperone services to those in need.
- Attend a rally to support and fight racism against the AAPI community.
- These are difficult times that require all of us to take action. It is not a time to be complicit. We need to do our part in providing the AAPI community with a safe environment. Let’s all work together to put an end to the violence and racist acts.
(About the Author: David Won, author, is a lifetime resident of Oakland, CA growing up in Oakland Chinatown. His grandfather was a “paper son” immigrating to the United States in the 1920s. His dad served in
the Korean War. He volunteers 4-5 hours a week with the Eastbay Toishan Benevolent Association doing foot patrol in Oakland Chinatown.)
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