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How to Stand in Solidarity with the Asian Community During the Pandemic

Photo credit: Getty Images
Photo credit: Getty Images

From Good Housekeeping

Being Asian in America is hard. Being Asian when a global pandemic is blamed on the “China Virus” is downright dangerous. Sadly, discrimination against Asians in the U.S. is nothing new. Muslim Asians and South Asians have experienced racism and xenophobia since 9/11 and East Asians have been targeted throughout American history like in the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and the Japanese Internment Camps during WWII. But due to the coronavirus, East Asians in particular, like people from China, Korea, the Philippines, Japan and Vietnam, are experiencing a new wave of discrimination.

Now is the time for Asians and their allies to collaborate to fight hate that is fueled by racism. Finding Asian pride, however, hasn’t always been easy for me.

I grew up Korean American in a predominantly white suburban community in Maryland. Like many Asian Americans, I upheld the model minority myth—the expectation that Asians are supposed to excel—because I was afraid of the consequences of letting go. The habit of overachieving combined with innate ambition didn’t exactly make me the most popular student in high school. Jealous girls whispered racial slurs during gym class and left me off invitation lists. I felt hated for being Asian and I started to hate myself, too.

I tried to run far from everything Asian. I wore the preppiest outfits and perfected a crisp American accent to strip away the lingering dullness of my bilingual tongue. But you can only try to erase yourself for so long before you tear. Negating my racial identity had devastating effects on my mental health.

I’m not alone. Even before the pandemic, Asian American teens were at a high risk for bullying because of their appearances and cultural differences. Suicide is the leading cause of death for Asian Americans between the ages of 15-24. Now, due to the coronavirus, 1 in 4 Asian youths have experienced overt racist bullying, like being followed home and told “Ching Chong! You have Chinese Virus” or called a “chink who should go back to where they came from.”

After high school, I started to pick up the fragmented pieces of myself. Instead of avoiding my heritage, I started to own it. With each passing year, I’ve become more situated in my Asian American identity. It has taken years and lots of therapy, but I’ve finally developed a sense of Asian pride. I’m part of a larger Asian American network, not just the isolated, bullied teen I once was.

When the pandemic descended this year, terms like “Kung Flu,” “China Virus” and “Invisible China Virus” were used by the president to describe COVID-19. My stomach turned when I heard these racist names thrown around on a national scale. The association between East Asia and a virus that is killing millions proved to be dangerous. Asian people have been physically and verbally assaulted around the nation based only on the way they look and speak. Hate crimes against Asians have rapidly escalated with the NYPD even creating an Asian Hate Crimes Task Force.

With the onset of this crisis, Asian pride has never been more important. As I grew increasingly alarmed at our public safety situation, I shed the last scale of self-hatred remaining from my youth and emerged as the Asian American activist that I was meant to be. Sometimes disaster can bring you closer to who you are and who you stand with. Now more than ever, I feel connected to and ready to advocate for my Asian sisters and brothers. I don’t claim to be the voice of all Asians and can only speak from my experience, but there are some things that allies can do on an individual level to help us during this frightening and uncertain time.

How to help fight Asian bias

The first thing you can do to stand in solidarity with Asians is to condemn the terms “Kung Flu,” “China Virus,” and “Invisible China Virus.” Refuse to use the racist labels and understand the logic that makes them dangerous. Associating an already vulnerable minority group with a deadly virus makes Asian people targets because it suggests that we are at fault for the pandemic. Using these terms normalizes anti-Asian bias and promotes xenophobia.

You can also support us by standing with us, boldly and loudly. Social media avenues are wide open for hate speech. If you see an anti-Asian post, take it as an opportunity to educate someone, even if you know your comment will be unwelcome. You’ll often find me denouncing racism on my social media channels, but we also need your help. Speak out with us because we are worth defending.

Finally, you can donate to Asian organizations. Stop AAPI Hate is a reporting center created in response to COVID-19 that tracks and responds to hate, violence, harassment, discrimination, shunning, and youth bullying against Asian American and Pacific Islanders in California and across the U.S. You can also support community groups like Think!Chinatown in New York City and the Korean American Coalition in Los Angeles. And be sure to buy from your local Asian-owned restaurants and businesses.

While the social and cultural damage of these racist associations cannot be undone, allies and activists on an organizational level are working together to help our community. Last week, the House of Representatives passed a resolution that condemns “all forms of anti-Asian sentiment as related to COVID-19.” This resolution is a small victory, but the terminology will still float around in the public discourse for years. Asians are a resilient group, however, and we will find ways to reclaim our mental and physical safety.

The onset of anti-Asian hate from the pandemic has mobilized more Asians to get involved, speak out, and advocate for change, myself included. The energy is growing and Asians are finding the power to heal their frayed nerves and broken bones. If you or someone you know are struggling with your mental health during these times, organizations like the Asian Mental Health Collective and the National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association have resources that may be helpful.

What I’ve realized is that when you’re targeted for your appearance, language, or name, you can’t run away from who you are. You can either try to erase it, or you can embrace it—I choose to have Asian pride.

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