“Asian hate crimes are wrong, un-American, and must stop,” says Biden during a national address on March 11, 2021. With increasing verbal abuse, physical attacks, and even mass shootings, the United States has become increasingly unsafe for Asian-Americans who have long been an integral part of American society. While this urging from the current POTUS comforted some, criticisms arose from the word “un-American.” As this “land-of-the-free” is currently under international scrutiny for its violent history and inclination for discrimination and hate, citizens and the global community now corner Biden on what exactly is “un-American” about Asian hate when disrespect and fetishization toward Oriental culture have been left to fester for decades.
When Chinese immigrants first fled their homeland due to an economic downturn and job shortage, they set their sights on the United States of America as a free and safe land wherein they could raise their children in better conditions. For years, this has been the stigma toward the act of migration to the U.S.A.; however, people often overlook the trend in which locals treat immigrants from the East. In the late 19th century, Chinese Americans were viewed as cheap labor, often being overworked yet underpaid. In the entertainment industry, East and Southeast Asians were permitted to be represented in movies and other productions, but their characters would often portray the “dragon lady” stereotype in which these women were domineering, deceitful, and draconian.
Today, the narrative on Asians has been softened to appear acceptable to the everyday American. But with the rise of COVID-19 and its being blamed on the Chinese, Asians now face an unprecedented type of discrimination and hatred since contemporary times. Senior citizens being kicked in the middle of the street in broad daylight, women being assaulted in shopping malls, and lives being lost over the misconception that Asians started a worldwide pandemic. How much more violence and incomprehensible hatred can Asian-Americans take? And to what extent should this hatred reach for the world to take notice?
Although the Philippines is thousands of miles away from the United States, we must take a stand against the prevalence of crime and discrimination against fellow Asians. Not only do we voice out our concerns for those experiencing this tragedy but we must also encourage actions that significantly impact Asian-American communities. While discrimination is prevalent in multiple countries, protests for equality and change are often most prominent in the United States. “Hundreds of people are volunteering to escort elderly Asian Americans to help keep them safe,” headlines CNN in bold as journalists cover acts of humanity that are occurring but often ignored. As we possess access to information from all over the world, let us also focus our efforts on uplifting the bouts of humanity amidst misfortune.
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