Comment: We can no longer ignore racial hatred we live with

Recent reports of violence against Asian Americans require us to confront hate in all incidences.

By Lisa Chin / For The Herald

On March 16, Delaina Ashley Yaun, Paul Andre Michels, Xiaojie Tan, Daoyou Feng, Julie Park, Park Hyeon Jeong and two others were shot and killed in Atlanta, Georgia. Six of these victims were Asian women.

While the incident and subsequent reporting stunned many of us, this is not the first time Asian American communities have experienced racially motivated outbursts of violence, both nationwide and in my own community.

Recently, an 84-year-old man was pushed to the ground and killed in San Francisco. He was an Asian American senior citizen, attacked in broad daylight. In New York, a 52-year-old woman was pushed to the ground outside of a store in Queens; she had to get stitches in her forehead. In Oakland, a 91-year-old man landed face-first on the pavement after being shoved.

These attacks were unprovoked. These people were just living their lives.

Stop AAPI Hate received 2,808 nationwide personal reports of hate incidents between March and December 2020. In King County, there were 59 charged hate crimes against Asian Americans in 2020 compared to 39 in 2019. Not even three months into 2021, King County has already charged seven more cases.

For far too long, Asian Americans have been looked at as the model minority, a concept created by opponents during the civil rights era who wanted to derail progress toward racial justice. This false narrative perpetuates the myth that Asian Americans are more successful than other people of color, because of their hard work, education and “inherent law-abiding natures,” which negates our struggles and experiences with discrimination.

People don’t think we are the targets of hate. They certainly think that we don’t experience it with the same frequency or intensity as other people of color. Hate crimes, discrimination and bias-based incidents are under-reported and under-investigated. We have been faded into the background and lumped together. This systemic failure has contributed to the rise in violence perpetrated against the Asian American community.

In Seattle, Asian Americans make up the city’s largest People of Color (POC) population. Asian American children make up 22 percent of the school population in Seattle, so an increase in violence aimed at this community has a direct impact on our youth.

As the chief executive of Treehouse, it is my goal to bring people together. And, as a Chinese-American woman, I am compelled to advocate for my community. This issue strikes at the center of my personal and professional lives. AAPI youths make up about 4 percent of the youths affected by foster care that we serve through Treehouse. As we work to better the lives of those who experience the foster care system, it is important we stay true to our values and support those in our community who are being mistreated simply because of the way they look.

The recent rise of xenophobia is a reminder of a painful past, a window into a time in our history when racism toward Asian Americans was rampant. When the Chinese Exclusion Act was signed into law it was used to excuse violence in the West, particularly in Washington. In the mid-1880s, Chinese residents in Seattle and Tacoma saw their businesses and homes burned while being forced to leave those cities.

Japanese Americans also faced discrimination when they were forced into internment camps during World War II. In fact, the anniversary of Executive Order 9066 — which allowed Japanese Americans to be relocated to those camps — was just last month. That order led to the incarceration of more than 12,000 Washingtonians. It is an important reminder of the pain caused by those camps. It shows the fragility of our civil liberties. It is up to all of us to speak out and reject injustice and bigotry. This is the only way to preserve freedoms for everyone; especially those furthest from socio-economic, educational and racial justice.

The pandemic has been difficult. Covid-19 has ravaged our communities — particularly the Black, Indignous and People of Color (BIPOC) and Latinx communities — and our nation. People across the country have lost jobs and loved ones. Because of xenophobic vitriol and rhetoric in our national discourse, it has also fueled fear and stoked racial tension.

The events of March 16 are yet another piece of evidence that the historic racism against BIPOC communities is alive. It is also part of a growing pandemic of violence against Asian Americans that we cannot silently observe. This spike of violence and hatred towards Asian Americans is jarring, a signal there is still so much to be done to make our country a more inclusive and just place for everyone.

In addition to the slurs and violence that are on the rise, Asian American businesses are struggling more than most because, in addition to having fewer potential customers, some are boycotting these businesses because of false information about covid-19. We can show solidarity through our patronage. (To find Asian American and other BIPOC-owned businesses in your community, check out intentionalist.com). We can also support our neighbors by interrupting harassment and bigotry when we see it; because silence is also a statement.

We are all partners in our work to heal our community, and as such, it is our duty to stand against hate in all its forms against any group of people.

This is a difficult moment for Asian Americans. We must not allow stereotypes and bias to further fray the fabric of our community. We are determined to work in solidarity with the BIPOC community to advocate for change. We value diversity, equity and inclusion and want to live in a world where we lift each other up instead of tear each other down.

Creating a future where equity and inclusion is the expectation starts today. We must set an example for our children and create a world where all people from all communities can thrive and prosper. It is time for our voices to be heard.

By Dr. Lisa Chin is the chief executive of Treehouse, a Seattle-based advocacy group working to advance equity and justice for children and youths in foster care and education.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Opinion

toon
Editorial cartoons for Monday, Feb. 17

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

Rivian, based in Irvine, Calif., has introduced its new R2 models, smaller and more affordable SUVs. (Rivian)
Editorial: Open electric vehicle market to direct sales

Legislation would allow EV makers to sell directly to customers, making lease or purchase easier.

Comment: No one saw Musk’s DOGE rampage coming or its threat

With no formal grant of authority, Musk is making cuts without fully understanding the consequences.

Douthat: Trump is chasing off lawyers he’ll need at some point

The deal to clear Adams serves Trump only as a way of identify whom he can consider loyal in the DOJ.

President Donald Trump listens alongside Elon Musk as he explains the administration’s cost-cutting efforts in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025. Musk has for weeks posted on social media about government spending, often amplifying and seeding false information. (Eric Lee/The New York Times)
Comment: This crisis can’t be left to courts alone

The courts can uphold the law, but they can’t match the speed of the executive branch in tearing down systems.

Eco-nomics: Climate change is making insurance a risky bet

Keeping home insurance affordable amid climate change will take adaptation to threats and broader efforts.

The Buzz: When you gotta boogie, best to shake it off, kid

A pasquidadian review of the week’s news.

People walk adjacent to the border with Canada at the Peace Arch in Peace Arch Historical State Park, where cars behind wait to enter Canada at the border crossing Monday, Aug. 9, 2021, in Blaine, Wash. Canada lifted its prohibition on Americans crossing the border to shop, vacation or visit, but America kept similar restrictions in place, part of a bumpy return to normalcy from coronavirus travel bans. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Editorial: U.S. and Canada better neighbors than housemates

President Trump may be serious about annexing Canada, but it’s a deal fraught with complexities for all.

CNA Nina Prigodich, right, goes through restorative exercises with long term care patient Betty Long, 86, at Nightingale's View Ridge Care Center on Friday, Feb. 10, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Editorial: Boost state Medicaid funding for long-term care

With more in need of skilled nursing and assisted-living services, funding must keep up to retain staff.

bar graph, pie chart and diagrams isolated on white, 3d illustration
Editorial: Don’t let state’s budget numbers intimidate you

With budget discussions starting soon, a new website explains the basics of state’s budget crisis.

toon
Editorial cartoons for Sunday, Feb. 16

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

Stick with solutions to homelessness that have heart

A friend of mine, a poet from Leningrad who was born during… Continue reading

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.