How you can help stop anti-Asian violence

“He Came From Thailand to Care For Family. Then Came a Brutal Attack.” New York Times

“Attacks on Asian-Americans in New York Stoke Fear, Anxiety and Anger” New York Times

“Spit On, Yelled At, Attacked: Chinese-Americans Fear for Their Safety” New York Times

“New York man charged with hate crime in Asian-American attack that bystanders watched without helping” The Washington Post

“Her pandemic year was already tough, as an Asian-American nail salon owner. Then came the Atlanta shooting.” The Washington Post

These are news headlines about anti-Asian American attacks happening in the US. There’s also the New York Times’s “swelling” list of people who got attacked, where they were, what kind of attack they experienced, and disturbing video clips. As an Asian student living in this country for over three years, it’s heartbreaking to hear about the horrible things that have happened to my fellow Asian-Americans and Asian people around the globe. 

When I told my mother that I sometimes run in the woods in the neighborhood alone, she immediately told me not to go alone. She expressed her worries intensely after seeing the rising hate crimes. My mother is scared of me being a victim one day even though I assured her that I live in a “safe” area. But I sometimes ask myself: what if those victims think that they are also in a safe area? Is it actually safe? Do we deserve this fear even when we’re in a public space? Do we deserve this fear at all wherever we go?

Like all humans in this country regardless of race, we have the right to feel safe when stepping outside of our homes until returning home. And you can help create and maintain a safe environment for us by following the guideline below. 

Six ways to help stop anti-Asian violence (some information is based on TIME and RollingStone) : 

• Report hate crimes/hate incidents 
  • Dial 911 if it’s an emergency.
  • STOP AAPI HATE, Stand Against Hatred – If you are a victim or witness of an incident, or know someone who is a victim, report the incident on these websites, encourage the victim to do so, or do it for them. The information will help create understanding of the incidents and can be used for education and policy advocacy.

• Donate
  • Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Asian American Justice Center (AAJC) – a non-profit organization providing assistance to the Asian-American community.
  • GoFundMe’s list of fundraisers who are victims of crime, Asian-American businesses, community groups and more.
  • STOP AAPI HATE – support the mission of the group which tracks and responds to hate crime and incident reports.  
• Educate yourself
  • Learn about the background of anti-Asian violence: 
    • Five-part documentary: Asian Americans on PBS
    • Video: Why is violence against Asian-Americans on the rise? | Inside Story
    • Article: Anti-Asian violence has surged in the US since COVID-19. But it didn’t start there
    • Article: The long history of US racism against Asian Americans, from ‘yellow peril’ to ‘model minority’ to the ‘Chinese virus’
  • Join a one-hour free training on Bystander Intervention to stop anti-Asian/American and xenophobic harassment

• Spread the word – Start a conversation to develop a learning environment and awareness for yourself and others. Share what you know on your social network to help others and create more positive impact. Some of the things you can share:
  • Safety tips on how to respond if you experience or witness an incident.
  • Past incident reports, which create understanding of what happened and why.
• Touch base with someone you know – Keep in touch with your Asian friends and ask how they’re doing. Offer your help in the areas that you can. This sounds simple, yet very meaningful because it makes them feel welcomed and supported.
• Support Asian-owned businesses – Check out the long list of Asian-Owned Businesses & Restaurants in Seattle You Can Support Right Now

Stopping any hate crime in our society could seem difficult to achieve due to a long history of critical events that have influenced people’s perceptions and feelings towards specific populations. Therefore, to live peacefully together in a diverse environment, it’s crucial to be open minded, learn about the problems, and take positive actions whenever you can. Every act of kindness, big or small, counts and accumulates. We’d very much appreciate your effort because, again, like all humans in this country regardless of race, we have the right to feel safe when stepping outside of our homes.