Against Asian Hate
by Marilyn M.
Transfering into a school in the middle of Chinatown was very different from any other school I had been to. There were many Asians and it was very normal to see their culture around the neighborhood. Many of the Black, Latino and white students from school would enjoy pepper chicken from Spicy Village or even the famous chicken wings and french fries. When the coronavirus came to New York City, students from school would say they were not eating from the small Chinese food spots anymore. We obviously shared the building with a middle school full of Asian American students and some non-Asian students would feel they couldn’t share a bathroom with them or even stand too close. Little did everyone know that the virus could be spread by anyone.
There are many Asians who are being physically and racially attacked in our city. There were about ten suspected anti-Asian hate crimes between January 1 and March 14 that have been reported in New York City. On April 23 an Asian hate crime happened when a 61-year-old man was pushing a shopping cart in East Harlem, and a man dressed in all-black struck him from behind. The old man was in a coma in the hospital. These serious crimes started when it was found that the coronavirus, also known as Covid-19, originated in Wuhan, China. Asians in America were scapegoated for the pandemic. Not only are these crimes happening in New York but the crimes are happening globally. Statistics show that there were about 3,800 instances of discrimination against Asians in the past year. It also shows that many of the crimes are happening to elderly and vulnerable Asian people.
In order for Asian people to feel safe there were protests, so the word can spread. Because of the many incidents in New York, Mayor De Blasio pledged that the city would increase police activity in Asian communities. Not only were there more police officers present, but he encouraged that that all hate crimes should be reported. The protesters have been pushing for a bill to pass on the crimes. An anti-hate crime bill was passed by the senate due to the surge in attacks on Asian Americans during the Covid-19 pandemic. According to Sen. Mazie Hirono, “passing the bill sent a solid message of solidarity that the senate will not be a bystander as anti-Asian violence surges in our country.” Even though the bill passed, the protest for anti-Asian racism will continue until the violence stops.
Asian people should not be afraid to go out in the world because of the way they appear. It is very sad to even see Asians holding up signs that say “I am not a virus.” I can't imagine going out on a regular day and being beaten into a coma or being called names because of a virus. Come to think of it, how does racially attacking Asians make Covid-19 go away? I think it is important for the world to know that anti-Asian racism is not okay and a huge change needs to be made.
MARILYN M. lives in Brownsville, Brooklyn. She loves spending time with her pets and her family.
Works Cited
“Covid-19.” Center for Disease Control and Prevention. 28 Apr. 2021.
Henderson, Jennifer. “There Have Been at Least 10 Suspected Hate Crimes Against Asians this Year in New York City, Police Say.” CNN.com. 18 Mar. 2021.
Nuyen, Suzanne. “Anti-Asian Attack Rise During Pandemic”. National Public Radio. 17 Mar. 2021.
Wu, Nicholas. “Senate Passes Anti-Asian American Hate Crime Bill.” Politico. 22 Apr. 2021.
Zaveri, Mihir. “As Protesters Rally against Anti-Asian Hate, N.Y.C. Records 5 Attacks.” The New York Times. 22 Mar. 2021.
There are many Asians who are being physically and racially attacked in our city. There were about ten suspected anti-Asian hate crimes between January 1 and March 14 that have been reported in New York City. On April 23 an Asian hate crime happened when a 61-year-old man was pushing a shopping cart in East Harlem, and a man dressed in all-black struck him from behind. The old man was in a coma in the hospital. These serious crimes started when it was found that the coronavirus, also known as Covid-19, originated in Wuhan, China. Asians in America were scapegoated for the pandemic. Not only are these crimes happening in New York but the crimes are happening globally. Statistics show that there were about 3,800 instances of discrimination against Asians in the past year. It also shows that many of the crimes are happening to elderly and vulnerable Asian people.
In order for Asian people to feel safe there were protests, so the word can spread. Because of the many incidents in New York, Mayor De Blasio pledged that the city would increase police activity in Asian communities. Not only were there more police officers present, but he encouraged that that all hate crimes should be reported. The protesters have been pushing for a bill to pass on the crimes. An anti-hate crime bill was passed by the senate due to the surge in attacks on Asian Americans during the Covid-19 pandemic. According to Sen. Mazie Hirono, “passing the bill sent a solid message of solidarity that the senate will not be a bystander as anti-Asian violence surges in our country.” Even though the bill passed, the protest for anti-Asian racism will continue until the violence stops.
Asian people should not be afraid to go out in the world because of the way they appear. It is very sad to even see Asians holding up signs that say “I am not a virus.” I can't imagine going out on a regular day and being beaten into a coma or being called names because of a virus. Come to think of it, how does racially attacking Asians make Covid-19 go away? I think it is important for the world to know that anti-Asian racism is not okay and a huge change needs to be made.
MARILYN M. lives in Brownsville, Brooklyn. She loves spending time with her pets and her family.
Works Cited
“Covid-19.” Center for Disease Control and Prevention. 28 Apr. 2021.
Henderson, Jennifer. “There Have Been at Least 10 Suspected Hate Crimes Against Asians this Year in New York City, Police Say.” CNN.com. 18 Mar. 2021.
Nuyen, Suzanne. “Anti-Asian Attack Rise During Pandemic”. National Public Radio. 17 Mar. 2021.
Wu, Nicholas. “Senate Passes Anti-Asian American Hate Crime Bill.” Politico. 22 Apr. 2021.
Zaveri, Mihir. “As Protesters Rally against Anti-Asian Hate, N.Y.C. Records 5 Attacks.” The New York Times. 22 Mar. 2021.
