Community activists are urging everyone to rise up against anti-Asian hate.
“The Asian American community has a target on our backs right now and we need everyone in society to rise up against this rising hatred,” said Connie Chung Joe with the Asian Americans Advancing Justice LA.
She says all incidents, small or large, should be reported to her organization’s site standagainsthatred.org so the situation can be monitored. Like many she feels “anxiety and anger” and worries about others who are scared by hateful images they may be seeing on TV and social media.
She points out, “The reason hate incidents and hate crimes feel so much worse than other incidents and crimes is that you’re not just targeting the individual victim you’re targeting a community.”
Congressman Mark Takano, who represents parts of Riverside County, says Congress can do some things like “heighten the FBI; concern the Justice Department to set the tone.”
“My concern is that whenever feelings are stoked up against any one of Asian ethnicity in this country it gets generalized to everybody,” stated Takano.
Thursday morning the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing.
Representatives Judy Chu and Young Kim both testified about their concerns. In LA County, Sheriff Alex Villanueva and others held a summit to talk about those in the crosshairs. The sheriff said he’s concerned about “any community that is vulnerable.” He says, “…if someone is being abused or harassed in any way, we need to be able to step up to the plate and say ’hey no… that’s not going to be allowed here.’” Sports figures, actors and others have been speaking out.
“This reminds me much of the homophobic violence that I saw against the gay community during the AIDS crisis. It is sad to say we haven’t evolved as a society but I know that being very vocal about these issues is the best thing I can do to cope right now,” said comedian Margaret Cho.
Meanwhile, actor Clyde Kusatsu has seen much since his childhood. He says he worries about today’s Asian American kids and adds, “I grew up knowing I was different but now it’s more bullying and hateful on a lot of these kids and it’s really impacting them.”
