No. 151 / Apr 19, 2021
Since last year, Asian hate has become increasingly violent and severe. Asian people living in the Americas, Europe, and Australia are facing blatant discrimination and physical violence. The London Metropolitan Police Agency stated that East Asian hate crimes increased by 95% in 2020 compared to 2019 before the COVID-19 outbreak. What is causing this?
On March 16 of this year, a shooting occurred in Atlanta, Georgia. Specifically, it took place at three spas in the city in broad daylight, and six of the eight casualties were Asian-American. Four of them were Korean women. The perpetrator claimed that he was not racially motivated. In response, Atlanta’s consul general said, “Since the COVID-19 outbreak last year, not only Koreans but Asians in general have become more anxious. The investigation is still underway, so we cannot immediately conclude that it was a racially motivated crime, but we acknowledge what happened. We must raise awareness regarding safety measures while reassuring the Korean community.” If hate crimes are recognized, then aggravated punishment is possible Murder convictions in Georgia can result in a minimum life sentence with the possibility of parole after 30 years. In New York, an 83-year-old Korean-American elderly woman was verbally abused and punched by a black man. The victim hit her head on the ground and she lost consciousness. When she regained consciousness, the assailant had already disappeared. Westchester District Attorney Miriam E. Rocah said, “I urge everyone to report all hate crimes and bias incidents, even if you are not the victim, so that law enforcement can track and work to prevent these terrible acts.”
As mentioned above, Asian hate crimes have increased significantly since the COVID-19 outbreak. In a paper published in the American Journal of Public Health, 780,000 tweets with the hashtag “China Virus” were made in March, and 50.4% of them had anti-Asia hashtags. In light of this, large-scale rallies were held in Los Angeles (LA) and elsewhere to ondemn racism and hate crimes against Asians. On the March 27th, a National Action Day rally was held in the Los Angeles Koreatown, hosted by 40 Korean-American organizations, City Council member Mark Ridley Thomas, and Miguel Santiago of the California House of Representatives. Protest phrases included “#stop_asian_hate,” “#hate_is_a_virus,” and “#i_am_not_a_virus” These phrases were also used in anti-racism statements on Social Network Services (SNS).
In the current social climate, the spread of infectious diseases is used to justify violence and hatred. While it is true that COVID-19 threatens the safety of everyone around the world, it does not mean that Asians should be assaulted and despised because of it. If this atmosphere of hatred is tolerated, then the shifting of blame and acts of violence will continue to occur. Not only the Asians living in the Americas and Europe, but everyone around the world should be concerned about racism and hate crimes.
By Lee Noo-ri, AG Reporter
cabello@ajou.ac.kr
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