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While most Americans are staying home, trying to navigate virtual work and worrying about paying bills, Asian Americans are doing all of that while also fearing for our safety.
And it doesn’t stop there.
The ad also shows Biden with Washington state’s Asian American former governor, Gary Locke, appearing to falsely suggest that Locke is a Chinese official, not an American politician. (The campaign defended the ad and said it was meant to target Hunter Biden.)
As many Asians are under attack, I’ve heard very little from my non-Asian networks about this issue. In conversations with non-Asian Americans most were surprised to hear about this surge in hate crimes. Even those who watch the news shared they hadn’t heard anything about this. For me, that’s something to worry about.
The longer we must distance ourselves socially, the more likely individuals will need to go outside for a walk or to the store. Asian Americans should be able to do this without the fear of being bullied, harassed or assaulted. But, to do that, we need active allies.
Here are five things you can do to help.
Choose your words carefully when explaining Covid-19.
I’ve told my 3-year-old that he can’t play with his friends because people are getting sick — mentioning China is unnecessary. Many kids, and even some adults, cannot distinguish between the Chinese government and Asian Americans. If your kids are old enough to understand, then now is the time to explain the distinction. Equating Asian Americans to the Chinese government robs us of our identity as Americans. Even in 2020, Asian Americans still battle the stigma of being to some “the perpetual foreigner” regardless of the fact that many Asians have called the US home for generations.
Business leaders and professionals should make sure to model properly referring to this pandemic as Covid-19 or coronavirus.
Be careful with your memes and jokes.
Off-handed comments and jokes can have unintended consequences down the line that harm the Asian community. There have been several social media posts “joking” that we are social distancing because someone ate a bat in China. While this may seem harmless –and I even laughed at the meme — a child who hears that may think it’s okay to mock their Asian classmates for causing the virus.
There are deeper ramifications when impressionable people are looking for a scapegoat. Like many Asian Americans, growing up I dealt with classmates who accused me of eating cats and dogs because of my race. Three decades later, kids will bully numerous Asian American children for the misconception of eating bats if we don’t choose our words carefully.
Explain to children that we should treat our Asian friends at school and in the community with respect, and show them compassion, as some of them may be victims of bullying.
If your children are old enough to understand, raise awareness of racist bullying and tell them to report it to teachers if they see it happening. While we can’t stop racist adults from spewing hate, we can influence teens and college students to prevent more violent incidents from happening.
Demand your elected officials, school leaders, and business leaders denounce racism against Asians and Asian Americans.
Leadership around the country –in public and private sectors– can take action. Contact your local government officials, school administrators, chief diversity officers, human resources representatives and business leaders. Highlight the attacks against the Asian/Asian American community and demand that they take action to publicly denounce this discrimination.
When schools start to re-open, it is important that administrators take a tough stance on this topic. It is also important for schools to remind teachers to be on the lookout for discrimination in the classroom.
Check in on your Asian friends and loved ones.
Racism and hate crimes will not go away overnight. Everyone has a role to play in combatting xenophobia. By taking simple actions in shifting our language and checking in on vulnerable populations, we can build a better and kinder world for everyone.
Let’s hope the next time my cousin puts on her sunglasses it’s only because it’s a beautiful and sunny day outside.
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