I stand in solidarity with everyone who condemns all forms of domestic terrorism, and mourn the loss of life Tuesday that left 8 people dead. Of those 8, 6 were female Asian-Americans, and all businesses where the violence took place were Asian-owned. While authorities have not yet deemed this an act of racism, it brings into sharp focus the increase in hate crimes against our Asian-American community over the last year.
The FBI warned of rises in hate crimes against Asian-Americans as early as March 27, 2020. “The FBI assesses hate crime incidents against Asian Americans likely will surge across the United States, due to the spread of coronavirus disease … endangering Asian American communities...The FBI makes this assessment based on the assumption that a portion of the US public will associate COVID-19 with China and Asian American populations.”
The memo has been sorrowfully prescient. Stop AAPI Hate, a group created March 19, 2020 to track and respond to hate incidents, was formed in response to the "alarming escalation in xenophobia and bigotry resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic." The group has found almost 3,800 incidents since February 2020. Here are what some of the headlines in 2020 and 2021 looked like:
All this being said, what can we do here in Montebello? Here's how to be an ally to the community, a great list of resources and suggestions, shares tips from donating, to organizing, to reaching out to neighbors, friends, and coworkers. In times of hardship and tragedy, it is crucial we come together and support one another. With over 10% of our population comprised of those from Asian-American descent, and with the large AAPI populations in our neighboring cities, we can do much here at home to be an example of peace and brotherhood.
In remembrance of those victims identified so far:
Delaina Yaun, 33, of Acworth;
Paul Andre Michels, 54, of Atlanta;
Xiaojie Yan, 49, of Kennesaw; and
Daoyou Feng, 44.
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