On March 16, 2021, a gunman targeted three Atlanta spas, killing eight people - six of whom were Asian women. Less than two weeks later, video surveillance caught a man attacking a 65 year-old Filipino-American woman in New York City - pushing her to the ground, kicking her stomach and stomping her face as he shouted anti-Asian slurs. And just this month, eight workers were murdered at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis. Four of them were Sikhs.
In recent weeks, news about anti-Asian sentiment has made headlines. Since the mass shooting in Atlanta, dozens more instances have been reported and #StopAsianHate continues to trend on social media. However, discrimination and violence against Asian-Pacific Islanders (API) goes beyond recent news reports. It has a long history - even in our own community.
To create more awareness and provide resources to combat anti-API racism, VPM will host Breaking the Cycle of Asian Hate, a conversation with local API leaders about the historic nature of anti-API racism and what actions we can take to #StopAsianHate. The online panel discussion will take place April 28 at 7p.m.
Laura Pho, API community activist and advocate, will moderate. Of this conversation, Pho said, “Asian hate is not new in our country. Right now, a wave of Asian hate is hitting Asian and Pacific Islander communities everywhere, including Virginia.”
“Buddhism is a strong influence in the Asian culture. The belief is that we are all connected - and so discrimination against any one group impacts us all,” Pho continued. “It’s important to have this conversation, so we can learn ways to help stem the tide of Asian hate and violence.”
Joining Pho are panelists May Nivar, Chair of the Asian & Latino Solidarity Alliance and the Virginia Asian Advisory Board; Ting-Yi Oei, Director of the Asian American Education Project for Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC; Natalie Nguyen Woodruff, Vice-President of the Service Employees International Union - Fairfax Chapter; and Farah Chowdhury, Epidemiologist and Regulatory Consultant at a multi-national scientific consulting firm.
Last year, VPM hosted a screening of the 2020 five-part docuseries Asian Americans, followed by a panel conversation about API’s rich history in our country, as well as the racial struggles those of Asian descent have faced.
Breaking the Cycle of Asian Hate is a continuation of that conversation, providing awareness and resources to help our community end Asian hate for the benefit of future generations.
Register to participate in the Zoom conversation online, or watch on Facebook Live.
You may view last year’s Asian Americans panel discussion below. A list of API resources are offered at the end of this article.
VPM will rebroadcast the five-part docuseries, Asian Americans, starting Sunday, May 2 at 4p.m. Go HERE for the VPM television schedule for additional air times.
You can also stream Asian Americans anytime on VPM Passport. Go HERE to learn more about how to access our streaming service.
Header photo credit: Willem Hester | Storefront of Chinatown meat and vegetable market, San Francisco, Ca., 1895 | University of Washington, Special Collections, Hester 11128
BOOKS
- The Fortunes, Peter Ho Davies
- Driven Out: The Forgotten War against Chinese Americans, Jean Pfaelzer
- The Making of Asian America: A History, Erika Lee
- America for Americans: A History of Xenophobia in the United States, Erika Lee
- The Chinese and the Iron Road: Building the Transcontinental Railroad, Gordon H. Chang
- A Nation of Nations: A Story of America after the 1965 Immigration Law, Tom Gjelton
Water Tossing Boulders: How a Family of Chinese Immigrants Led the First Fight to Desegregate Schools in the Jim Crow South, Adrienne Berard
WEBSITES & HOTLINES
- The Asian American Education Project -AAJC provides API curriculum and teachers guides for educators.
- The 1882 Foundation has an abundance of resources including more books and links to key organizations. It also has a list of collaborating institutions from the Smithsonian to libraries, and museums around the country. For teachers there is an education linkthat includes several lesson plans.
- Asian Americans Advancing Justice Center - AAJC: Asian American Pacific Islander COVID19 resources.
- I Holla Back: Bystander intervention training.
- Stand Against Hatred: Report a hate incident - available in English, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean.
- Iolani Palace: A Hawaiian Place of History, Power, and Prestige - Lesson plan on Hawaiian culture and history.
- Telling All Americans’ Stories: Introduction to Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage
- Election information hotline: 888-API-VOTE (888-274-8683) - available in English and eight Asian languages.
