It's no secret that since the coronavirus pandemic began, many Asians (whether they’re Asian American, Asian Canadians, or Asian immigrants) have experienced an increase in racism and hate crimes.
Simu Liu had called this out back in January.
Just reminding you that the coronavirus doesn’t give you an excuse to be a dick to Asian people.
John Cho also penned a powerful op-ed for the LA Times, and Daniel Dae Kim has issued an anti-racist statement regarding coronavirus-related racism.
The Asian Pacific Policy & Planning Council (A3PCON) received over 1,100 incident reports of coronavirus discrimination in the span of just two weeks. Here are some of the nonviolent incidents from their report:
One victim described, "I was shouted and harassed by the cashier, workers, as well as customers at the store to get out of the store. 'You Chinese bring the virus here and you dare asking people to keep social distance guideline.'"
Another victim shared, "As I was walking to my bus, a white, middle-aged man screamed at me to 'wear a respirator' because I'm Asian. And when I was on the bus, a middle-aged woman sitting across from me kept staring at me while holding a rosary in front of her. After a few minutes of this, she moved a few seats away from me while maintaining eye contact with me."
Others have taken to Twitter to express their frustrations and fears.
It’s fucking me up emotionally how one day a Korean film with subtitles can sweep The Academy Awards and the idea of inclusivity/progression is in the air. A month and a half later, I’m being told I eat bats and Asian American hate-crimes are on the rise. #COVID19 #Covid19usa
Some instances are more violent. One man in Texas allegedly stabbed three Chinese Americans at a Sam's Club. In San Francisco, a group of people attacked an elderly Asian man collecting cans. And a group of bullies attacked a 16-year-old Asian American boy in high school after accusing him of having COVID-19.
“The video is very disgusting to see. Elder abuse.” — Supervisor @shamannwalton speaks about this viral video of an elderly Asian man attacked, bullied & humiliated by a group of people for collecting empty cans in a Bayview neighborhood. @SFPDBayview working the case. #racism
There's also been many cases of vandalism directed at Asian-owned businesses across the country. And some can't afford to repair the damages with customer decline.
Even Asian American doctors are facing coronavirus-related racism from their patients.
So if you or anyone you know has experienced coronavirus-related racism of any degree, we want to hear from you. Please share your experience(s) AND your thoughts/feelings in the dropbox below.
We want to feature your stories in a BuzzFeed Community post to increase visibility into coronavirus-related racism directed at Asians and amplify Asian voices.
Because you're valid and deserve to be seen.
Right Side Thumbnail Credit: Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images