As a parent of biracial children and in light of broader societal inequities that have been exposed this past year, I have an ever-present worry that my kids will be targeted either because they are Chinese and Black or because they are Chinese and white. How do I comfort them when they hear others wrongfully stigmatize COVID-19 as the “China virus?” How can I help them embrace their identities while navigating ongoing violence and xenophobia in our country? I wish I didn’t have to ask these questions.
The ongoing violence against Asian individuals is heartbreaking, and unfortunately it is not new. From the Chinese Massacre in Los Angeles in 1871 and internment of Japanese Americans during World War II to modern-day hate crimes, this country has a history that includes societal racism and discrimination against the Asian community. I often equate the last year to a steaming pot: The collective anger and frustration the pandemic has wrought has boiled over, culminating in misplaced blame and violence. In the last year, Stop AAPI Hate recorded more than 3,000 hate incidents against Asian Americans in the United States, including physical assault and murder, barring Asian individuals from establishments and verbal harassment.
