A wave of hatred and violence against Asian Americans is reaching dangerous levels after a mass murder in Atlanta
As News Front previously reported, on the evening of March 16, a shooting occurred at two spas in Atlanta, Georgia, as well as a massage parlour in Cherokee County. Eight people were killed in the attacks, including six women of Asian descent.
The incident came amid a wave of anti-Asian racism. Asian American lawmakers and politicians say that with the Atlanta massacre, violence and discrimination against their community has reached a tipping point.
“The Asian American community has reached a tipping point that cannot be ignored”, – Judy Chu, head of the Asian Pacific American Congress, told members of the House Judiciary Committee.
Grace Meng, a Democrat from New York, recalled that Asian Americans have been crying out in vain for help since last year.
“Our community is bleeding. We are in pain”, – she told a congressional hearing.
She was joined by experts and human rights activists. They argue that the escalation of hatred against Asians is linked to Donald Trump’s harsh rhetoric. As US president, he repeatedly blamed the spread of the coronavirus solely on China and called COVID-19 the “Chinese plague”.
However, it is reckless to place all responsibility solely on Trump. The current administration of Democrat Joe Biden continues its anti-China campaign. In Washington, they regularly state that the PRC poses a threat to American security, which is bound to have an impact on public opinion.
As a consequence, in the last year, according to Stop AAPI Hate, there have been around 3,800 instances of hate speech against Asian Americans in the US. These include both verbal abuse and physical violence. Women of Asian descent are affected twice as often as men.