This article is written from a Chinese-American Perspective.

By Joy Purcell, Staff Writer and Artist

Alright, let’s address the elephant in the room here: hate against Asian-Americans. How long has this hate been going on? Hate against Asians has been going on since the 1800s. However, I believe the numbers skyrocketed once the coronavirus made its entrance into this world.

I have never seen hate against Asian Americans this bad since the pandemic started. I saw people blaming us for the virus, calling it the “China virus,” “Kung flu” and “Chinese virus.” Then, I read articles in the news about Asians being brutally attacked when walking down the streets of some busy city. I even remember my own classmates from high school being racist against me before the lockdown. 

An article by CNN states that there have been around 500 times where Asians were targeted with hate and racism. Three thousand seven hundred ninety-five were targeted this past year. Why has no one really talked about this? Another article made by CNN includes this statement: “Nobody came. Nobody helped. Nobody made a video.”

And now, in the light of the shooting that happened in Atlanta just recently on March 16, it’s really becoming frightening. As a Chinese American myself, it’s infuriating to see all the news articles on Asian hate, such as how an Asian American was stabbed to death or someone shouting racial slurs at them or telling them to go back to China. Why are we being attacked for something we did not cause? 

Now, police are saying the man who shot and killed eight people just “had a bad day.” 

Another thing that I would like to point out is what exactly counts as racism against Asians? Besides punching someone in the face or yelling, “Go back to China and take your virus with you!” That’s one thing. They are Asian, but they may not be Chinese. They could be Korean, Japanese, or Vietnamese. Or walking up to an Asian-American and asking, “Are you Korean?” While they are Chinese, that’s racist. Asking, “Do you eat a lot of rice?” That’s racist. Calling a soup kitchen run by Asian-Americans and asking, “Do you sell bat soup?” That’s racist. Avoiding an Asian-American in the store simply because they’re Asian and they are being blamed for a virus? That’s racist. In the past, I have been asked if I eat rice or if I am from where I am not from. When I look back at that, I now see how uncool that is, and I should have stood up for myself and my people. 

Why is hate against Asian Americans just getting addressed now? Why did it have to take a massive shooting to get people’s attention? I ponder such questions. 

So you, the person reading this article, please stand up against the hate going against Asian Americans. We need a change. Whether you are Black, White, Latino, Mexican, Spanish, Asian, Indian, let’s not let these hate crimes be overlooked; it has been too many times. Let’s make it to where other Asian Americans and I can feel safe going out again.

Oh, and if you have some sort of beef with Asian-Americans, you need some Jesus.