Written by Katie Jung
Edited by Veronica Cifuentes
Artwork by Katie Jung
“Can you see me?”, my classmate asks while pushing their eyes back, making a mockery of my Asian features. I feel as though I should cry, given the fact that I'm being asked if being Asian makes me any less human. Instead, I laugh. I even crack a few jokes. And to this day, I can still remember the content, delighted look in my classmates eyes, as if proud of ridiculing the features that make up who I am.
The History of Anti-Asian-Racism (AAR)
The roots of racism towards Asian Americans in the United States extend to the early 18th century. According to Lily Zheng of the Harvard Business Review, the first Asian American immigrants were Chinese laborers looking for new work opportunities abroad. By the early 1850s, the 25,000 Chinese migrants attracted by the California Gold Rush constituted roughly 10% of California’s total population.
Adrion Leon of the Conversation explains that the model minority concept developed after World War II, positing that Asian Americans were the ideal immigrants of color to the United States due to their economic success.
However, in the United States, Asian immigrants faced mounting hostility from white settlers who perceived them as an economic, health, and moral threat to a nation that promoted a racist “whites-only” immigration policy. In fact, during this time period Asian Americans were often referred to as a “yellow peril”: unclean and unfit for citizenship in America (PBS 2020).
Modern AAR
Racism towards Asian American seen throughout history is reflected in today's world. The cultural effects of the recent COVID-19 pandemic is a prime example of the racial violence Asian Americans endure.
Ranging from the U.S. administration declaring COVID-19 as the “Chinese virus,” to when eight lives were taken in a racially motivated Atlanta shooting, hate crimes targeting the Asian American community have reached unprecedented levels. Indeed, the compilation of hate crime data, published by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, reveals that anti-Asian hate crime increased by 339 percent last year compared to the year before.
Additionally, social media has played a significant role in contributing to the modern AAR portrayed in this country. According to Claire Wang of NBC News, a new youth-led study revealed that one-quarter of Asian American young adults have been the targets of racism in the form of verbal harassment, shunning and cyberbullying over the past year.
However, this discrimination is not limited to adults. In 2014, 13-year-old Emilie Olsen, an adopted Chinese student attending a predominantly white Middle School located in the suburbs of Cincinnati too, struggled with this obstacle. Relentless racially motivated harassment and cyberbullying resulted in her suicide on December 11th of 2014. Emilie Olsen is only one of the many victims of AAR - a precious life, lost to racism and hate. This harassment is exacerbated in the modern, technological age. Indeed, in a recent Asian American bullying report, 70% of Asian American respondents experienced or witnessed a significant increase in cyberbullying in 2020.
Looking Ahead
The need for diversity, equity, and inclusion in American spaces is not new. The significant increase in hate crimes following the COVID-19 pandemic, modern impact of AAR on individual lives and constant discrimnation towards immigrants, are all evidence of the constant discrimination and racism exemplified in this country. As a result, many young Asian Americans are left to struggle alone. Thus, as a community, this awareness is crucial for a change. However, considering that we are living in the 21st century, reflecting on how Asian Americans have been treated throughout history demonstrates khow this blatant racism will only continue to persist in a society that prides itself in honoring "diversity".
Sources:
Leon, Adrian De. “The Long History of Racism against Asian Americans in the U.S.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 9 Apr. 2020, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/the-long-history-of-racism-against-asian-americans-in-the-u-s.
“Anti-Asian Hate Crimes Increased 339 Percent Nationwide Last Year, Report Says.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 14 Feb. 2022, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/anti-asian-hate-crimes-increased-339-percent-nationwide-last-year-repo-rcna14282.
CaryChow_. “Just Stop with the Slanted-Eye Racist Gestures.” Andscape, Andscape, 2 July 2018, https://andscape.com/features/just-stop-with-the-slanted-eye-racist-gestures-2018-fifa-world-cup/.
“'You Have Chinese Virus!': 1 in 4 Asian American Youths Experience Racist Bullying, Report Says.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 17 Sept. 2020, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/25-percent-asian-american-youths-racist-bullying-n1240380.
“Slanted Eyes.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/minority-report/201605/slanted-eyes.
2021 Asian American Bullying Survey Report - Act to Change. https://acttochange.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Asian-American-Bullying-Report_FINAL.pdf.
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