Read & Resist: #StopAsianHate, and the Atlanta Shootings
A typical morning at W would often start with a quick round-up of links to that day’s fashion- and culture-related news called “Chic in Review.” But last summer, when a white police officer named Derek Chauvin killed an unarmed Black man named George Floyd, protests erupted across the country, and we revived the daily column as the slightly more radical “Read & Resist.” Then, on Tuesday, March 16, a 21-year-old white man entered the Youngs Asian Massage Parlor and Gold Spa in the Atlanta, Georgia metro area and opened fire, killing a total of eight people, mostly women of Asian descent. The news is just the latest in a string of hate crimes against Asian and Asian American people across the nation—last year saw a 150 percent surge in major cities across America, even though overall hate crimes fell by seven percent—and we feel that the time to inform and call our readers to action is now. Here are the stories, videos, and tweets we’re hoping you don’t miss this Wednesday.
“The Muddled History of Anti-Asian Violence”
The inimitable Hua Hsu’s story for the New Yorker on the history, nuances, and his personal experiences with anti-Asian racism is a must-read.
“What It’s Like When Racism Comes for You”
The spike in anti-Asian hate crimes can be directly linked to the pandemic and former President Donald Trump’s incendiary rhetoric, labeling Covid-19 the “Kung Flu” and “China Virus.” In this Atlantic article, reporter Elaine Godfrey tells the story of Mari, a Chicago resident of half-Japanese descent, who had never been attacked for her Asian American ethnicity before 2020.
“Asian Americans Reported Being Targeted at Least 500 Times in the Last Two Months”
A chilling rundown of the rates at which Asian and Asian American people have been targeted in hate crimes since 2020, put together by the organization Stop AAPI Hate.
“Attacks on Asian Americans in New York Stoke Fear, Anxiety and Anger”
Last month, The New York Times ran a reported story about the anxiety and fear felt by many after the increase of hate crimes against Asian Americans in New York City since last year following Donald Trump’s repeated insistence on calling Covid-19 the “Chinese virus.”
