From 2019 to 2020, anti-Asian hate crimes have spiked nearly 150% (Center of Hate and Extremism at California State University). In the past year, over 3,800 Asian hate crimes were reported by the forum Stop AAPI Hate. This shocking increase in hate crimes can be attributed to the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hate-fueled attacks spiked across major cities last year. Moreover, this alarming trend has continued into 2021. Of the 3,800 hate crimes reported from March 19 to Feb 28, 503 alone have been from 2021. On Tuesday night, 6 Asian-American women were shot and killed in spas and massage parlors around Atlanta. More and more stories of Asian-Americans being attacked and assaulted are arising — anti-Asian violence has never seemed more deadly. Many celebrities such as tennis player Naomi Osaka, basketball player Jeremy Lin, and actress Ashley Park are calling for people to speak out. Here is what they had to say:
Ashley Park, a Korean-American actress, made an Instagram video after the Atlanta shooting, talking about the emotional toll the violence against AAPI had on her: “This racism starts at a very small level. It starts with things that you say. It starts when someone calls a virus that shut down the whole world the \’Kung Flu virus.” Park went on to discuss microaggressions and discrimination against the AAPI community and concluded by telling others to recognize and stop the hate.
In February 2021, Jeremy posted a statement on Facebook regarding anti-Asian hate. He opened up about his own experiences with racism on the basketball court, including being called the “coronavirus” during games.
“Something is changing in this generation of Asian Americans,\” he wrote. \”We are tired of being told that we don\’t experience racism, we are tired of being told to keep our heads down and not make trouble.\”
\”We are tired of Asian American kids growing up and being asked where they\’re REALLY from, of having our eyes mocked, of being objectified as exotic or being told we\’re inherently unattractive. We are tired of the stereotypes in Hollywood affecting our psyche and limiting who we think we can be. We are tired of being invisible, of being mistaken for our colleague or told our struggles aren\’t as real.\”
Following the spa shootings in Atlanta, Lin posted some of his thoughts on Facebook. “When TIME [magazine] asked me to write about my emotions following the Atlanta shootings, I didn’t know what the hell to say. So I talked to my family,” he wrote. He thanked his sister for helping him with the piece. “The Atlanta shootings are about Asians, women and Asian women,” he said. Lin concluded his message with “As my immigrant parents paved the way for me, I hope we pave the way for the next generation of Asian-Americans to be strong, empowered, confident women and men.” You can read his TIME article here.
Many other Hollywood celebrities have tweeted out, condemning the Atlanta shootings and anti-Asian hate: “What happened yesterday in Atlanta was brutal, tragic & is certainly not an isolated incident by any means. AAPI hate has been rampantly perpetuated & it’s disgusting! I’m heartbroken for the Asian community & my heart is with the loved ones of those we lost. The hate must stop,” Rihanna tweeted. Other celebrities such as Lana Condor, John Legend, and Ellen Degeneres have also taken to social media to denounce hate crimes.
“I’m angry. This is terrorism. This is a hate crime. Stop killing us. #StopAsianHate ”
— Margaret Cho (@margaretcho) March 17, 2021
“Wake up… your Asian friends and family are deeply scared, horrified, sick to their stomachs and wildly angry. Please please please check in on us, please please please stand with us. Please. Your Asian friend needs you, even if they aren’t publicly grieving on social media. x”
— Lana Condor (@lanacondor) March 17, 2021
“Thank you. This video from @nowthisnews first appeared a few weeks ago, but applies all too directly to yesterday’s events in #Atlanta #StopAsianHate”
— Daniel Dae Kim (@danieldaekim) March 17, 2021
“Absolutely horrible. Sending love to all the loved ones of those whose lives were taken. Our nation needs to reckon with the increased threats being directed at our Asian-American brothers and sisters.”
— John Legend (@johnlegend) March 17, 2021
“Stop AAPI hate. Please watch my conversation with the incredible Moonlynn Tsai & Yin Chang, then go to https://t.co/X3y29zuGtg to find out how you can help. #StopAsianHate”
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) March 17, 2021
“The hashtag #StopAsianHate is rightly trending. How do we do that beyond just tweeting? Some ideas. Examine stereotypes you hold about Asian people. Work to dismantle that within yourself. Raise your voice anywhere that anti-Asian sentiment is present. Normalize calling it out.”
— Ava DuVernay (@ava) March 17, 2021