AAPI Hate: Perspectives and Experiences
Blog posted by Jessica Louie
The Beginning
Asians have been the target of violence in the United States for hundreds of years, almost ever since their arrival in the 19th century. Among the first Asian immigrants were Chinese people looking for new employment opportunities following the Opium Wars. As increasingly more Chinese immigrants arrived in the U.S. for work, they began to face hostility and violence from White people for “stealing” their jobs and “being” dirty, despite being recruited by companies like the Central Pacific Railroad Company. Legislation and executive orders such as the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and Executive Order 9066 are prime examples of the U.S. government intentionally committing harmful acts against Asians. Throughout history, Asians have faced both violent acts and harmful stereotyping, such as the Model Minority Myth, a stereotype that continues to this day and has real-world effects.
Before COVID-19
Even before COVID-19, racism against Asian Americans was casual and normalized. Jokes about Asian people eating dogs and West Asians, South Asians, Muslims, and Sikhs being terrorists became somewhat of a norm. Even today, these “jokes” and racial profilings still occur. After the tragedy on 9/11, airport security ramped up, leading to the racial profiling of West and South Asians in airports as “threats”. For instance, a popular Twitch streamer, Hasan Piker, is of Turkish descent. In a stream where he reacts to a Muslim girl saying she would be checked for “bomb residue” at the airport, Hasan pauses and asks “Wait, doesn’t everyone go through that?” Most of his audience was shocked and replied with a collective “no”. Because Hasan had gone through this security procedure throughout his entire life, he had believed it was normal for everyone, which goes to show just how normalized racial profiling is, especially towards West and South Asians. This experience should not be considered “normal”, nor should it be anything people have to go through.
Growing up as an Asian American, I experienced microaggressions and racism throughout my life. Words like “dog eater”, “small eyes”, and racial slurs weren’t uncommonly spoken at school. People who I thought were my friends would pull back their eyes at me. They would ask me things like “Can you even see with those eyes?” and mock the food I ate. As a kid just trying to fit in at school, these words were seemingly harmless and I took them as jokes. I laughed with everyone else even when it was at my expense. This was a common occurrence up until high school as I began to distance myself from people who would make such jokes. Although the majority of the microaggressions stopped, there were still a few instances here and there, such as when someone who I considered a friend would call Chinese people racial slurs. At the time, I didn’t understand the severity of his words and brushed it off as him having an odd personality. As a fellow Chinese person, I didn’t think anything of it, but his words were demeaning and reduced people to just their ethnicity. Slurs against Chinese people have never been reclaimed. Even if your friends joke around like this, it’s important to discuss the meaning and history behind certain words, ensuring that no one is uncomfortable or hurt by it.
During COVID-19: The Present
As soon as COVID-19 became prominent, the rumors of the virus originating from a wet animal market, from bats, or a lab in China were used as excuses to target Chinese people. As a whole, Asians and Pacific Islanders became the scapegoat for the virus and global pandemic. Violent attacks against AAPI individuals became extremely prominent, with the elderly being a main target.
As COVID-19 rapidly spread throughout, my Asian peers started retelling stories of being yelled at on the streets and jokes of eating bats spread just as quick. My fellow Asian students and I were often asked if we had Covid and were on the receiving end of racial slurs. Alongside the Asian Student Alliance club, I led a presentation about AAPI hate to our entire school staff, and it was presented to the entire school over the next week. Despite the information and message that we hoped to spread, it didn’t seem to stop many people from continuing to say slurs or anything hateful towards Asian students. I initially thought that people were simply ignorant, but when presented with the issue, many students seemed to continue to ignore their problematic actions. This still happens today. Many students still call Asian people racial slurs or refer to all Asian people as “Chinese”. It’s frustrating to see and hear because I often feel helpless or scared to call them out on their words. Part of the reason why many Asian individuals may feel afraid is the Model Minority Myth, which downplays the racism AAPI folks face.
Another example of ignorance at my school was during International Week in 2022. Our school had divided the week into individual days: Africa, Latinx, Asia, and more. For Asia, only Lunar New Year decorations were on display. Things like red lanterns, couplets, and red envelopes were the only decorations. Because Asia is such a large and diverse continent, I didn’t expect such a lack of representation. For me, it was another act of my school showing that they didn’t care about their Asian students. To make things worse, for Lunar New Year this year, the holiday was wildly disrespected by some of the staff and student body. Couplets were placed improperly: upside-down and on the ground for everyone to walk over. Red envelopes were ripped up, tossed on the ground, in the flowers, in the trash. I was shocked and upset by such blatant disrespect and the overall lack of regard for such a significant holiday for a lot of Asian students. My school is just one case, and it may be very different for Asian students all across the country.
On The Contrary
One thing I’ve noticed with the rise of Asian popular culture, such as K-Pop and anime, is the rise of romanticization and mockery of AAPI cultures, as well as the rise of sinophobia. From what I’ve seen, people have romanticized living in South Korea and Japan. Many people on social media make videos about all the wonderful things about living in those countries while ignoring the very real issues the citizens often experience. Large problems like suicide rates among students and sexual assault often go ignored in favor of the more glamorous parts of the country. This leads to a warped view of these countries, letting people think that they’re perfect.
Most prominently, Korean and Japanese cultures are often romanticized and mocked. So-called “Koreaboos” and “Weeaboos” may throw in random Korean and Japanese words or phrases in a cutesy voice in order to “sound” Korean/Japanese. Some people also reduce Japanese culture to merely “kawaii” or cute things–pink snacks and pink items with cherry blossoms. One very wild example is of a small group of people wanting to be “transracial” in order to “become Asian”, which I find incredibly disturbing. Despite this supposed “love” of mostly east Asian cultures, many people still continue to hate cultural foods or traditions, calling them “disgusting” or “weird”. While AAPI culture has become “trendy” lately, there is still a lack of respect for many aspects of it. There seems to be a never-ending battle between extreme likes and dislikes of Asian cultures.
This leads me to sinophobia, which is defined as the fear or dislike of Chinese people and/or Chinese culture. The U.S.’s relationship with China and the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) actions have led to Chinese people becoming synonymous with the government. As such, Chinese products often get a bad reputation for being low quality, unreliable, and untrustworthy. To combat this, some Chinese companies have appealed to the people by altering their branding. For example, household goods store Miniso and popular game Genshin Impact have both marketed their products in a Japanese style. Miniso has been accused of copying popular Japanese brands like Uniqlo, Daiso, and Muji. They were also called out for labeling Disney princesses wearing Qípáo, a traditional Chinese dress, as geishas, traditional Japanese performers and entertainers. Similarly, Genshin Impact is a game where the art style of the characters and overall game is reminiscent of Japanese anime. Both companies did this in order to appeal to more people and not be known as a Chinese company due to sinophobia.
Additionally, TikTok, a popular social media platform, has recently come under fire for privacy and security issues. The American public, legislators, and representatives generally have a negative view on TikTok now. Due to TikTok being a Chinese company, many are concerned about the Chinese government’s ability to access user data. However, this scrutiny has come at the cost of Chinese companies’ reputations. Chinese companies have often been considered “untrustworthy” and the investigation on TikTok has only worsened that reputation.
TikTok is not the only social media company that accesses user data. In fact, all the social media apps you might use can access your data. However, there has never been such an intense reaction in the name of security and privacy concerns. While Facebook has previously been under investigation before, no one has ever tried to outright ban the app completely, unlike what is already happening with TikTok. I can’t say for sure whether or not the intensity of the American government’s response to TikTok is due to sinophobia, but I think it plays a part in how the company and app is viewed.
What Can Be Done?
As racism against AAPI individuals is still prominent across the country, it’s important to take note of such instances in our communities. Spreading information, raising awareness, and advocating for AAPI rights is necessary to change the present, as well as the future. Taking small steps in your community, school, or family helps on the journey towards equality and equity for the AAPI community. While calling out racism may be scary, it is crucial to stopping it from happening in the future. This can be as simple as “Hey, don’t say that.” Simple expressions of disagreement of racist actions can have big impacts. While it’s not likely that your words will change a racist individual’s mindset and actions, the acknowledgement of racist actions can help AAPI individuals feel seen and supported. Speaking up or even letting an adult know are opportunities to stand up for yourself and support others that may have similar experiences. Personally, when I see adults I trust calling out racist actions, I feel supported and more comfortable in my environment. Knowing that someone in a higher position of power supports me makes me feel empowered to stand up for my community. For youth, I recommend speaking to trusted adults and educating loved ones before working up to proactively acknowledging racism. On a larger scale, I believe that people in positions of power, such as government officials, need to begin thoroughly acknowledging the prevalent and rampant racism against AAPI individuals by implementing new legislation. It is hard to advocate on large scales if your own government doesn’t support you.
Throughout my life, I’ve had changing experiences and perspectives on AAPI hate. From microaggressions, to racist attacks, to exotification of AAPI cultures, to sinophobia, society’s attitude towards AAPI individuals seems like a never-ending rollercoaster. Despite everything, the AAPI community and its allies stay united in the fight for AAPI rights. While it may seem as if no progress is being made, it’s the small steps everyone takes that build up to create tangible change.
If you or anyone you know is seeking mental health or emotional support, be sure to talk to someone you trust or a licensed professional. If you’re looking for additional safety and educational resources, the Lotus Project has compiled a list under the “Resources” tab. Stay safe and healthy, and let’s keep advocating!