BOSTON’S NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS URGE ACTION AGAINST ANTI-ASIAN VIOLENCE

Cici Yu & Justin Chen

With anti-Asian hate crimes and racial violence on the rise in America, many are looking at potential solutions to these chronic problems. 

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As many as 26 Massachusetts-based organizations came together recently to discuss the matter-as well as how to support each other through the ongoing pandemic. At a town hall in March, the event opened with a moment of silence to honor the lives lost at the March 16 shooting in Atlanta, Georgia. 

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Tamiko Beyer, a social justice communications poet, read her poem “We Are Bodies in Bodies We Are Stars”. This opened up the space to discuss how COVID-19 has exacerbated xenophobia and anti-Asian racism and to call on communities for widespread support.

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“I think there has always been a history in the United States of discrimination, bullying, and hate crime against the Asian community,” said Edward Flynn, a Democratic city councilor, Boston. Talking to Boston Common News later, he said that the rhetoric from elected officials in the previous White House administration using the terms such as “China Virus” and “Kung Flu” devastated the Asian community. 

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“The 150% spike in anti-Asian hate crimes since the pandemic began is not simply the result of racist individuals who were unleashed in Trump’s America,” said Kate Ratcliff, history professor at Emerson College. She said that the Trump administration “demonized a group of racialized others” to create political advantage.

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Addressing the seminar, Tufts University professor Jean Wu also mentioned the “model minority” stereotype that was imposed on Asian Americans. She believed that this title was used like a “punching bag”. 

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Councilor Flynn vowed to educate people about the contributions and sacrifices of Asian Americans. He suggested that citizens experiencing hate crime to document these incidents and report them to the Boston Police Department. Furthermore, the city of Boston should educate universities and colleges about what their roles are when racist hate crimes occur. 

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The town hall also offered a resource guide to citizens who are seeking a deeper understanding of the Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders community, and ways to continue to engage with it. 

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“To create a different society, we first need to acknowledge that we are all interconnected,” Tamiko Beyer commented. She added that we all have responsibilities for taking care of each other.

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(Ends)