Considered by some a "model minority" in the United States, Asian Americans have been confronted with racial hatred and violence in recent months. According to research by Stop Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) Hate, there were nearly 3,800 anti-Asian racist incidents from March 19, 2020 to February 28, 2021, not including those that have occurred the most recently.

Six women of Asian descent were shot dead in Atlanta on March 16. 

An elderly Asian woman was attacked by a white man in San Francisco on March 17. 

An Asian woman was attacked at Times Square in New York City on March 29. 

Another Asian woman was fatally stabbed while walking her dogs in California on April 3.

Among the hate crimes, Asian women seem to have become an easy target.

While they may be able to escape the coronavirus, they also need to escape violence.

Asian Americans are now living in fear due to a rise in anti-Asian sentiment. An Asian girl even told CNN, "I didn't want to be Asian at all."  It sounds exaggerated, but can anyone understand her fears of being racially bullied since childhood?

A large number of people took to the streets to protest against anti-Asian discrimination, reminiscent of the "Black Lives Matter" protests last year. However, in a nation advocating that "all men are created equal," the American people have to face a desperate reality: Even skin color is priced.

Undoubtedly, the rhetoric of former U.S. President Donald Trump regarding COVID-19 worsened anti-Asian sentiment, causing Asian Americans to suffer white supremacy.

In fact, racism against Asians in the United States has a long history. In the middle of the 19th century when the first batch of Chinese immigrants came to the United States for gold, hatred against them started to rise. Later on, at the turn of the 20th century, discrimination against Japanese and Hindus started to emerge. In recent years, the U.S. has seen a revival of McCarthyism. It seems that the shadow of racism has been hanging over Asian Americans for a long time.

It's been a year since the U.S. government started its anti-Chinese campaign by using COVID-19 as the excuse. Now, mass vaccination is being conducted worldwide and the novel coronavirus will be under full control. But is there a cure for discrimination and hatred against Asians?

Credits: 

Editor: Yuan Xin

Senior producer: Wei Wei 

Managing director: Mei Yan

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