by Maggie Wu
The nation was in shock briefly following the Atlanta shooting which left 8 dead, 6 being Asian women. The media released the information of all eight victims: Delaina Ashley Yaun Gonzalez, 33; Paul Andre Michels, 54; Xiaojie Tan, 49, and Daoyou Feng, 44, were identified Wednesday and Hyun Jung Grant, 51; Soon Chung Park, 74; Suncha Kim, 69; and Yong Ae Yue, 63. Despite the shooter’s claim that he was “easing his sexual temptation”, the incident is categorized as a hate crime against the Asian community.
Since COVID-19 broke out last March, hate crimes against the Asian community in the United States increased by nearly 150% compared to 2019. There were 3,800 reported cases of hate crimes against the Asian community, and more remained in the dark. As the virus broke out, individuals who resembled East Asian features became and remained frequent targets of violence.
In San Francisco’s Chinatown, the oldest in the country, the residents expressed concerns over the rise of violence targeting Asians. COVID is not easy on the community and its residents. Historical dining facilities including the renowned Golden Gate bakery was shut down and future remains unclear. Due to the concentration of the East Asian population, Chinatown frequently became where violence against the Asian community took place. On March 19, just days after the Atlanta shooting, an Asian grandmother made headlines for fighting back her attacker with a stick. But this is hardly the end.
Shortly after the incidents, many walked out of their homes for the #StopAsianHateMovement. Protests rose nationwide condemning the rise of hate crimes against the Asian community. Many GoFundMe pages were created for the victims of recent attacks. However, when will this stop, or will it ever stop remains an uncleared question.
