Reading for Treasure: Confronting Anti-Asian Hate

Reading for Treasure is my list of articles (and other readings) that are worth your attention. Click here for an introduction!

We must forcefully denounce the horrible hateful acts against people of Asian descent. Just as we deplore racist acts against Black and brown people, the LGBTQ+ community, and other racial, ethnic, and religious groups. American’s strength is its diversity. Here are a group of articles to help people, primarily people who are not affected by this kind of bigotry, both understand, speak out, and act. 

“#StopAsianHate: United against racism, misogyny + white supremacy”: Marc H. Morial is the President and CEO of the National Urban League. In this piece from Afro, he responds to the murders in Atlanta and the wave of Anti-Asian hate crimes. He lists six specific actions to combat this kind of racist violence, “After four years of policy, rhetoric and messaging at the highest levels of government that fanned the flames of bigotry and inspired acts of violence against communities of color, the pandemic has brought us to a crossroads. It exposed America’s racial fault lines in nearly every indicator – health care, economic stability, justice, and democracy -and forced the nation to confront its legacy of white supremacy. We must seize the opportunity to create lasting change by emerging from this crisis a stronger nation determined to achieve a more perfect union for all its people.”

“We Must Confront Anti–Asian American Hate Crimes”: Far too few of our leaders have spoken up.” Larry Hogan is the governor of Maryland. His brief piece in The Atlantic urges all of our elected officials, “in both the public and private sectors and across the political spectrum, to clearly and forcefully denounce the hate. Far too few have spoken up directly to condemn these acts. Words—or the lack thereof—matter.” He also points out, “But words should be accompanied by action.” 

“A Letter to the Jewish Community from an Asian American Jew”: Lest we think that the racism is simply “out there,” Mira Baum writes in JMore about her experience as a Jewish woman of color experiencing racism in the Jewish community. She makes a powerful call to accountability, not only Jews but especially Jews: “I’m holding you accountable. There are Jews of different races and they face racism. They, too, require the same protection and validation that White Jews receive against anti-Semitic attacks. While anti-Semitism and racism are different, they share a commonality: they are both founded upon and reinforced by baseless hatred. You need to legitimize experiences of racism, even when the racism is found within our places of worship. We must remain accountable for our actions and actively work against the many forms of baseless hatred that persist in our culture.” 

“What to Do Instead of Saying 'I Don't See Race'”: Aisha Jordan writing for Lifehacker addresses the problem with the concept of race blindness, “ The truth is, racial colorblindness only benefits those who have the privilege of not needing to think about race in their daily lives. Those who are unlikely to be discriminated against have the luxury of buying or renting homes, going into stores, or interacting with law enforcement without being reminded of the color of their skin.” She puts this concept in clear perspective and provides both the rationale and alternatives to the cop-out of denying race. 

“Donating, Volunteering, Reporting Hate Incidents: Here's How to Help Combat Anti-Asian Violence”: Time Magazine presents a good list of actions and resources to fight against this plague of hate. 

I am currently reading A Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse