Questions about CONDEMNING THE SURGING VIOLENCE, XENOPHOBIA, AND INTOLERANCE AGAINST ASIAN AMERICANS ? Send to: info@acaesusa.org

In the past year, Asian Americans have become the targets of escalating discrimination and violence.  In the several years prior to the pandemic, there were roughly 100 such incidents per year.  Already, that was unacceptable.  But in the last year, there have been 3,800 such incidents, as reported by Stop AAPI Hate, a nonprofit organization that tracks these crimes.  In addition, Asian-owned businesses have suffered pronounced losses.  The violence and hate emerged painfully last week with the killing of eight people in the Atlanta area; six of the eight were Asian American women.  Asian American women rightly began to fear that they were standing in the crosshairs of misogyny and hatred for foreigners.  

A small but dangerous subset of Americans, angered by losses suffered during the pandemic, have directed their anger against a visible and vulnerable demographic group -- Asian Americans, especially Chinese Americans, whom they blame for the pandemic.  Chinese Americans bear no responsibility for this tragedy, and they are equally devastated by it.  Such scapegoating behavior is as old as humanity itself, and it continues with the same tragic effect, creating precedents for the harassment of other groups.  We condemn it and claim instead the fair and equal treatment of all American citizens promised by the Constitution.  

Unfortunately, discrimination against Asian Americans is rooted in United States history.  It began with the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and continued with the establishment of an “Asiatic-Barred Zone” in the Immigration Act of 1917.  Later, during World War Two, thousands of Japanese Americans were interned.  Nevertheless, these discriminatory actions were repudiated by later generations, who recognized that the Constitutional rights of Asian American citizens had been violated. Today, we continue to affirm and uphold the American principles of a just and inclusive society.  

The Asian American community has contributed enormously to the economy, cultural vibrancy, and civic life of Texas.  Throughout the pandemic, the community has supported health care workers and first responders with badly needed Personal Protective Equipment and free meals, offered in grateful recognition of their sacrifice.  Far from being the enemy, Asian Americans have been on the front lines, too, with many Asian American health care workers involved in caring for their fellow Texans.

We in the Asian American community ask our fellow Texans to build safe and welcoming communities by intervening and reporting instances of hate and discrimination. Reporting these incidents is critical to holding the perpetrators accountable.   Please don’t stand by silently; silence is complicity.   Please stop hate and violence against Asian Americans by speaking out against all forms of discrimination, harassment, and violence against Asian Americans!


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