Blowback of COVID: Asian Discrimination
written by 20302 Kim Dan Hee
Violence against Asians profoundly increased in the U.S. during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Police reports analyzed by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University proved that Asian hate crimes soared by 149%.
According to USA Today, those in workplaces assert they experience microaggressions. “Strangers at Home: The Asian and Asian American Professional Experience” a study done by Coqual has found that more than 1 out of 3 Asians experience discrimination at work.
Microaggressions against Asians could be put into two categories.
First, perpetual foreigners: this is where their colleagues assume they are people born outside of the U.S. They receive comments from their co-workers such as, “Where are you really from?” and “Your English is very good”.
The second is over-validation, generalizing them as the typical Asian portrayed in the media. Over-validation is where a person surmises Asians will be good at math or they will work harder than others. Some of these validations do include compliments, yet I believe they are still harmful.
Microaggressions against Asians could be put into two categories.
First, perpetual foreigners: this is where their colleagues assume they are people born outside of the U.S. They receive comments from their co-workers such as, “Where are you really from?” and “Your English is very good”.
The second is over-validation, generalizing them as the typical Asian portrayed in the media. Over-validation is where a person surmises Asians will be good at math or they will work harder than others. Some of these validations do include compliments, yet I believe they are still harmful.
Making generalizations about groups is a slippery slope. “Positive stereotypes” endue pressure and distort their view of perceiving themselves. It also derives from a false belief that one can know things about a person based on what he or she knows about their racial group.
I believe companies should speak up about Asian hate in the workplace.
I believe companies should speak up about Asian hate in the workplace.
In 2021, around 700 tech companies participated in the Tech of AAPI online rally to combat violence against the AAPI. Executives of corporations such as Instagram, Pinterest and Silicon Valley claimed how important it was to address the hate.
This rally was organized after massive Asian hate crime incidents, such as the Atlanta shootings.
The Atlanta shootings took the lives of six women of Asian descent. One of the shootings took place at Youngs Asian Massage Parlor in Atlanta, Georgia. Authorities stated Robert Aaron Long, shooter, had a sex addiction. While he claims his shooting was not racially driven, Asian Americans have historically been sexualized.
This is the second part in a six-part series that the Opinion department of the PRESS explore the issue in detail.
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