As of Jan. 23, our nation’s mass shooting toll for the year stands at 40.
Two of these deadliest shootings, in Monterey Park, Calif., on Jan. 21, and two days later, in Half Moon Bay, Calif., involved a majority of victims of Asian descent.
My initial reaction to hearing the news was sadness and outrage. Sadness that after three years of witnessing escalating anti-Asian violence, our community was targeted again. A Pew Research study finds that 63% of Asian Americans believe crime against our community is on the rise – to the point that 36% of us have altered our daily routine for fear of attack.
This, in contrast with data that report more than one-third of Americans are unaware of the rise of attacks against us, or believe this violence has decreased.
Anger at shootings turned to shame
I was outraged that a murderer would be so brazen to kill on the eve of our most venerated holiday; one that is also rife with superstitious traditions.
The prior day, my text chain with my best friend, who is also Chinese American, was us reminding each other of all the Lunar New Year taboos. While we don’t consider ourselves particularly “traditional,” it was ingrained since our childhood that our actions, down to when to wash our hair, would affect our luck in the coming year.
That’s why the Monterey Park Lunar New Year eve shooting doubly stung as an inauspicious omen. Who would desecrate tradition and purposely set an evil tone for our year to come?
As news unfolded that both mass shootings were Asian-on-Asian crime, my feelings turned to shame.
How could we do this to ourselves? What terrible optics. How can I protest “othering” when “the others” are within our own community?
We can’t remain silent about violence
With shame, came silence. Perhaps if I didn’t speak of these self-inflicted tragedies, they would melt into yesterday’s news.
Further conflicted, the Lunar New Year shuns any talk of death or killing. Again, a bad omen for the year to come.
What…
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