Words and actions can hurt, but they can also heal.
Hate crimes against Asian Americans are on the rise. A 2020 study of Asian American hate crimes reported to police in 16 of the country’s largest cities found a 150% increase from 2019. During the same period, overall hate crime dropped by 7%.
Stop AAPI Hate reports almost 3,800 incidents between March 2020—when the organization launched—and February 2021. Physical assaults are the tip of the iceberg, comprising 11% of reports. In urban centers around the country, harassment happens on public transportation, at work, in businesses and outside homes.
Anti-Asian hate: a national and local concern.
In March 2021, a shooter killed 8 people in Georgia, 6 of whom were of Asian descent. These killings devastated the country and shook the Asian American community. These shootings came after months of violent attacks on Asians and Asian Americans.
Some attacks happened close to home. Late in 2020, a 14-year-old boy attacked an elderly Asian couple walking behind a Tacoma grocery store. While the boy repeatedly punched the man, another teen filmed the assault.
In another Tacoma incident, 2 young men attacked a woman outside her home. The aggressors threw a rock, which struck the women’s thigh. They displayed a sign with anti-Asian language.
Racism is a public health crisis.
In 2020, the Tacoma-Pierce County Board of Health took bold action to address the legacy of racism. Board members unanimously passed a resolution that declares racism a public health crisis. Racism is interwoven with the social, economic, and environmental factors that are the major drivers of our health. But because race is a social construct, we have hope of reversing the cruel effects of racism. We can shift attitudes and behaviors and dismantle the institutions and systems that perpetuate racism.
Celebrate cultural diversity.
Tacoma and Pierce County have historical roles in anti-Asian racism. You…
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