#AntiAsianViolenceis on the rise. A recent report just came out to say that Asian women have been MOST vulnerable to physical attacks during this time. We need you all to take a step back and think about how ALL of this is related to the fantasy that Asian women, in particular, are docile, subservient, dragon ladies, or that we have never experienced racism or others forms violence. This is where the#modelminority myth (subscribing to it and believing it) has also caused more harm. This is an age old perception of our communities. And one that makes us vulnerable to physical assaults and more.
Yes to accountability. No, the response is not to invoke hate crime legislation. This will fuel the prison industrial complex. We cannot rely on devices that have historically been used against our communities and our peers. This will make things worse and cause more divisiveness, while legitimizing the existing institutions that need serious transformation.
We started AAPI Women Lead to remind everyone of our histories of violence and of our powers. Most of us came to these lands (as guests of indigenous cultures) because of racialized, colonial wars. Most of our histories include decades of colonial resistance. We must remember this and we must embody that history of resistance. And we must remember that we can only do this with others. We cannot continue to use frameworks or strategies that will continue to harm any community of color. This is solidarity.
This is about an entire nation that has historically been racist towards our communities and created + feeds off of calling this global health crisis the “Chinese Virus.” This is about scapegoating - blaming Others, creating Others - to invoke rage and fuel racial violence.
This is the time to strengthen solidarity because we cannot let it get worse. Some of us are trying to get ahead of the curve or to meet it with racial solidarity. Please, at the very least, participate in the#GlobalCampaign4RacialSolidarity. Join us by clicking: https://watch.jogg.co/r/oArq. It’s a cultural shift campaign. And we will need all of us to counter all the racial violence.
Our response: Global Call for Racial Solidarity Under COVID-19 Pandemic (click the link: bit.ly/2WxxPxw)