Manhattan Beach Residents Take A Stand Against Asian Hate

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA —Acts of hate against Asian Americans have prompted two Manhattan Beach residents to take a stand. The MB Families Against AAPI Hate campaign of awareness began over the weekend and will culminate on Saturday, April 24th.

Madeline Kaplan and Diana Skaar are asking members of the community to make a statement of compassion and stand in solidarity with the AAPI community by writing messages of support on their driveways.

"I learned that my neighbor grocery shops for a South Bay friend who is fearful to leave her home because she was harassed with anti-Asian slurs," Kaplan told Patch. "I also found out that two other friends feel anxious while doing the activities they would normally think nothing of. I realized our Manhattan Beach Asian American and Pacific Islander community needs to know their neighbors stand with them against Asian hate."

Kaplan said she got the idea after emailing the Manhattan Beach Police Department with her concerns about AAPI hate in the South Bay. "The City highlighted its participation in the LA vs Hate program by sharing their MB vs Hate campaign on their Facebook page," she said. "I clicked through the link and that's how I got all the resources I needed to plan the event."

From there, she teamed up with neighbor Emma Hite for initial planning, and it was school board member Jason Boxer, who offered early support, who connected Kaplan with Skaar.

after I emailed the MBPD with my concerns about AAPI Hate in the South Bay, the City highlighted its participation in the LA vs Hate program by sharing their MB vs Hate campaign on their Facebook page? I clicked through the link and that's how I got all the resources I needed to plan the event.

Skaar was more than happy to participate. "As a Thai-American who has experienced racism in LA from as early as elementary school, I hoped that my bi-racial kids growing up in our beautiful MB community could be shielded from this," she said. "I was raised to internalize this pain, to be silent and to be strong. However, with the rise of anti-Asian hate crimes across this country, I realized that I can no longer shield my kids from racism and need to prepare them for it. I was appalled when my son came home from school one day with jokes he learned about 'chinky eyes' and Asian accents."

Skaar says she could no longer remain silent. "I've thought a lot about the healing power of allyship," she said. "It has made me realize how something as simple as a message of support, with no expectation to respond back, can mean the world."

She says she was "incredibly thankful" when she connected with Kaplan, a fellow mom.

"By writing messages of solidarity and compassion in our driveways, it is our hope that our neighbors and friends out on walks will feel supported knowing that hate is not welcome here in Manhattan Beach," Kaplan said.

Skaar says she hopes three things will be achieved as a result of the campaign. The first is that it increases awareness of the rising hate against the AAPI community and provides ways for the MB community to easily express their love and support.

"For me personally, I realized how increasingly difficult it was to go about my day-to-day routine while worrying about the safety of my elderly Thai parents and wondering if I had prepared my kids well enough for future jokes at the expense of Asians," she said. "It was hard for me to put on a face in front of my MB friends and neighbors and show that 'life is a beach' when internally I was worried about these things."

She also wants to spread a message of love and support to the MB AAPI community that Asian Americans do not have to internalize this alone. Her wish is that this campaign moves to other local neighborhoods.

"In fact, on my social media, I've already received commitments from families from Orange County, Bay Area, Sacramento, and Oregon who are committed to spreading this message on their sidewalk," Skaar said.

Kaplan would like to see Manhattan Beach join other California municipalities that have passed resolutions or held press conferences expressing solidarity with the AAPI community by taking a strong stand against AAPI hate. "When cities make strong statements against hate, targeted communities feel supported," she said.

Some of the messages Skaar and Kaplan would like to spread include:

• Stand Together Against Asian American Hate
• I Stand with Asian Americans/ Our Family Stands with Asian Americans
• End Violence Against Asians
• Stop AAPI Hate
• Manhattan Beach vs. Hate
• Hate Not Tolerated Here
• Everyone Deserves Respect

If you prefer social media, the organizers recommend the hashtags: #StopAsianHate #MBagainstHate #StopAAPIHate

For more information, contact Madeline Kaplan at madbiest@yahoo.com or Diana Skaar at dianaskaar@gmail.com