Fairfielders Rally To Stop Asian Hate

FAIRFIELD, CT — A large crowd gathered Saturday morning on Town Hall Green to decry racism and violence against people of Asian descent. Together, they chanted, “Stop Asian hate.” Many carried signs with phrases such as “rise up against racism” and “stop hate, stop the violence.”

The rally, held by Fairfield Standing United, drew a large crowd that appeared to be at least 100 people, and included speakers such as Attorney General William Tong and U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal.

“It took a huge spike in hate crimes and bias incidents against Asian Americans to finally start having this conversation,” Tong said.

Violence against Asian Americans has increased since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. Eight people, including six women of Asian descent, were killed last month in a string of shootings at spas across the Atlanta area. A recent video showed a 65-year-old Filipino woman brutally attacked on a New York City street while three men looked on from a nearby building.

“This is happening here at home in Connecticut,” Tong said. “It’s not just happening somewhere else.”

Just days ago in Milford, a driver told a pedestrian to “Go back to China,” berated the pedestrian for wearing a face mask outdoors, and reversed his vehicle, pointing it toward the victim, according to police. Last month in a committee hearing, a state representative said Asian people were not victims of discrimination. In January, an elementary school and a store in Fairfield were vandalized with political graffiti, including the phrases “United States of China” and “Beijing Biden.”

State Sen. Tony Hwang said Saturday that racism against Asian Americans is not just about violence — it’s also about the biases people hold. Hwang’s point was emphasized by testimonies from several Fairfield students and alums. They shared stories of having their race questioned or mocked, but also of a teacher who couldn’t tell Asian American students apart, a stranger who complimented a girl’s mastery of English — her native language, and a school environment lacking Asian history or traditions.

Fairfield Warde High School senior Rosalie Hsu recounted an incident in which a friend’s mother said one indicator that a Chinese restaurant had good food was that there were no Americans eating there — meaning no white people.

“I’m Asian, but I’m still just as American as anyone else,” Hsu said. “I’m sick and tired of being treated like some perpetual foreigner in my own country.”

Several speakers Saturday advocated for legislation. Blumenthal said he plans to introduce a No Hate Act to fund police efforts to fight hate crimes. Tara Figueroa, chair of Trumbull’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Task Force, spoke in favor of state Senate Bill 678, which would add Asian Pacific American studies to Connecticut's public school curriculum. Rachel Dreyfus, from Moms Demand Action of Fairfield, called for the U.S. Senate to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act and argued every firearm sale should require a criminal background check.

Other speakers included state Reps. Laura Devlin, Jennifer Leeper and Cristin McCarthy Vahey; First Selectwoman Brenda Kupchick; Selectwoman Nancy Lefkowitz; the Rev. Vanessa Rose of First Church Congregational; Ricardo Ashy of Make the Road CT; and Aimee Guerrero of Fairfield Standing United, who organized the event.