Westwood Student Op-Ed: Anti-Asian Hate in America

The following was submitted as an op-ed by Hunter Lee, a senior at Westwood High School. If you would like to submit an op-ed or letter to the editor you can post to Patch, or email samantha.mercado@patch.com.

March 14, 2020: in Texas, a teenager attempted to stab three Asian Americans, including a toddler and a 6-year-old. He thought the family was Chinese and infecting people with coronavirus.

June 27, 2020: in California, a man yelled racial slurs and death threats at an Asian-American McDonald's worker before physically beating her.

July 14, 2020: in New York, an 89 year-old Chinese grandmother was set on fire.

February 12, 2021: against the backdrop of a nation-wide surge in hate crimes and bigotry, Asian Americans across the nation, including myself, celebrated Lunar New Year. As I stood by the kitchen sink watching my grandmother lay out spicy pickled cabbage and tteokguk (떡국), traditional Korean soup, there was a heavy weight on my chest–⁠a small bud of anxiety.

A day that was supposed to be full of celebration and hopes for the new year was marred by the grim reality that our Asian-American community was facing. I wondered: did others’ celebration of Lunar New Year also feel overshadowed by current events and the ominous feelings of anger and unease?

While racism towards Asian Americans is not new, it has become more volatile during the pandemic. Misleading labels like ‘Chinese virus’ and ‘kung-flu’ are tactically being used to incite widespread anti-Asian sentiment and direct blame for the global pandemic onto Asians.

Stop AAPI Hate, a center that tracks discrimination and hate crimes nationwide, recorded more than 2,800 reports of anti-Asian hate incidents in the first five months of the pandemic; 7.3% of those reports involved Asian Americans over the age of 60 years old.

“It's terrifying,” said Stacey Li, a Chinese-American senior at Westwood High School. “Grandparents are in danger because of nothing they’ve done. They haven’t hurt anyone.” While we struggle with the anger, frustration and confusion of seeing our Asian community being attacked, the nation turns a blind eye: the lack of mainstream-media coverage and public attention is devastating. The radio silence invalidates our community's experience of racial abuse, making us feel invisible and isolating us in our struggle.

This silence pervades Westwood as well: our community has failed to effectively acknowledge the surge in bigotry towards Asian Americans throughout this pandemic. There are people in our Westwood community who are directly affected by the racially charged events going on in the world, but it has not been acknowledged by our schools, the town government or the news.

You can change that.

Take action by signing petitions, contacting news stations and most importantly, educating yourself and those around you. Have conversations with your family about racism and xenophobia. Talk to children about why it is wrong to call Covid-19 the ‘Chinese virus.’ Do research on the model minority myth and begin dismantling it in your own life.

There are enough bystanders in the world: I ask that you be outraged with us.

Click here for a place to start