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The Atlanta shootings that occurred on March 16 showed a devastating reality that America has not yet faced — Asian Americans have been dismissed in this fight against racism. The series of mass shootings that occurred at three massage parlors in the metropolitan area of Atlanta killed eight people, six of whom were Asian women. This devastating event took place amidst an upsurge in anti-Asian violence during the pandemic. 

Authorities from the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Department have charged the suspect, a 21-year-old white man, Robert Aaron Long, with eight counts of murder and one count of aggravated assault. Long has since confessed to the attacks but also blames a sex addiction for his actions. The Captain of the Department said, “He apparently has an issue, that he considers a sex addiction, and sees these locations as a temptation for him that he wanted to eliminate.” 

Between March 2020 and February 2021, Stop AAPI Hate, an initiative supporting Asian, Asian American and Pacific Islander communities reported nearly 3,800 anti-Asian hate incidents in the U.S. In a summer survey from the Pew Research Center, 30% of the Asian Americans reported having been subjected to racist slurs since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. A recent study found that former President Donald Trump’s description of Covid-19 as the “Chinese virus” led to a rise in anti-Asian hate online. 

As we move forward as an American community, it’s important to acknowledge everyone’s background and do so with love and respect. We cannot continue to tolerate the disrespect and violence endured by different marginalized communities.

The following article details a list of ways you can be an ally to the Asian American community: How to help Asian Americans under attack

Sources:

CNN: Stop Asian Hate

NYTimes: Atlanta Shooting Asian Massage

Harvard Gazette: History of Asian Hate

BBC News: Murder Victim Identified

CBS News: Atlanta spa shootings suspect charged

Image courtesy of Creative Commons.