- We need to talk about anti-Asian hate. - The wave of violence against
elderly, Asian Americans - Violent attacks against Asian Americans. - More than 2,800 reports
since the pandemic began. - [Woman] Man attacks the couple. - [Man] Elderly woman
is chased by a bully. - [Woman] Slapped her and
lit her clothes on fire. - [Man] Violently pushed to the ground. - [Woman] Eight people
are dead after shootings. - I never see him again. - Since the Corona virus pandemic began, thousands of Asians in the U.S. have become targets of harassment. The Stop AAPI Hate Reporting Center found that bullying, assaults and verbal abuse are
becoming more normalized across the United States. Now, there are a lot
of upsetting incidents that demonstrate this
spike in targeted attacks. Some of which you might
have recently seen shared across social media, but what has always deeply
bothered me about this issue is why have so many of us not
talked about this before? Not just online, but in our classrooms, or with other marginalized groups, or even at our own dinner tables? Why is it that when we need
to talk about anti-Asian hate it often feels like we're talking about it for the first time. - Despite having such a
long history in this country we are not the ones you
think of when you think of Americans. And very often people
don't take the time to even distinguish between who
is Chinese, who is Korean, who is Japanese and so on. And now we find ourselves
in this really tragic and unpredictable situation,
not just in America, but around the world with this virus. - He shouted, "I don't want
your coronavirus in my country." And he swung a punch at me. - Anti-Asian sentiments are
nothing new in this country or around the world. To try and determine how we
can best protect ourselves, while also proactively working
with other communities, we'll be diving into the often overlooked and complex history of the
Asian experience in America. - The United States was founded on principles of freedom and
justice, but also on racism. And I think when we deny that
we end up hurting ourselves. Racism is built into our structures. It's infused into our cultural DNA. Racism is constantly adapting and shifting to fit the moment. And the quicker we acknowledge
that hate as a whole is a problem that we all have to address the quicker we can get to some solution. - To start, let's clarify something. What exactly do I mean,
when I say Asian American. Today the term is used
as a sort of pan-ethnic catch-all that includes the
diasporas of the world's largest populations like China,
India, Indonesia, Pakistan Philippines, and so on. However, in America we often
think of Asian Americans as people who might look more like me or are of East Asian descent. - So, I remember, probably
the first experience that I had, a woman I sat
down next to on an Amtrak, just started yelling at me and literally just kind
of punching me a bit on the shoulders to
just get away from her, because she was you know, thinking she was going to get infected. - In this video we'll be
focusing on the experiences of people from East and Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. But I want to point out
that many of the issues and histories being
discussed will also include the viewpoints of other
ethnicities and races since neither Asians nor
the term Asian Americans is a monolith. I also want to preface this with the fact that there's no easy
answers to the questions that I'll be discussing in this video. There is a wide range of
different opinions within and outside of the
Asian American community which are important to address. So if you're with me right now I encourage you to grab
your friend or neighbor or your family and get them
to watch this with you. How much do they know about Asian American
history and targeted racism? Not a lot coming to mind, right? Don't worry. It is the same for me. I, myself was born and raised in Texas and our textbooks had nothing on what I'm about to share with you. - The recent events are not new. You know we, you go back a hundred years and you see, like
literally the same thing. People calling Chinese
immigrants dirty and, you know thinking that they carry
diseases, taking jobs all this stuff, you see it like,
it's been happening, right? And it's crazy that still
a hundred years later we're back here again. - Ever hear of the term Yellow Peril? It referred to East Asian Americans being a sort of existential
danger to the Western world considered both unclean and unfit. So, how did the Asian American community first become established in North America and how excited were the
white people to see them? I'm sure it went really well. - The Chinese came over to
the United States in droves in the 1800s. They came fleeing desperation
and poverty back in China and settled predominantly in the West. And they were responsible
for building so much of our infrastructure here in the West. But soon after they
started getting accused of taking jobs from people and, you know, they didn't look like European immigrants. They wore their hair in, in long queues and they had eyes that were
reputedly evil looking eyes. And because they were
perceived as working for less than what white Europeans
and Americans at the time would work for. They earned this reputation
as being dirty and unclean. - Amid this venomous
atmosphere came the passage of the infamous Chinese
Exclusion Act in 1882. The first law in the United States that barred immigration
solely based on race, meaning you are disqualified
from entering this country just because you are who you are. Now, the sentiments of the Yellow Peril were actively enforced by federal law. As xenophobic propaganda spread
about Chinese uncleanliness the sentiment boiled over into violence. On October 31st, 1880, a violent mob formed in Denver's Chinatown attacking every Chinese
person and business insight and killing one resident. Similarly in the fall of
1885 anti-Asian feelings in Seattle led to four months of riots aimed at driving the
Chinese out of the city. The same year white workers
in Wyoming massacred 28 Chinese coal miners. These are just three of
over 150 anti-Asian riots that swept through the American West during the 1870s and 1880s. Now you might have already
noticed a narrative of supposedly disease and
uncleanliness being used as a weapon to rationalize
hatred towards Asians. Sound familiar? Well it's happened and
it's happened a lot. - The thing that is so devastating to me is that viruses have emerged
from all over the world. Yet an entire people don't get blamed for spreading the virus around the world. - In 1900, the bubonic
plague broke out in Honolulu in response, the Board of
Health set fire to 41 buildings in the city's Chinatown. Forcing its residents into
quarantined detention camps. Six years later in Santa Ana, California the city council citing a
Chinese man who allegedly contracted leprosy, decided to
burn down its own Chinatown. Not to mention how American officials denigrated Filipinos for
their supposedly unclean and uncivilized bodies in
the early 20th century. The pervasiveness of these
racist beliefs can be seen through 1930 when
Californian mobs attacked a Filipino community. Murdering 22 year-old Fermin
Tobera, no one was charged. Keep in mind that these examples of anti-Asian violence I've mentioned were the few that were actually
reported, or remembered. American history would gladly hide and forget the race
fueled atrocities aimed towards its own Asian citizens at home. Especially in times of war. During World War II, the
media and war propaganda depicted Asians as crafty and cunning. Yep, that one's from Dr. Seuss himself. Then after the bombing
of Pearl Harbor in 1941 Japanese Americans were arrested within hours and detained
without due process. Two months later, about 120,000
people of Japanese descent were rounded up and taken
to incarceration camps. - What happened to Japanese
Americans during World War II that is such a black
mark on American history the internment of over a
hundred thousand Japanese and Japanese Americans. And after that demographic was interned for so many years, immediately thereafter, they having lost everything,
went back to their lives. That's been sort of the Asian way. - Many of the incarcerated were second or third generation Americans
and naturalized citizens. Even those who joined the 442nd, an elite U.S military regiment
after they were confined had apparently not done
enough to prove their loyalty and be considered American. By the way, the 442nd regiment
is another incredible unknown Asian American story. They were the most decorated infantry unit of their size in U.S military history. And they literally fought for the freedom of a country that was
stripping away theirs. That is true patriotism, not the people telling them to
go back where they came from. - My dad, you know, came
here as an immigrant when he was originally,
when he was eight years old. He subsequently joining
the army in World War II and became a World War II veteran. Did that make a difference in terms of the quality of his life? No, we still experience
the same discrimination. - I heard about the days
where my grandfather and mom had to hear, you know,
go back to China, constantly. A lack of compassion towards Asian people tends to percolate and
has a lasting effect. - Years later the Immigration Act of 1965, finally removed race specific
restrictions on immigrants. Many of our families
can trace their entries to the Asian Americans
who came during this wave to this country, and a new
generation of immigrants, like myself were born. - You have to keep in
mind that a large majority of Asians in America
right now are the result of the new immigration laws and mid 1960s. So we have a lot of Asians
that came over and had no idea of the racial tension that
they were coming into. They're new to this country. They came here from war torn countries. They're trying to survive. And so when you're trying to
survive, you are just going to do your best to not cause a
stir and hope no one notices. Because in their countries
if you cause a stir, like you were dead. - My parents are both from mainland China and they left in the cultural revolution, left for Cambodia, stayed
there for maybe a decade or so. And then they had to flee
the revolution there too. Yeah, the traumatic one,
the genocide basically. Kind of a classic immigrant
story, very textured and layered and you know,
traumatic, very traumatic. - Now, something else that act of 1965 did was prioritize skilled
workers, shifting immigration from an exclusionary quota system to a merit based point system. Meaning highly educated and
upper-class Asian immigrants were the majority of those allowed in, leading to the exceedingly
problematic fallacy that was dubbed the model minority. - I would shrink my
shoulders, put my head down. And try to be invisible. The immigrant shrivel. - A model minority. - Now I know some of you
have probably heard the term, model minority thrown around many times, but it is far more
sinister than you realize. It refers to the concept
that Asian Americans serve as a model, or
reference for other minorities about how to be successful. - This notion of being
that stereotypical, quiet, well-behaved, dutiful citizen has caused all sorts of problems. One, it's created a silent,
what they call bamboo ceiling in so many corporations. Where you are welcome to the
table because you behave, but you cannot sit at
the table and speak up. We know this because Asians
and particularly Asian women according to Harvard Business Review are the least likely to
get promoted to management. It's implicitly created
implicit bias and racism in Asian community against
so many other minorities. - The stereotype was coined in 1966 by white sociologists William Petersen. From its inception it has
been employed as a weapon, contrasting Asian immigrants against so-called problem minorities, who fail to conform to
white culture and society. However, many of the
advances of Asian Americans around the time, the 1960s, were not the result of hard work alone, but a product of the same systemic forces that held others down. - 1965, Asian quotas were lifted from Asian countries, right? But those quotas ask for people
who were educated, right? Who could bring some value to society. Doctors, engineers, educated
people, college students. - So, as many of our
families immigrated here they were immediately cast
into this model minority myth. The overperformance of some sectors of the Asian American
population, which come on, American officials basically curated this from the beginning, was presented as proof that the post-World War II
higher education system lived up to its promise of meritocracy. - From the beginning
this model minority label pitted specifically Asian
Americans against, you know, black Americans. And it got really prevalent
in the 1980s and the 90s. And now it's just so entrenched and just like kind of part of the DNA of I think both our communities, where they see us one way,
we're seen a different way. So it's actually, it really
puts us against each other. - After that you have a magazine saying that Asian Americans
are the model minority which makes it so that, oh if Asian Americans who
are predominantly picked from countries based on their
education and class status can make it why can't black
and Latin X people make it? So that is how we have
been used as a racial wedge by the media to say that we
are better than other races. - The perceived inclusion
of Asian Americans perpetuated through
this myth has been used to undermine the activism
of African-Americans, indigenous peoples and
other marginalized groups in the United States. The model minority theory proposed that Asian Americans were more successful than other ethnic minorities
because of hard work, education and our inherently
law abiding natures. Do you hear how gross that
is when it's plainly defined? Because it gets very complicated. This emphasized the
idea that the new system was truly colorblind. Meaning if certain minorities
and poor whites failed to rise they only had themselves to blame, because the Asians could do it. - Why is it that Asian Americans
are actually the wealthiest and highest incomes of
any group in America? I mean, so that would
actually go against the idea that the entire country is
built on white supremacy still. And again, the U.S. constitution
was not written in Korean, it wasn't written in Chinese, but it shows that any individual, any person that comes here with hard work and entrepreneurial attitude can succeed. - The government has repeatedly
exploited this attitude to further drive a wedge
between Asian Americans and other people of color. - I grew up watching
black comedians make jokes about Mexicans all the time or Chinese people all the time, because the crabs-in-the-barrel behavior where everyone was trying to climb out, is as long as I'm not on the
bottom, it's better than that. I'd rather be any place
else than on the bottom. And that's true of poor or
socioeconomically disadvantaged white people too. They'd rather situate
themselves or align themselves politically with politics that
actually don't serve them, but that is better than
being on the bottom with black people. And so they become the
protectors, if you will, of race. - Look, I've been guilty
of perpetuating this myth in different ways throughout my life. Whether consciously or subconsciously and it can manifest itself
in subtle, surprising ways. Consider my reputation here
online with you as viewers. So often I'm cast and appraised as a high performing individual
who's great at everything, but I mean, come on, I have lost and been totally
mediocre in countless videos. Like, we know I can be
terrible, accept it. - Hey. - Did someone ordered the
world's worst babysitter? What's a proper way to wake a baby up? Do you just shake him? I'm not great at math. I don't play chest. I said chest. I'm out, first one's out. Big surprise. - We pretty much all knew
that he was in fourth. - One time when I got
high, I stripped naked. I stole my friend's dog. I climbed up a tree and
proclaimed myself the wolf king, but that was one time. Whenever I do anything well many will cite that it's because I'm Asian and that I'm sure it's
always meant as a compliment, but really think about how attributing an individual's success to their race undercuts their accomplishment
and their individuality. And on top of all this the biggest hoax of
the model minority myth is although it might appear
to benefit the Asian community it has never guaranteed
safety from anti-Asian hate. - I remember my father
telling me difficulties for his assimilation because
he's trying to prove himself in society and especially American society that he felt almost not able to provide because he didn't speak the language. And then also how is he
going to create a family in a new place. - In 1979, when anti-Asian
racism spiked again after the Vietnam war, the
KKK drove Vietnamese refugees from a fishing village in Texas, set fire to their houses and boats and hung a shrimper in effigy. - I think that the
Vietnamese people, and again just talking about Vietnamese
people and their experiences, is that they're just so exhausted. There's no point in fighting, you know and if they don't like
us, then we're just here. - This was not that long ago, but there was a muted outcry
about these heinous crimes. It wouldn't be until 1982 that a horrific murder
would be the major trigger that mobilized Asian American
communities to come together and stand up for their civil rights. A man you might have never
heard of named Vincent Chin showed the world that
justice does discriminate. His murder and the events that followed forced many within and
outside the Asian community to adjust their perspectives
and perceptions about race. - Vincent Chin was murdered in 1982, he was about to get married. And he was at his bachelor
party in a strip club. There were these two white auto workers. This was during the
Detroit auto workers crisis where a lot of Japanese car companies were really doing well. So a lot of people were
blaming Japanese car companies for the loss of American jobs. These two white auto workers
looked at Vincent Chin and said, "It's because
of you mother fuckers "that we're out of work." And Vincent Chin and the two guys Ronald Ebens and Michael
Nitz got into a fight then followed him to the
McDonald's that was nearby and took out a bat from his
car and proceeded to beat him to death in the middle
of the street with dozens and dozens of onlookers. His brains in the street. The guys ended up not having
to serve a day in jail, paying $3,000 for my cousins death. - You know the judge in the
case was a prisoner of war. And he looked at these
two white men and said, "These are not the kind
of men you send to jail." - "These aren't the kind
of men you send to jail." With those words, judge Kaufman's decision was a pivotal turning point for Asian American consciousness. - [Man] Following the 1982
beating death of Vincent Chin by two white men, caused
Asian American groups across the country to protest the verdict. - He beat up this Chinese guy, because he thought he was Japanese. - Vincent's last words
were, "It's not fair." - What outraged the Asian community, both escaped a 15 year prison term. Instead they were placed
on three years probation and given a $3,000 fine. - I want just for Vincent,
I want justice for my son. - It showed that people of
different Asian ethnicities were inextricably linked. I mean, the perpetrators attacked Vincent because they thought he was Japanese. And it didn't matter that
he was Chinese American. To them it was all the same. That's when we realized
the discussions around race relations in the United States
needed to include all of us. A movement of solidarity
and activism emerged that still persists today. And yet I had never been
told about Vincent Chin, growing up. Maybe my parents or
grandparents heard about him. And I'm sure they were shocked
and angered by his death, but I can't help, but
feel that my family's need to survive sometimes outweighed
their need to speak out. To remain detached and
removed from any issues that could threaten their
children or way of life. Vincent Chin's story
exposed that even though he was a member of this
so-called model group, he was still an outsider. And the promises of protection that came with attempted assimilation
into white society was false. - Deceptive protection. We think that we are safe because we have been adjacent
to the white majority and therefore benefit
from their protection. - That's what Asian
American studies call is, conditional citizenship. If you don't fit the
conditions, like that on a dime, you're flipped out. - For decades many Asian Americans felt ill-equipped to
stand up for themselves and other communities. However, when Vincent's
story did finally create a momentum of activism,
it was the black community in the midst of the civil rights movement that served as an example
for our own uprising. - The United States as we understand it was built on the project of racialization, of separating, distinguishing, and valuing and de-valuing people along lines of race and their proximity to
work away from whiteness. - The struggle of Asians and African-Americans are very different and we're not trying to equate
our experiences in any way, but we also need to remember
that we've been linked in ways we don't often hear about. - You know, these violent
attacks against Asian Americans, it's also, you know, I'm black and Asian. So it's really disheartening
and actually really traumatic to read stories like this. I just saw like a really huge
need for these two communities to come together 'cause we're
not each other's enemies. When you understand the
history of everything, you kind of start to understand
how you can move forward. Back in the sixties and seventies I think they truly understood
how important education was. And I think that's why they
set up a lot of neutral aid. A lot of community support
that involved educating. - The Civil rights movement
was highly influential amongst Asian American
leaders who drew inspiration from black freedom fighters. Likewise, when Japanese
Americans were sent to detention camps during World War II, black civil rights leaders try to repeal the Emergency Detention Act. Cross-cultural activism blossomed as Asian American
students rallied alongside black student organizers
and other ethnic groups as part of the Third
World Liberation Front in the late sixties. This culminated in
student strikes that led to equal education opportunities and the creation of
ethnic studies programs. In 1978 it was black people
who called for the U.S. to accept Indo-Chinese
refugees and even paid for a full page advertisement
in the New York Times. Similarly, when Vincent
Chin was beaten to death black activists like
Jesse Jackson were part of the movement to call
for justice for his murder. - Those who live, we
must redefine America, so everybody knows everybody
fits in the rainbow somewhere. - You know, there was a photo I just found of Jesse Jackson holding
my great auntie Lily Chin, comforting her. I remember every day that
it was racial solidarity coalitions that made
Vincent Chin's name known all across the country. That created federal
legislation around hate crimes that didn't exist for
people like my cousin. - It's because of the black community and civil rights movement, that Asians then adopted
and who were beneficiaries of immigration, improved rates and in terms of voting policies that were more immediate to us, in terms of interracial marriage that was now available to us. And that once again started from another community that was othered, that we were othered with. - Activists like Yuri Kochiyama and Grace Lee Boggs not
only pulled insights from black radical frameworks
for Asian American liberation but were also strong and active advocates for black social justice movements. Yuri was so involved with Malcolm X's work that she was present at
his assassination in 1965 and at the forefront of
countless civil rights and social justice battles
over the last six decades. Unfortunately, a notable schism occurred between the communities after the 1991 killing of Latasha Harlins. Latasha was a 15 year-old black girl who was shot in the back by Korean immigrant
store owner Soon Ja Du. Who assumed that she was stealing
a bottle of orange juice. - [Woman] The store clerk, a
Korean woman is now in jail. The black community is
outraged over the killing. The NAACP is demanding the
clerk be tried for murder. - [Crowd] We want justice. Stop killing our children. - It is my opinion that
Mrs. Du is not a danger to the community and that she
is not going to re-offend. - Although Du was convicted
of voluntary manslaughter later that year, the
lightness of her sentence helped stoke the flames for civil unrest. Then the following year protests erupted after four police officers
were caught on camera brutally beating Rodney
King, a black motorist and then acquitted. During the unrest Korean
American businesses appeared to be targets for
looting and destruction as what many thought was
retaliation for Latasha's murder. - [Woman] Many Koreans who
yesterday were the shopkeepers of South Central Los Angeles today have lost the businesses they
took years to create. - I mean, we've been through so much and to go through this, I mean, who would think, 22 years down the drain? - You know how it all started, the first thing, when the girl got killed. - What, six moths probation? The people were pissed then, and they just don't
seem to have any respect for the black community. - AAPI folks have been
here for hundreds of years, but the reality for black
folks is we've been here twice as long and experienced oppression for twice as long and have
different experiences. But the source is the same. I think what we have to do is partly what you're doing right now and highlight the truth, and highlight people's
experiences and stories. They're all valid. Even the people who are upset and angry and want to lash out. - My dad has even himself said like, "Oh no, I'm not American." Like they still feel like
they're visitors here. Right? We can't claim that anymore. We were born here. We have issues here that we need to face. A lot of people don't
even want to acknowledge that they have these prejudices. Some of it's not even just
rooted in anti-blackness. Some of it's rooted in
their own self hate. - This leads us to a
very important discussion that needs to be included. And one that reaches across color lines and takes a critical look back at a painful, often overlooked part of our shared history, anti-blackness. - I mean, how many of our
parents are anti-black? That's no secret. So many of our parents are anti-black. Across the world it's just bred this immense not just anti-blackness, but anti anything that's
not Asian or white. - This manifests in numerous ways, including false perceptions
about lawlessness, intelligence and colorism. And be honest, how many
of you have been pressured to have lighter skin by your
parents, by your culture? And that is seriously messed up. And yes, it is anti-black. - Dark versus light is a
big deal in Asian community. You go back to India for instance, people are still widening their skin. You go to the Philippines all the models are light-skinned. So, I mean, I can go on and
on and on and on and on. But the notion of light versus
dark skin is fundamentally within our culture, a thing. - I used to live and go to
school in the Philippines. I remember the first time I
ever experienced colorism, we were at school and
I was in the classroom and the teacher turned off
the lights cause she wanted to show us a presentation or something. And someone in the class said, "Oh, we can't see Asia anymore." And I was like, well, I'm Filipino. Like, why am I being discriminated against by like Filipinos? It was really weird. Light-skinned and like
white, mixed Filipinos are like dominating the media. And so I never saw anyone
that looked like me and I always felt very
othered in that community. - [Woman] We see it
represented in entertainment. We see it represented in everything where whiteness is the norm. - In the years since interracial
conflict has often served as the primary framework for looking at interactions between black and Asian American communities. From a 2017 viral video that documented a Korean beauty store owner physically attacking a black customer he suspected of shoplifting to
some Asian Americans advocacy for eliminating affirmative action. Conversations about race between these two communities often center on anti-black actions and beliefs. - The model minority myth hurts us because it kind of detracts us
from the main battle we should be fighting
which is white supremacy. This term was put on us to like keep us fighting amongst ourselves, to like distract us from the
real reason why it even exists. We're constantly pointing
our fingers at other people or institutions saying that's
racist and you're racist, but we never really look
inside of ourselves. And I think that's a critical
step that we all need to take. - So if all of us got together in America and around the world and
said, "Hey, you know what?" "We don't want that anymore." That would impact almost
everything that we do. And so that's what I believe
is happening right now. People are coming together to
fight for something different. - This is the only way
we can begin to address the myriad of problems
presented in this video that contributes to racist systems. Speaking up and speaking out is the first step to
finding common ground. Even if that journey is laid with arguments about some
very controversial issues. - The NYP has formed a new task force to fight an increase in hate
crimes against Asian Americans. - This hit home for me, because I have friends, families who are legitimately afraid to go outside because they fear for their safety. - I can speak from, you know, being the recipient of police service and also having, you know,
served on the oral board to select officers to make sure that they're really community oriented. The officer's actually lived in Oakland was an important consideration, making sure that they
understood the concept of community policing. I don't think throwing
more money at the police is necessarily going to solve the issues that we're talking about today. Where I think you see
a lot of the impact is like you mentioned people
coming together in solidarity to support one another in their plights, not by paying more you know,
police departments more money and taking away from more
important social services like education and healthcare. - Last year when George Floyd
was killed by Derek Chauvin a white officer, Hmong
police officer Tou Thao simply stood by and watched. While many Asian Americans
called for solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, others criticized
protestors for the unrest that's blanketing the country. This also isn't the first
time an Asian American officer has contributed
to police violence. - The judge reduced the conviction of the New York City police officer who fired a fatal shot
that ricocheted inside a dark stairwell and killed
an unarmed black man. Then the judge ruled the
officer will serve no jail time. It was a decision that left
the officer's supporters relieved, but friends and family of victim Akai Gurley in shock. - This incident sparked a divided reaction between Asian American
and black communities. With some activists arguing that Leon was unfairly
scapegoated due to his race and others maintaining
that the incident fell in line with a pattern of
anti-black policing tactics. - We don't want to perpetuate
a system that is flawed but it's also like we have
nothing else to choose from. We need accountability. We need justice and we need
some type of authority. Change has to happen on
the local level first. And you have to earn that trust from the people that you're servicing. It's an ongoing conversation. I don't think it's going to be, it's going to be fixed anytime soon because there are problems. But at the same time we do, like our community does need help, and we do need accountability. - Look the Asian American community has been internally divided on
topics like law enforcement. Asian American community
groups expressed concern about an Asian hate crime task force which was created
October, 2020 in response to the growing number of attacks
targeting Asian Americans during the pandemic. Though, it is meant to
reach out to the community and defend against hate crimes. It also places Asian Americans in the difficult position of relying on an institution that has
historically criminalized black and brown communities. - I get it. People need to do what they
need to do to feel safe, but what's happening now with these task forces
that are being created is the anti-black rhetoric
that is criminalizing a population. There are solutions that
are coming from Chinatown that are robust and
strong and are not steeped in the history of racism in this country. - Not everyone in the
Asian American community has the same relationship
with law enforcement, especially in refugee communities with a history of mistreatment
by authority figures. According to a report
examining Asian American and Pacific Islanders behind bars, the prisoner population
ballooned by about 250% during the 1990s. The research said that
during this period, juveniles of Asian descent were more than
twice as likely to be tried as adults compared to whites. Again, these are important
statistics that help paint a more accurate portrait
of our communities that is ignored by the
model monolithic narrative. - Jails, prisons and
juvenile detention centers are packed with brown Southeast Asians and Pacific Islanders. So more policing will
actually affect Asian and Pacific communities as well. I think they're really erasing
a lot of Asian communities that aren't going to
benefit from more policing. - To truly protect ourselves and others means facing our prejudices and addressing the core
issues of systemic racism. Now, some of that is
easier said than done. And I think it's extremely
important that we recognize how change doesn't happen overnight. Every minority in this
country has faced racism, bias and discrimination. Just because that bigotry
shows up in different forms for each community does not mean that these are unrelated
battles that we are fighting. They are all part of
the same larger issues that we all face, which we have seen played
out time and time again. Even in the last 20 years. The current vilification of
Asian Americans is reminiscent of the scapegoating of Arabs,
Muslims and South Asians. After 9/11 Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs, many of whom were South Asian documented scores of revenge
motivated crimes in the U.S. - [Man] The FBI reports, 40 hate crimes. - Being beaten up because
they were brown skinned, because they were Muslim,
because they were Sikh. - (beep) you and your
family, you terrorist (beep). - I'm Muslim Bangladeshi, white supremacists just see brown skin. They're not going to like
attack someone because they asked what their religious affiliation is or how many times they go
to the mosque in a month. When we look backwards
at Asian American history what we're experiencing now is not new. - Looking at and
witnessing the vilification of Asian Americans today. I can't help but think
about our own experiences. I mean, I think anybody
who is marginalized. Who has dealt with racism is sensitive to what it feels like to be
on the other side of it too, to really be hurt and harmed and hated. I can't help but notice
that hate and xenophobia are constant undercurrents in our society. - Among the first killed
were Sikh gas station owner Balbir Singh Sodhi in Arizona and Vasudev Patel and Waqar Hasan. Two South Asians in Texas. Looking at the figures
compiled by the FBI. The number of anti-Muslim
hate crime incidents jumped in 2001 from 28 to 481. And though the incidents
reduced since 2002 they never went back to pre 9/11 years. More recently in 2017
former president Trump placed a travel ban on
seven Muslim countries, citing that terrorists were using the U.S. refugee resettlement
program to enter the country. It was just racist. - A new study shows hate
crimes against Muslim Americans are at their highest levels
since the weeks immediately following the September 11th attacks. - [Man] And it's my strong
opposition to these people that's a recruiting tool. - In the four days immediately
following Trump's call for a ban on Muslims
researchers say there was an 87% increase of
anti-Muslim hate crimes. - Since the election, the
Southern Poverty Law Center reported there have been
more than 400 incidents of harassment or intimidation. - The reasoning is proven
untrue and wholly political. While the public is further stoked to embrace their xenophobia, fear and hatred. I hate that I invoked his name, but we need to examine the repercussions of incendiary language. Failed businessman Donald
J. Trump's tenure in power is the perfect example of how rhetoric can influence an entire nation. - The Chinese virus, the China virus, China virus, Kung-flu. - [Woman] Do you think
using the term Chinese virus that puts Asian Americans at risk? That people might target them? - No, no, no, not at all. I think they probably would
agree with it a hundred percent. - Well, we live in a
society where we're quick to dismiss language as
harmless and inconsequential, but what we ended up doing
is deflecting the reality that there's a clear
link between hate speech and hate violence, what
we think and what we say informs our behavior, right? These, these things are interlinked. And when those thoughts and words are toxic,
so becomes our society. - Trump and numerous other members of his White House staff embraced racist, anti-Asian sentiments
early on in the pandemic, repeatedly referring to
COVID 19 as the China virus, the Wuhan virus and Kung-flu. Now I know a lot of
people continue to comment that China's government
mishandled the initial outbreak but that doesn't excuse
scapegoating all Asian people for the government's
horrendous pandemic response. - We were suffering two
pandemics as a world. One COVID and two hate against Asians. - Tone at the top matters. And so do policies. So when our own administration is putting forward racist ideas and racist policies, of course there's going to be
a surge in our communities. That's inevitable. Racism coming from the upper levels of our government is
now sanctifying racism and hate for people of
all kinds of backgrounds. - Even the world health
organization, warns against associating diseases
with specific locations to prevent stigma and attacks. Which of course as we see are happening. In an October statement Manjusha Kulkarni, executive director of
the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council said,
"Our data and evidence "of the real life stories,
confirm that Asian Americans "are facing increasing
racist and xenophobic attacks "catalyzed by rhetoric from the president "and other government leadership." - I call it like the fear
industrial complex year, fear is a tool to turn out
certain types of voters during each election cycle. And it's mappable. We definitely saw it in 2016
for the presidential cycle. - An analysis conducted by Stop AAPI Hate found that one in 10 tweets
about Asian Americans by politicians contained racist or stigmatizing language related to China, in the months proceeding
the 2020 election. All the racist tweets
came from Republicans and 98% of them blame
China for the pandemic. The research suggests that Trump's racist or stigmatizing tweets are the most influential
anti-Asian American rhetoric related to the
pandemic among politicians. This proves that not only do words matter but their rapid dissemination across social media is
equally as consequential. - The last four years has
been hand to hand combat. We've had to take on a
much more protective role, a much more advocacy role
to push back on legislation and public regulations
that are anti-immigrant you know, anti, you know, refugees just anti people of color. It took all of her energy, you know, and it certainly you know, also detracted from our
resources to have to fight your own government off. - So why do this? Is it all to deflect blame? Let's take a step back and look at this from a geopolitical perspective. For the U.S. a long considered superpower, the threat of encroachment
by mainland China leads to convenient political
villainization of East Asians and any anti-Asian sentiment,
only benefits this cause. - With China emerging on the global stage as a superpower along the same levels as the existing superpowers, I think that that is
generating a lot of concern and a lot of fear among a lot of people. - If America is no longer top dog then some nefarious wrongdoer
must be responsible. The Asian American population
becomes an inviting target for nativists, whether
rich, middle-class, or poor. And a promising scapegoat
for political games. This leads to verbal
nastiness and assaults, which brings us back
to where we are today. - Crimes against Asian Americans
have risen drastically. - [Woman] There have been
more than 2,500 incidents of anti-Asian hate crime. - She said, "it's because of you people "that this is happening." "If you don't like America, just leave." - [Man] The 75 year old woman says she was attacked unprovoked. - Fears this morning that a
string of deadly shootings at massage parlors in the Atlanta area could be linked to a wave of attacks against Asian Americans. - [Woman] Eighth people are dead after shootings at three massages parlors. - Just last week on
March 16th, eight people including six Asian women were
murdered in a mass shooting at three different Asian employed
spas in the Atlanta area. According to Stop AAPI Hate
out of the approximately 3,800 anti-Asian hate incidents
between March of 2020 and February of this year, Asian women were targeted
2.3 times more than men. This heinous crime exemplifies
the disproportional amount of harassment and violence Asian women, particularly migrants and sex workers face when compared to
their male counterparts. The intersection of
factors like race, gender, and class shine a light on
some of the most vulnerable in our community who have
historically been abused exploited and fetishized
since the 18th century. And although law enforcement has not characterized the shooter's
motivations as such I will express my personal opinion that the Atlanta tragedy
was indeed a hate crime. One that is steeped in the racist history of perceiving women as
sexual objects of desire. This horrific crime was
only the most recent example in what is become a deeply troubling rising trend of hate directed
towards our communities. - Well, the community has
certainly been hit hard. I hear it from business owners that are worried the
recent rash of violence, especially against our elders, just people who are going
about their day to day and being assaulted on the streets. It's worrisome. I look at those videos and I,
I can see my dad or, you know my grandparents kind of in that
role, it's enormously scary. - I feel really unsafe, so
before I walk everywhere I walk at nighttime, no problem. I didn't have feeling afraid or anything but now so even in the morning, day time if I walk out and nobody on the street, I have a feeling afraid
to somebody attack me, and now I am feeling unhappy. - Many of our family
members have become afraid. And proactive sensible
solutions are needed, but the answers aren't
easy and won't assuage everyone's fears. The damage done by the model minority myth that prompt us up as a racial wedge also erased the vast
diversity of Asian experience that exists outside of
the educated, submissive and economically mobile stereotype. Although we're constantly
clumped together, the Asian American community
is fast and distinct and it's not just our
ethnicities and nationalities. There's also huge schisms and perspective when it comes to our
hometowns, our age, our gender our sexual orientation, our
education, and our income. - People look at Asians
at an aggregate level and they see highest
earners per household, highest graduates of
college, so forth and so on. They think, "Oh, they're good." The problem is, as you know we actually have the
widest income disparity of any community in this country. We're not only the top 10%, we're actually the bottom 10% as well. - You only hear about the wealthy few, but the disparity between the traumatized refugee communities
and the other flip side I've been here for three generations. - Most Asian Americans are foreign born, and some are recent arrivals
with limited English. Non-English speakers
tend to be less wealthy, more socially conservative and
have less formal education. While on the whole Asian
Americans have the highest levels of educational attainment. It varies widely by ethnic subgroup. For example, 73% of Korean Americans ages 18 to 24 are enrolled in college, but only 44% of those with
origins in the Philippines are. The data also highlights that 37% of Asian Americans who take
the GED test do not pass. - So our center is very
focused on serving people that have language barriers. We work with them primarily to make sure that they're getting what they need in order to sustain at least, you know a minimum standard of living
and to just stay healthy. - I have to learn English
as much as possible because because of the knowledge I have, but then no language to express
my idea and my knowledge. And I think that's very bit challenging. - That reminds me, I've
got a quick bone to pick. Just because English isn't someone's first or only language doesn't make them slower or less intelligent than you. Imagine if the majority of
information you're receiving about what's happening in
your country is delivered and discussed in an
entirely different tongue. Think about that. Many Asian immigrants and our elders experience this linguistic hurdle daily. So, if you've ever mocked someone's accent or been angered that they don't understand what you're saying, just know that a person who's trying
their best to communicate with their second, third maybe fourth language
is far more impressive than your ignorance to anything
outside of basic English. You're basic. - So the problems that one
part of our community is facing they get grouped into, "Oh,
well, you guys are crazy rich." Or, "You guys are super
educated and well-off." Basically all the needs of a
huge part of the population doesn't get any recognition
or it doesn't get any help. It's good for us to recognize that the Asian diaspora
is not just one shade. And the sooner we can
kind of acknowledge that and celebrate that, I think that'll serve our
community in a better way. - That is why things like
the media and entertainment are so important when it
comes to representation. Because when you see Asian Americans constantly being pushed
down or completely erased in Hollywood, it pisses us off, because the only things
that rise to the top, through white gatekeepers
are stories that extend the model minority mythology. - It's only 19,000 a month. - [Man] This one or the black one? - This is perfect for hiking. - [Woman] Less is more. - You're definitely not a ho? - Why? - More is more. (upbeat music) - Of course, we go shopping
in the Rolls-Royce. Is there any other mode of transportation? - You haven't finished
your nuggets yet, sweetie. Okay, there's a lot of children
starving in America, right? - When that's the kind of perception that you have of the Asian community, how and why wouldn't you harbor
those stereotypes as well? - Real talk, although there are exceptions when will Asian narratives
be ubiquitous enough that we don't feel the need
to present as exemplary? When will we have enough
space to simply exist and be mediocre or plain,
or just plain stupid? And when the hell will
y'all stop boiling down our entire motivation to
filial piety and honor. - She has brought honor to her ancestors. - With honor. - You have your honor again. - Devotion to family. - Because the more that
singular exemplary image is perpetuated the less we
are aware of the majority of Asian American experience. We often take this with a grain of salt, because we are happy
for any representation. And let's be clear. Many Asians, myself included have played into this sparkling image too, but it continues to
create an unattainable, impossible standard for ourselves
and other minority groups. - So, what Gold House and Cape are doing through punctuating,
affirming and positive and authentic portrayals of
our people through media. What we're doing by empowering small medium sized businesses. This is about showing
people that when they see us they don't think stereotypical math. They don't think crimes. And they think murder. Instead, they think of a meaningful human being
who has always been here. Who's always been valuable and who's going to continue to be so. - And I think that this is a time of real introspection for us, really taking the time
to educate ourselves about the struggles of other communities. - The wide array of viewpoints on this and other issues need to be acknowledged, because not every Asian
American has the same opinion or the same story. - You know, for better or worse we and my mom get into a lot
of these conversations because, and we certainly have,
we have the same heart, but a completely different perspective. I think that we have to
remember it's generational. It's decades of instilling this obedience. So, we can't expect overnight
that that's going to go away. I have experience with
both sides of the coin. I have experience with
really like enough is enough. There's no way we're going to
just sit down and take this. And then you have on the other side who feel lost, who feel
unheard, who feel invisible. - This isn't true for everyone, but many of us can feel
an ideological divide brewing at home. For instance, nationwide data suggests that about 54% of Asian Americans
overall supported Biden. But when you look at the divide of Democrats and Republicans
between age groups we see a sustained shift towards embracing left leaning beliefs compared to previous generations. - I don't agree with,
but I get why our parents have this prejudice. To not understand what
our parents are thinking it's kind of, you know, naive too. - But it's up to me to go and have those conversations
with people who look like me and it's up to you to go and have those conversations, those
painful conversations and be consistent about
those conversations with people who look like you. We need to do the research
and study and meditation and prayer that is going
to take to consistently be in conversation with our family and friends to shift the dynamics. - Socially conscious TikToks are great, don't get me wrong. But it pales in comparison to
the universally difficult task of constantly engaging in person. It's tough talking to a family member or friend who not only
sees things differently but might also avoid speaking
about issues altogether. I just don't understand why
you don't say any of this when we were growing up. - I'm not very proud to talk about it. - Yeah, but I just feel
like you didn't have to go through that by yourself all the time. - Well, I waisted all that. Makes a strong person, but other side make you very weak. - While we can educate
ourselves and become the change. It doesn't guarantee that it
will come as easily to others. Especially if they're
from an older generation. - Conversation is such an
underrated part of activism. I feel like a lot of people aren't open to having conversation
and genuine conversation. I feel like so many people, especially with like
Twitter and like platforms where a nuance can be stripped completely. People are so quick to argue. When you want to form true solidarity it's so important to ask
questions, but also listen. - Today's public discourse
around anti-Asian violence was spurred by attacks on our elders. So, it is crucial that we
hear and learn why some of them might hold different perspectives. - The younger generation
has begun to realize that the only way to have
any political capital in this country is to participate
in the electoral process. This is a country that
encourages people to speak out. Unless we stand up for ourselves our issues are going to
be consistently overlooked as they always have. - It's not going to happen
in one conversation. You have to show them over
time, because you know what? They've been given this for decades. So, of course undoing it is
not going to happen over one, like micron moment, one
argument with your parents. - You won't believe
the invaluable insights that you will derive from
engaging your parents and even your grandparents, because so many of them come from cultures that did not encourage communication. - This is why we need to talk about things like anti-Asian hate. Starting within our own homes. You will be so surprised at what you can learn from your parents. Some hard sobering truths and what they begin to learn from your more cross-cultural perspective. Thanks to the internet. Your life includes so many more voices that they can't access as easily. And this is another form of translation, for you to explain the
complicated world today. - Yes, we do have political differences. - I don't like committees, because I have experience
with the communist regime. When I was in North Vietnam. Even, I was little, I remember everything, bad things they do for people. Everything in United
States, we got the freedom. We got everything, like a life here. Life Saigon before 1975,
and look like a life here. - My mom and like her family,
living in a communist world and being seen what America
is now and seeing like, well we don't want to
disrupt anything, right? 'Cause this is exactly what we were. So, any candidate, politic, policy that triggers even a slight
tingle of communists speak, they're like, no. - But age isn't the only factor. A 2018 survey of AAPI data found that party identification varies greatly by origin group. For example, 42% of
Vietnamese Americans identify as Republican while 22% of
Asian Americans as a whole do, by contrast 50% of Indian
Americans identify as Democrats which is the most of
any Asian origin group. What isn't included in this
data is the individual reasoning behind these affiliations. And how for some immigrants, especially if there's already
a language barrier present a long, sometimes painful
history unique to their country of origin, like Vietnam, informs
their political views more than say the plight of
contemporary America. - I don't think people see themselves as doing anything wrong. I think they see themselves as surviving. I think they see themselves
as trying to belong, trying to fit in, and it
creates great strife and harm and danger and threat to
many, many millions of people - This threat of refusing to hear or empathize with marginalized voices is something that this
video is trying to address. The imperative need for us
to stand up and speak out. And one way we know
that's the most effective is to amplify our voices
through the power of voting and representation. For years, Asian Americans
have been written off by both Democrats and Republicans as a small group of infrequent voters. We have become the country's
fastest growing population of eligible voters. As Asians have naturalized fairly rapidly and then registered to vote. - But Asian Americans still
vote at a far lesser degree than other demographics. And it's part of the
fabric of Asian culture, just to suck it up and overcome and not raise a stink about that. And I think what we're
all recognizing is that if we don't cause a stink,
if we don't speak up if we don't stand up for
each other, no one else will. - Our influence expanded
to presidential politics this cycle. Beginning in the democratic primary race. For the first time three Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders sought
a major party's nomination for president, president
Biden even signed an executive order in January, addressing
inequality and systemic racism, as well as denouncing discrimination against AAPI communities. - Vicious hate crimes
against Asian Americans. Who've been attacked, harassed, blamed and scapegoated. At this very moment so many of them, our fellow Americans,
they're on the front lines of this pandemic trying to save lives. And still, still are forced to
live in fear for their lives. Just walking down streets
in America, it's wrong. It's un-American and it must stop. - But the work doesn't stop there. - There's no single law, there's no single executive
order that can address the challenges that are being faced. It's a good that president Biden
is attentive to this issue, but the ability for us
to address this type of discrimination and
hate needs to be worked at at every single level
of government together, as well as working with the communities. I want to make sure that
that we're not putting all the responsibility
on any single person. This is on all of us. - Over the last two decades
as our numbers grew, we amassed enough power to help decide some tightly contested house races in districts with high Asian populations. Our vote was considered vital for the Georgia runoff. Where the number of
Asian registered voters in the Atlanta area grew
by 55% from 2016 to 2020. Still Biden's administration
came under criticism for failing to name a
single cabinet secretary of AAPI descent, even though
it is shaping up to be the most diverse in U.S. history. - There's always work
that needs to be done. Even if we had multiple Asian
American cabinet secretaries. There's never going to be
a time where we can just you know, make assumptions
that other people will recognize our value to the society. We always need to make sure we're pushing. - This change doesn't
stop at representation in public office, nor is
that our ultimate goal, but simply a stepping stone. This is a movement that
like many before it works most effectively from the ground up. Local, grassroots organizations that focus on providing
direct support and education for communities is where
you can see effective change happening in real time. - Well, look, what's been happening to Asians here in this
country and around the world has been devastating,
but also galvanizing. I have never seen as many
Asians on social media in the media, in communities
wanting to do something, wanting to make a change,
wanting to engage in the process. And I hope that this
persists because for too long the Asian community has, I
think kept their heads down. - As history shows Asian Americans and all minorities stand
to gain more working within communities and
across the lines of race. As the U.S. sees mass uprisings
against racial injustice and police brutality some see a chance to continue to grow in solidarity. - Really important for us to
really stand back, not blame like a community of people
right now for, you know being violent, because we've been taught that black people are violent, and actually look at our communities and work together and build relationships. That's harder than just vilifying someone. - You have to be careful
about how you receive what's being put in national media, because it always portrays
a black person victimizing an Asian person. And that's not always the whole story. - We have to remember a lot
of us are angry right now, and we want to snap back
and, you know, rightfully so. I mean, if you see our
elders being attacked and assaulted naturally
as human beings, you know how do you sit there and just take that? While we're moving through
the pain and healing with each other, standing with each other so that we can stop this. - Although I've presented
some stark realities about how hard it might be to engage with our own families and communities, many Asian Americans have
found creative ways to do so. And you can too. - Because we feel that we
want a different world, it is our responsibility to
do the political education to do the work together
across generation, across race for people who get it and
want to create a new reality. - What we're seeing with white supremacy is they're using fear as their tactic, and I think to counter fear as a tactic, we really have to use joy. We can't out fear fear,
we have to out joy fear. (crowd singing) - Ultimately it is important to recognize that the ways in which we
respond to these horrific anti-Asian attacks will
not only reflect upon our own history, but also shape the future of the next generation of Asian America and other communities. Anti-Asian sentiments are nothing new and racism will continue
to rear its ugly head in the future. But we have an opportunity now, today to recognize how institutional
mythologies continue to drive apart marginalized groups who are more powerful
when standing together, than struggling apart. Now is the time to break the cycle. - One of the greatest tricks of racism is how isolated it makes us feel. So, while there are clear
differences in the nature of the racism we encounter,
it's a shared struggle. And it's something that we
all have to be invested in in order to get to a better place. - As we've learned, part
of the unique problems that Asian Americans have
faced involve multiple factors. A history of being wrongfully
associated with disease. The blaming of immigrant groups
during economic scarcity. The pervasive and destructive
model minority myth, and the fact that many
constantly still have to defend that they belong. This expectation for us to remain silent and abide by the rules is another way in which we've been
made to feel invisible, but no more. Great, outspoken change
is happening right now. - Asians for... - [Crowd] Black lives! - [Man] Sounds of change
echoing across America. - Asian Americans have found a new kinship with the black American
struggle for social justice. - Our Korean brothers and sisters, we would like you to know, history don't have to repeat itself. - When you look at the people in the Black Lives Matter march, you'll see huge diversity in that crowd. That's our next generation. And they are of the same mind. That's where I get my hope from. - I feel like for older generations the idea was very much like, "Oh let's put our differences
aside and work together." What I'm personally seeing
with like younger activists is that were saying more like, let's recognize the different
experiences that we have in this country, but still work together. - We are the ones who have to reach across communities and miles to ask others how can
we be supportive of you and your community. But also rectify the immediate ills that our community is facing. - [Man] It can't just be
this one period of time that we care about you
know, spreading awareness, amplifying our needs, it has to be on our minds all the time. We have to constantly be thinking about how we can support our communities, our enclaves, our elders. - [Woman] So find out
the grassroots groups who are doing the work day in day out, when cameras are not here to make sure that our people across
race and across culture and across class have access
to their basic human rights, like to housing, healthcare, jobs, food, especially during COVID. Those are the organizations
that you should follow their lead. - If you want to learn more I recommend a fantastic documentary series on PBS called Asian Americans. And if you can please give
to the AAPI Community Fund where you can make a
tax deductible donation, 100% of which will go to
local grassroots organizations across the country devoted
to restorative justice. GoFundMe, Gold House and
Cape have curated and vetted all of these fundraisers that provide victim support
and neighborhood empowerment. You can give directly through
YouTube's donate button right now. Join the conversation
and share your experience on YouTube and across social media. With the hashtag #talkasianhate. Let's create an outspoken dialogue that can no longer be ignored. - Our community is a
community that is becoming, we need to allow that. We're now coming into our own. Every community has their
own journey, their own pace. And this is ours now. I think right now, America
is going through a reckoning, the face of America's changing. And that's a threat to the powers that be. But I think with every
change there's turmoil, there's instability. This is just the process of change. - New possibilities that
we have to allow ourselves to be changed by the
solutions as we create them. - So we just talked about anti-Asian hate. Did it feel like the first
time you really listened to or spoke out about it? Good. Now do it again and again, louder, with different types of
people and with the knowledge and hope that we don't have
to be in this fight alone. We can find ways to protect ourselves while supporting other
vulnerable communities because the cold hard
truth is that this country has built a system to
keep so many of us down. The only thing that will change
it is if we talk about it. (instrumental music)
I commend Eugene and everyone involved for pulling this together so quickly and doing very, very well. I learned a lot and he carried it in a thought-provoking but also entertaining way.
I hope this video gets the attention it deserves!
This was an impressively comprehensive and well-produced 1+hour-long documentary given how quickly they turned it out. I hope this reaches beyond the Try Guys fandom community.
Just finished watching it, they need to show this in schools
This was very well done. I'm impressed with Eugene, and I'm happy he's clearly put so much work and research into this. I'd like to take a moment to invite Try Guys fans to examine the ways they talk about Asian people and the way they interact with Asian culture in the way that Eugene examined it. Jokes about how Eugene is good at everything because he's Asian from non-Asian viewers and the objectification of Asian bodies is a good place to start.
Even on this sub, I had a brief disagreement with another user who claimed that the Food Babies - two Asian women - are only on the Try Guys' channel because of their sex appeal. Consider the way that they're spoken of in that way in connection to the recent murders in Atlanta -- the fact that people continuously overlook that sexism and racism go hand-in-hand and that Asian women have gone through intense fetishization from white communities, and how their objectification then contributes to the verbal, physical, and sexual violence they face. I've seen it. I think many of you have seen it too. Just existing as Asian women is to exist as sexual objects, and this is something that we need to break down and interrogate. (It should be examined with Asian men too, of course -- the rise of Asian men as sex symbols comes with some of this baggage, and yes, Eugene himself can certainly be a part of that subject through no fault of his own). The ways anti-Asian rhetoric presents itself can be frivolous on its face and can seem harmless, or not worth getting worked up over, but it's these exact ways that it subtly makes it way into our society that furthers the agenda of those who will use it to attack, dehumanize and otherwise oppress our communities.
I'm proud of Eugene. I think this will do some good.
Damn, this was really informative and clearly thought through. It should be required in schools to learn about things like this.
This is so well done!
Apparently, this video was a long time coming and Eugene and YB were cutting it together when they heard about the shootings in Georgia. That’s remarkable and makes the timing of the video that much more important. This was excellent, maybe one of the best things they’ve done in any format.
I was so impressed with this doc. There was so much to learn, it def inspired me to look for some books and learn more. I wonder if we're going to see more of this type of content from them. I think it's great and really important, I hope we do. It would be interesting to see how they work it into their "try everything" brand
I really appreciated the guests he interviewed. And on that, I appreciate how he let them speak. It was really well done how he weaved the Black and Asian communities
I also really loved how he didn’t pull punches when speaking on anti black ideologies in Asian communities
One thing that stood out was Caroroll Fife’s statement of (this is an approximate quote) “just like it’s my responsibility to discuss these issues with people who look like me, it’s on you to have those hard conversations with people who look like you”.
We all have a responsibility to speak out, and it’s often much more difficult to do that with our parents, with our elders but if we don’t do it who will?
Really absolutely amazing piece, one day we will find peace for our people and that will come only when there’s peace for all. We fight and win together or we don’t win at all.