The fight against racial injustice has been an ongoing battle for years with many reforms in peoples’ beliefs and in the law. Especially during the summer of 2020, racial injustice was broadcasted when an African American man, George Floyd, was killed by police officers as he was being detained. His death caused an outbreak of protests and cries of change, but throughout the year, the news of this decreased, and fewer people became involved with this social reform. However, social reforms should be increasing, especially due to the current suffering of Asian Americans. 

Over the course of the pandemic, Asian Americans have been the focus of various hate crimes due to the belief that Asians were the cause of the pandemic, even if they were born in America. In fact, the amount of hate crimes against Asian Americans increased by 150% in cities with a large population such as New York, Cleveland, and Los Angeles. 

Some of the hate crimes include the shooting of eight people, six of whom were Asian. On March 16th, 2021, Robert Aaron Long, a white man, went on a killing spree. He went to three different spas in the Atlanta, Georgia area on a Tuesday night. When he entered the spas, he shot his victims. In the first spa he entered, he shot a total of five people, four of whom died. In the second spa, he shot and killed three Asian women, and finally, Long arrived at the last spa, and killed one last victim, an Asian woman. In total, Long killed six Asian women, one white woman, and one white man. In addition, he shot and injured a Hispanic man. Long stated, his crimes were due to a “sex addiction,” however, many believe his actions were due to a hate crime because a majority of his victims were Asian. He was determined guilty for the murder of his eight victims.  

Although Robert Long stated the reason for his crimes was not about race, other definite instances of anti-Asian crimes have been committed across the nation.  For example, the attack against an Asian woman outside of a building in Manhattan, New York. A 65-year old woman was on her way to church on March 29th. Sadly, on her way, she was brutally attacked outside of a prestigious apartment complex. An unidentified man, repeatedly stomped on the woman while saying racial slurs. To add to the injustice, the two doormen standing by watched as she was viciously beaten and even closed the door on the injured woman while the attacker walked away. 

Because of the pandemic and hate crimes against Asians, many of them have been scared to go outside of their homes. Hate crimes have been at large against many, and a stand should be taken against attackers and their discriminatory ways. Not only have attacks on Asian Americans increased due to the pandemic, but there is less coverage of the attacks than when George Floyd was killed. This could be due to the fact that many hate crimes against Asians are not counted as hate crimes, such as Robert Aaron Long’s shooting. However, the coverage needs to be increased, as well as the investigations involved with anti-Asian attacks. The fight against injustice has been an ongoing battle, but as long as others take a stand against hate, and demand stricter laws to be enforced, innocent lives can be saved. 

Sources

Arnold, Amanda. “6 Asian Women Killed in Horrific Shooting Rampage.” The Cut, The Cut, 19 Mar. 2021, www.thecut.com/2021/03/8-people-killed-in-atlanta-rampage-6-of-them-asian-women.html. Accessed 12 Apr. 2021.

Farivar, Masood. “Hate Crimes Targeting Asian Americans Spiked by 150% in Major US Cities.” Voice of America, 2 Mar. 2021, www.voanews.com/usa/race-america/hate-crimes-targeting-asian-americans-spiked-150-major-us-cities. Accessed 22 Mar. 2021.

Layne, Nathan, and Andy Sullivan. “Killings of Asian Women Renew Push for Tougher U.S. Hate Crime Laws.” U.S., 20 Mar. 2021, www.reuters.com/article/us-crime-georgia-spas-laws-idUSKBN2BC0AC. Accessed 22 Mar. 2021.