The racism towards Asian Americans has always been overlooked. Asian Americans are known to be the model minority and are considered one of the races that are most similar to White (when it comes to opportunities). However, racism was always hidden, from the Japanese internment camps on Angel Island during World War II to subtle racist banter that happens in schools. With the overwhelming number of violent attacks happening, the Asian American community is not staying silent anymore. There has been an uproar of voices, highlighting the hate towards Asians. The Asians that we see representing us on the TV screen are not staying quiet either. Below is a list of a few (of many) famous people who have spoken out for the AAPI community:
1. Eric Nam https://www.instagram.com/ericnam/?hl=en
A famous K-pop singer, songwriter, and celebrity interviewer, who is also an Atlanta native, has not been shy about the recent events that have been hurting the AAPI community. Nam wrote a powerful op-ed piece for Time, where he expressed his anger on behalf of his community. He shared his own experiences of racism in the US and examined how the Asian American community is forced to feel like foreigners in the country where they were born.
A quote from his piece in Time, “To grow up believing we needed to be okay with racism in order to have a seat at the table is not okay. To internalize racism at such a young age, in retrospect, warped my sense of normality” (Eric Nam, Time).
Eric Nam was also on CNN to talk about his op-ed piece as well as express his thoughts on the recent events.
Watch the full interview here: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CMui6SInmM9/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
2. Arden Cho https://www.instagram.com/arden_cho/?hl=en
Former Teen Wolf star has shared a lengthy and emotional message on her personal Instagram. Talking about the people who are linking the coronavirus to Asian Americans and highlighting that anti-Asian antics have existed way before the pandemic hit.
A quote from her Instagram post, “This racism is not new. It’s just rarely covered in media, constantly overlooked & now it’s become normalized”, she goes on with, “I’ve experienced it for 35 years. Asian Americans have been in this country since the 1800’s, working hard & contributing to society without publicly voicing their struggles along the way” .
Link to Arden Cho’s IG post: https://www.instagram.com/p/CLIjNqTJOJA/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
3. Sandra Oh https://www.instagram.com/iamsandraohinsta/?hl=en
Golden Globe winner Sandra Oh made a surprise visit to the Stop Asian Hate protest in Pittsburgh. While she was there, she gave a beautiful speech about understanding the fear that the community is feeling. While speaking of the fear, she stands tall and proclaims that she is “proud to be Asian”.
She goes on and challenges those that are at the rally, “I will challenge everyone here: if you see something, will you help me? If you see one of our sisters and brothers in need, will you help us?”.
4. Phillip Wang & Wesley Chan https://www.instagram.com/wongfuphil/?hl=en https://www.instagram.com/thewesleychan/?hl=en
Two of the founders of Wong Fu Productions (a filmmaking group that is at the helm of showcasing Asian culture in media) have also spoken up about the tragic events. Wang tweeted, “All we want to do is celebrate the little milestones for Asians in America, but America keeps killing us”. Wesley shared on his personal Instagram an emotion filled caption, “As the three made their way up, they rejoiced in the pride and excitement of seeing films with faces like their own— finally being celebrated and awarded. As the three made their way down, they mourned in tears and rage for the senseless hate directed at friends, family, and faces like their own. And when they finally arrived back where they had first started, they kept going.”
Both Phil and Wesley (and the Wong Fu Productions team) have given the Asian American community hope that people like us can be in the entertainment and film industries. Not just the stereotypical roles of what people think Asians are like, but we can be behind the camera, the producers and writers, the lead roles, etc.
Link to Phil Wang’s tweet: https://twitter.com/philipwang/status/1372038024767307781?s=20
Link to Wesley Chan’s IG post: https://www.instagram.com/p/CMgVAqeJqCA/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Will all of you also take a stand with us? The anti-Asian racism is not going to stop. But, the more voices that are heard, the more people that stand with the AAPI community….a change can be made. It will not happen overnight, but we can be the start. The ones that lay the foundation for the future of this country.