On May 25, former officer Tou Thao waved along passing crowds as his coworkers were questioning an individual’s $20 bill as counterfeit. As the situation escalated, Thao’s coworker kneeled on the accused’s neck. For eight minutes and forty-six seconds, Thao stood still, listening to George Floyd crying, “I can’t breathe.”
Even though Thao was not the one kneeling, his complicit actions dug deep into Floyd’s neck. Many Asian-American activists have labeled Thao as a symbol of the anti-Blackness mindset perpetuated in the Asian community. This tragic scene is one of many examples of how decades of anti-Blackness in the Asian-American community leaves hateful biases that go beyond subtle microaggressions.
As the number of hate crimes against Asian Americans has recently increased, calls to denounce racism against Asian Americans have sparked conversations surrounding Asian-American experiences and the early origins of Asian immigration to the United States. The first immigrants from Asia came to the U.S. as physical laborers in the early to mid 19th century, which resulted in competition between white workers. White miners resented immigrant workers for taking their jobs and labeled this fear as the “Yellow Peril.” White Americans feared that Asian immigrants would threaten American democracy, and this led to immigration acts such as the Chinese Immigration Exclusion Act, Japanese Internment Camps, and more.
Moving forward to the 1940s to 60s, the Black-led Civil Rights Movement grew as segregation was a prevalent issue in the United States. Literacy tests were still practiced to prevent Black voting, and it was difficult for Black students to lift themselves out of poverty due to extreme funding gaps between white and Black schools. Black Americans were dealing with systemic obstacles in almost every aspect of daily American life.
In 1962, an Immigration Act was passed that only allowed skilled and highly-educated Asian immigrants to migrate and become citizens in the U.S. This means Asians were given a headstart to succeed in the U.S. because only the top of the top was allowed to move to the West during that time.
This led to Asian Americans being known as the “model minority,” meaning they were “proof” that discrimination doesn’t exist. This promoted the false rhetoric that everyone, regardless of their socioeconomic background and the disparities they may face, can succeed so as long as they work hard enough. This was a direct response to the Civil Rights Movement as the U.S. government dismissed the systemic struggles Black Americans faced at the time. This developed a wedge between Black and Asian Americans.
As the national conversation regarding racial equality and denouncing injustices continues, solidarity between Black and Asian Americans is crucial in recognizing the manipulation and division perpetrated by the U.S. government’s inadequate response to the Civil Rights Movement. Celebrating Black history means acknowledging past and present historical events but also moving forward to make amends for past wrongs. Anti-blackness rhetoric will not disappear overnight, but steps can be taken to educate oneself and their families around.