The world has been dealing with COVID-19 for a little over a year now, and to say it has turned our lives upside down would be an understatement. One of the results of COVID has been an increase in racism and hate crimes toward Asians worldwide, and it is long over due that we all stand up and say “Stop.”

Hate crimes toward Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) are up across the globe, here in Orange County, they are up a jaw-dropping 1200 percent. No, that isn’t a typo, 1200 percent. Hate crimes range from verbal and written words of hate, spitting, assault, and the tragedy that recently occurred in Atlanta. The really sad thing is that hate directed at AAPI isn’t anything new in America. From the Chinese Massacre of 1871 and Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 to Japanese Internment during World War II to the burning of Korean businesses during the LA riots in 1992, just to name a few, AAPI have been used as a scapegoat, and the former man in the White House perpetuated racist attitudes when COVID arrived in the US, using words like “China Virus” and “Kung Flu” thus stoking the flames of hatred and racism.

So, what can you do about it? Lots!

Learn

Learning about the AAPI experience is vital, and I recommend the PBS docu-series, Asian Americans, currently available to stream for free on PBS’s website or app, as a way to understand the history of AAPI in America.

Back in August I reviewed They Called Us Enemy, a graphic novel written by George Takei, of Star Trek fame, about his childhood in a Japanese Internment Camp. It is an easy read, and I think a good way to introduce children to the topics of racism. I recommend taking a look at this list of AAPI owned bookstores and seeing if they have it in stock.

If you’re into podcasts PlayerFM has compiled a list of AAPI podcasts.

Visit and support museums centered around stories of AAPI, such as:

Asian Pacific American Center at the Smithsonian, Washington DC

World War II Japanese American Internment Museum/Rohwer Heritage Site, McGehee, Arkansas

Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center, San Francisco, California

Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, California

Philippine Folklife Museum, San Francisco, California

Filipino American National Historical Society Museum, Stockton, California

Japanese American Museum, San Jose, California

Chinese American Museum, Los Angeles, California

Japanese American National Museum, Los Angeles, California

Korean American National Museum, Los Angeles, California

USC Pacific Asia Museum, Los Angeles, California

Please note that some museums may be closed or have restrictions due to COVID-19.

Donate

Stop AAPI Hate is a website dedicated to reporting hate crimes, and also accepts donations.

You can donate directly to the families of the Atlanta shooting victims via their GoFundMe pages, all of which are listed here.

Also please consider making a donation if you visit a museum.

Stand Up

Find local protests to attend. If you plan on attending a protest amid COVID-19, please remember to wear a mask, even if vaccinated. The ACLU has a resource for knowing your rights during a protest.

Hollaback is a website offering free bystander intervention training online. I recently signed up for a class in late April.

Shop

Asian-Owned Etsy Shops to Support Always, but Especially Right Now – Yahoo

Shop and Support the AAPI Community with these 10 Products – Glamour

Asian-Owned Independent Bookstores to Support Now – Bookstr

AAPI-Owned Bookstores to Support – Libro.fm

Listen and Converse

It’s vital to listen to your AAPI friends right now, and hold space for them. Good Therapy has compiled a list of ways to learn how to hold space.

Have tough conversations, both with yourself and others. Recognize and correct any prejudices you may have, and then call out your friends and family when they vocalize any racist or prejudice attitudes.

If you’re a parent, it’s imperative to talk to your children about racism. The American Psychological Association wrote that children become aware of race years before many parents what to have that conversation. The Smithsonian compiled a list of books to help children understand race.

Vote

It may not be an election year as I write this, but I’m never not going to remind you to vote. Double check that you are registered to vote or register to vote by clicking here. If you are in a state that doesn’t offer vote-by-mail, find your polling place here.