Racism against Asian Americans

[P_X]

Jeremy Lin on racism:

"Something is changing in this generation of Asian Americans. We are tired of being told that we don't experience racism, we are tired of being told to keep our heads down and not make trouble. We are tired of Asian American kids growing up and being asked where they're REALLY from, of having our eyes mocked, of being objectified as exotic or being told we're inherently unattractive. We are tired of the stereotypes in Hollywood affecting our psyche and limiting who we think we can be. We are tired of being invisible, of being mistaken for our colleague or told our struggles aren't as real.

"I want better for my elders who worked so hard and sacrificed so much to make a life for themselves here. I want better for my niece and nephew and future kids. I want better for the next generation of Asian American athletes than to have to work so hard to just be 'deceptively athletic.'

Jeremy Lin: Asian Americans Tired of Being Told We Don't Experience Racism

The number of hate crimes against Asians and Asian Americans continues to rise in the United States, leading many public figures and organizations to speak out against the violence, racism and hatred...

bleacherreport.com

Never followed his career that closely, but he always made the impression of a genuinely cool and levelheaded dude.

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

I believe it.

At the risk of sounding like I'm marginalizing the situation, but there has been a huge influx of Asian immigration over the last decade. The more minorities that roll into town, the more some people aren't going to be happy about it. Those are just facts and I don't believe that is unique to the US.

 

[SuperMatt]

I believe it.

At the risk of sounding like I'm marginalizing the situation, but there has been a huge influx of Asian immigration over the last decade. The more minorities that roll into town, the more some people aren't going to be happy about it. Those are just facts and I don't believe that is unique to the US.

I wonder if a big fat orange sack of rotting flesh calling coronavirus “China flu” or “Kung Flu” had anything to do with it? May he rest in pieces.

On a serious note, I married into an Asian family, and the racism they experienced during their lives is real and didn’t just start with Trump.

 

[DT]

Yeah, did you see this?

Air Force Veteran Beaten, Called 'Chinese Virus' in Unprovoked Attack in LA's Koreatown

An Air Force veteran was attacked in Los Angeles’ Koreatown and called anti-Asian slurs by two men who also threatened to kill him. Denny Kim, 27, sustained a black eye and fractured nose after he was knocked to the ground in an unprovoked attack on Kenmore Avenue last week, according to NBC...

www.yahoo.com

From the article:

Kim says he was called a “ching chong,” “Chinese virus,” among other things. Police are now investigating this incident as a hate crime with criminal threats.

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

I wonder if a big fat orange sack of rotting flesh calling coronavirus “China flu” or “Kung Flu” had anything to do with it? May he rest in pieces.

On a serious note, I married into an Asian family, and the racism they experienced during their lives is real and didn’t just start with Trump.

It definitely predates Trump, but I also think the surge in population contributes, depending on where you live. I live in the Bay Area where there is a big affordable housing crisis. So you can't find affordable housing while seeing a big Asian population move into the area. Also Chinese are a big house buying culture. So some see them as scooping up what little property is available while driving up the cost of housing.

If you don't think economics increases racism I suggest you ask a Trump supporter about that one. The whole "China flu" rhetoric just made a volatile situation worse.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Some years ago, I read "Snow Falling On Cedars" (by David Guterson), - an excellent book, well worth reading - and watched - years and years ago - the brilliant and haunting, movie, Bad Day at Black Rock - and I follow (on Twitter) the wonderful George Takei, (the original Mr Sulu in the original Star Trek), who has written (movingly) about his childhood in an internment camp in the US.....

It is deeply depressing to read (and realise) that this has changed so little over the past eighty years.

 

[SuperMatt]

It definitely predates Trump, but I also think the surge in population contributes, depending on where you live. I live in the Bay Area where there is a big affordable housing crisis. So you can't find affordable housing while seeing a big Asian population move into the area. Also Chinese are a big house buying culture. So some see them as scooping up what little property is available while driving up the cost of housing.

If you don't think economics increases racism I suggest you ask a Trump supporter about that one. The whole "China flu" rhetoric just made a volatile situation worse.

It’s white venture capitalists cranking up the prices in the Bay Area. Absurd to blame Asian people for that. Many of them were living in the area before the Googles came into town, so why blame them for trying to find affordable housing when they get gentrified out of their neighborhoods?

You can read how Chinatown has been gentrified. People “see” a big Asian population moving in. Do they not see the actual problem of white VC kids pushing the prices through the roof? Typical to blame a minority group for a problem created by white millionaires and billionaires.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

It definitely predates Trump, but I also think the surge in population contributes, depending on where you live. I live in the Bay Area where there is a big affordable housing crisis. So you can't find affordable housing while seeing a big Asian population move into the area. Also Chinese are a big house buying culture. So some see them as scooping up what little property is available while driving up the cost of housing.

If you don't think economics increases racism I suggest you ask a Trump supporter about that one. The whole "China flu" rhetoric just made a volatile situation worse.

Is the lack of "affordable housing" an issue to be laid at the feet of Asians, or at the feet of (lamentable) public policy choices?

An aside: This question is rhetorical.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

It’s white venture capitalists cranking up the prices in the Bay Area. Absurd to blame Asian people for that. Many of them were living in the area before the Googles came into town, so why blame them for trying to find affordable housing when they get gentrified out of their neighborhoods?

You can read how Chinatown has been gentrified. People “see” a big Asian population moving in. Do they not see the actual problem of white VC kids pushing the prices through the roof? Typical to blame a minority group for a problem created by white millionaires and billionaires.

Bravo.

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

It’s white venture capitalists cranking up the prices in the Bay Area. Absurd to blame Asian people for that. Many of them were living in the area before the Googles came into town, so why blame them for trying to find affordable housing when they get gentrified out of their neighborhoods?

You can read how Chinatown has been gentrified. People “see” a big Asian population moving in. Do they not see the actual problem of white VC kids pushing the prices through the roof? Typical to blame a minority group for a problem created by white millionaires and billionaires.

Emphasized to answer the question that followed. No, people don't "see" that. They are aware of that but what they see on a daily basis has a bigger impact on them daily.

I'm not condoning it, but I don't think that should be blown off as simply a preposterous feeling for people to have. But that also doesn't mean run out and terrorize Asians.

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

Is the lack of "affordable housing" an issue to be laid at the feet of Asians, or at the feet of (lamentable) public policy choices?

An aside: This question is rhetorical.

Do you include foreign investment in that rhetorical public policy?

How do you feel about Vancouver putting restrictions on Asian investment in an effort to allow more opportunity for the people who are already there?

 

[P_X]

I wonder if a big fat orange sack of rotting flesh calling coronavirus “China flu” or “Kung Flu” had anything to do with it? May he rest in pieces.

On a serious note, I married into an Asian family, and the racism they experienced during their lives is real and didn’t just start with Trump.

I liked Jeremy Lin's comment because the Asian friends I have don't complain about this, as they are used to it. American culture rewards vocality, and I think oftentimes they are the victims of this. Like one of the grievances of my Chinese American BFF from residency is how Asian medical school and residency applicants tend to get low scores for "lack of personality"... It's true that in America, some people tend to assume you have no personality unless you vocalize your opinion about every irrelevant petty thing.

 

[JayMysteri0]

I liked Jeremy Lin's comment because the Asian friends I have don't complain about this, as they are used to it. American culture rewards vocality, and I think oftentimes they are the victims of this. Like one of the grievances of my Chinese American BFF from residency is how Asian medical school and residency applicants tend to get low scores for "lack of personality"... It's true that in America, some people tend to assume you have no personality unless you vocalize your opinion about every irrelevant petty thing.

I've always walked around on eggshells when it comes to this topic because of how often they are used as a shield by racists when talking about racism / systemic racism / AA or anything else.

"See how can their be systemic racism, Asians do well."

Then if anyone Asian has an issue with how things are going for them ( if they decided to speak out ) it just gets ignored.

Any racism Asians were experiencing was mild compared to when the pandemic started, and anyone Asian was being blamed by the simple minded for it. It didn't matter if these sorts were Black, Brown, or White, attacks were happening in greater frequency against the Asian community.

 

[JayMysteri0]

You gotta wonder how this stuff gets normalized, don't ya?

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1366148434886070281

 

[SuperMatt]

Multiple shootings targeting Asian women in Georgia:

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1371980384276217859

Kemp: Prayers for shooting victims

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp offered prayers Tuesday night as eight people were confirmed dead in shootings at massage parlors in and around Atlanta.

www.waltontribune.com

 

[Thomas Veil]

He’s in custody now, thank goodness.

 

[Alli]

It will be interesting to find out his rationale for the shootings. When I first heard the news I thought it sounded like mob activity. Why only massage parlors? Why not Asian grocery stores?

 

[fooferdoggie]

it could be that they laughed at his little twig and berries.

 

[Eric]

It definitely predates Trump, but I also think the surge in population contributes, depending on where you live. I live in the Bay Area where there is a big affordable housing crisis. So you can't find affordable housing while seeing a big Asian population move into the area. Also Chinese are a big house buying culture. So some see them as scooping up what little property is available while driving up the cost of housing.

If you don't think economics increases racism I suggest you ask a Trump supporter about that one. The whole "China flu" rhetoric just made a volatile situation worse.

Spoken like someone with a clear biased against Asians. None if this (and I mean NONE) justifies the acts of hatred towards them, not even in the slightest. There's a real "I'm not racist... but" tone to this post.

 

[P_X]

Spoken like someone with a clear biased against Asians. None if this (and I mean NONE) justifies the acts of hatred towards them, not even in the slightest. There's a real "I'm not racist... but" tone to this post.

I agree, it is never a justifier, but it may be a significant amplifier.

This kinda reminded me of House Hunters - My Caribbean life... You watch all these Americans purchasing property, driving up prices by probably an order of magnitude and rendering some of these islands unaffordable to their natives. I stopped watching it after a few episodes because it really impressed me as colonization v2. I suspect some folks may have similar emotions about foreign investments in their cities.

Similar trends can be noticed in big cities appealing to rich Chinese investors in the USA outside the bay area. The real estate boom seemed to slow/halt following the months of Trump's initiation of trade wars, which I consider a hint of this being a significant parameter. So systematic, major investments from any country's bourgeoisie would have similar impact on the housing market, yet we don't complain about all the non-asian dark money NYC is marinating in (one of the reasons I never got to like the city as much as many others do). So overall, even this perceived amplifier effect takes us back to racism. Of course, this is just an opinion.