By Alexander Speid
Given the recent attacks that have occurred against the Asian American Community, including the mass shooting of several Asian descendants in Atlanta, one cannot help but notice an underlying narrative that has invoked divide with two marginalized groups to create a situation that works in favor of white supremacy.
One elderly woman was burned alive in Brooklyn, New York after being attacked without warning. In January of this year, an 84-year-old was knocked down and killed by assailants who were depicted as young Black men. What this does is create the perfect storm of Asian/African American divide and giving law enforcement the excuse to not be able to do anything about it, and to also continue to paint the narrative of Black disparity.
Since the anti-racism protest in 2020, more and more attacks against other races have surged across the country, including attacks in Chinatown and many Asian-American communities. As reported by the Stop AAPI Hate coalition (Asian American and Pacific Islanders), there has been an uptick in Anti-Asian discrimination and attacks. One could point towards the rise of COVID-19 and the narrative of the virus’ origin from China. This leads to ignorance and therefore thoughtless attacks against all Asian-Americans—some who have never even been to China, nor are from China at all.
In the IPSOS polls in the Center for Public Integrity back in 2020, 56% of Americans believed COVID was a natural disaster, while the 44/45% blame China, and 9% in that 44% blame the Chinese Government.
Today, those numbers have altered to 57% believing COVID is a natural disaster, while 43% point towards specific people and organizations. Among those specifics, 54% believe China (including labs, scientist, and the government) are responsible.
Obviously, the virus and former President Donald Trump stirring the pot have created much of the incentive for these attacks, but such anti-Asian sentiments have existed since the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, and the 1942 Japanese American internment camps issued by President Franklin Roosevelt.
However, what does all this have to do with the African American Community?
During President Trump’s racial comments that fused the COVID virus and Asian community as “Kung-Flu” among other things, the Black community saw first-hand what disparity the Asian community was about to face, and how that would also hurt African Americans.
It is no secret that there have been many immigrant and economic policies that have historically pitted Black and Asian communities against one another. The structure must always thrive with one group above the other to keep control over both as they tussle with themselves like two gladiators fighting on a battlefield for the amusement of a king. It is the obvious white supremacy that creates the wedge between the two marginalized groups and form the model minority—a white supremacy-created ideology that dictated Asians are more successful than Blacks.
It is this disparity that we as a community need to set aside the fabricated dispute for multicultural organization against this growing threat spread by the white hand. Black-Asian solidarity has operated since the 1960s with the Third World Liberation Front Movement for studies of ethnic races in colleges in California. That same group is now coming together against the attacks once more. Last week in Oakland, Black and Asian Americans created a rally against the harmful narrative of Asian vs Black that is being attempted by the white supremacist. Media spreads fast throughout the internet of Black and Asian solidarity across multiple forums.
These attacks could perhaps increase as more weeks go by that we remain in this current COVID lockdown, but as things begin to re-open with proper CDC guidelines, we can only hope our Asian-American brothers and sisters will find enough peace to work with the African American community once again.
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