Content warning//: Racial violence, anti-Asian hate crimes, descriptions of historical accounts of violence
Hate Crimes with a Deep History
The recent hate crime in Atlanta resulting in the death of eight people–six of whom were Asian women–by a White shooter has brought a bitter reality to the forefront of the American narrative: hate crimes against Asian Americans and anti-Asian sentiments rooted in White supremacy are not new phenomena. Hate crimes against Asians, however, have been rapidly increasing in the last year. Recently an advocacy group called “Stop AAPI Hate” reported receiving up to 3,800 incidences of hate crimes against Asians across the country since March 2020. This is a significant increase from previous years. This jump is extremely concerning, although this violence has traceable roots that predate many of us.
Tracing the Historical Roots
One such root is the Rock Springs Massacre that occurred in 1885. Historic accounts tell us that there were about 331 Chinese miners and 150 White miners working for the local coal mine in Rock Springs, Wyoming. After the event of a dispute between miners, the White miners returned to the quarter where the Chinese workers lived. The White men, armed with rifles, then proceeded to murder 28 Chinese people and burn down their quarters resulting in $150,000 in damages. To make matters even more untenable, none of the White men involved were prosecuted, although their identities were known.
The absence of justice and accountability during this time also wreaked havoc within the Black community. In fact, that same year (1885) that the Rock Springs Massacre occurred, it is estimated that seventy-four Black people were lynched in this same year. The hate against Black people and Asian people during this same year was no coincidence for the simple reason that these violent events are rooted in the same base: White supremacy.
The hate did not stop, in Rock Springs, nor did it stop by 1885. In 1871, the Chinese Massacre in Los Angeles’ Chinatown District left an estimated 18 Chinese men lynched and shot by an angry mob. Despite calls for prosecution of the mob members and trials, it remained difficult to tie specific mobsters to each of the deaths. Although this crime left the Los Angeles Chinese community shaken, the region continued to grow as the demand for Asian labor remained necessary for the economy.
Anti-Asian and Anti-Immigrant Legislation: Institutionalizing White Supremacy
Around this time, anti-immigrant legislation was being passed by Congress as the number of immigrants began increasing to meet the demand of the growing American economy. One of the first pieces of anti-immigrant legislation was the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which was in addition to Alien Contract Labor laws of 1885 and 1887. These pieces of legislation prevented laborers coming from China and other parts of Asia from entering the United States. They also prohibited certain laborers from immigrating to the United States. The United States Citizens and Immigration Services recounts its history of the general Immigration Act of 1882 which “blocked (or excluded) the entry of idiots, lunatics, convicts, and persons likely to become a public charge.” It is clear from the language of this legislation that immigrants at this time, many of whom had Asian heritage, were equated to criminals and subhuman deviants of society. This is White supremacy.
Moving into the 20th century, this language and legislation continued to increase the reach of White supremacy, further debilitating the status of immigrants–particularly those of Asian origin. In 1917, the Barred Zone Act, also known as the Immigration Act of 1917, imposed harsh literacy tests on folks with Asian-Pacific origins and prohibited immigration from the region into the United States. Not long after, another law was passed: the Immigration Act of 1924, also called the National Origins Act and Johnson-Reed Act. This specific piece of legislation set quotas, some of about two to three percent, for the amount of immigrants allowed to enter the United States from certain countries; this was another attempt to target Asian immigrants. This is White supremacy.
Following the streak of anti-immigrant and anti-Asian legislation, hate crimes against Asians in America continued. In the 1930s, White workers terrorized the Filipino community in Watsonville, California. Accounts report that Filipinos were beaten, robbed, and driven out of their homes. One man, named Fermin Tobera, was killed. Similar to the absence of justice that occurred during earlier hate crimes, only eight people were convicted out of hundreds who rioted. This is White supremacy.
The World War Era Until Today
While anti-Asian and anti-immigrant legislation successfully reinforced White supremacy, de jure segregation and Jim Crow laws were simultaneously reinforcing anti-Blackness throughout the U.S. With this in mind, it then becomes clear that the history of the oppression of people of color all are uniquely rooted, but they all share the commonality of the same oppressor and mechanism of oppression that is White supremacy.
Anti-Asian and anti-immigrant sentiments did not go away as the twentieth century continued. The World Wars created further strife between immigrants, Asians, and the United States government. The World War era was marked by the use of Japanese internment camps, which sent over 112,000 Japanese-Americans to desolate centers to be monitored and kept away from the rest of society.
Anti-Asian hate did not stop following the decades after the World Wars which is clear by the fact that we are still finding ourselves in America today witnessing a stark increase in anti-Asian hate crimes. Eight people died in Atlanta. Six of those people were Asian women with other marginalized identities, such being immigrants and sex workers. Police and officials reporting on the event have sparked outrage as they answered calls of justice by saying that the terrorist had a “bad day” as well as a “sex addiction”.
From the history laid out before us, I think it is clear that no “bad day” or “sex addiction” could obscure the true motives behind this assault on humanity. These motives have roots in White supremacy so deep and interconnected, that the solutions must be those of solidarity, accountability, and transparency.
White supremacy is not something that can be rooted out overnight, but the gravity of violence that has been occurring since its conception must be met with justice if we are to thrive together in safe communities. Also, while there is no one solution that would encompass the harms of White supremacy upon the Asian community along with other communities of color, there are still necessary steps that we can take in the meantime to support the protection of Asian folks.
Protect Asian Sex Workers
Donate here to the Red Canary’s Song Fund, which works with Asians in the sex worker community to provide educational outreach, dinners, and programming. If applicable, sign up to organize.
Fund AAPI Justice/Mutual Aid
Check out the collective list of GoFundMes that directly support individuals and families affected by attacks against the AAPI community.
Shop Small, Asian Businesses
You can directly support businesses by providing residents in Chinatown meals from restaurants via Feed + Fuel Chinatown or Send Chinatown Love’s Gift-a-Meal program.
Understand the role that violence plays in the marginalization of Asian people–particularly Asian women and sex workers
Cases of domestic violence paralleled with the increase in anti-Asian hate crimes has been of great concern throughout the pandemic. The resource Womankind is a multilingual hotline that is available 24/7 for those seeking emergency assistance, house, and therapy/counseling. Also, the Asian/Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Resource Project offers services to survivors who live in Washington D.C, Maryland, and Virginia.
Educate yourself on transformative justice that calls for alternatives to police, prisons, and other punitive measures that have historically harmed communities of color.
Check out this resource for an overview and more resources on transformative justice.
Look for resources that will inform you about the experiences that different Asian-Americans face.
A great start is by checking out Novel Hand’s recent article written by Valerie about stopping Asian hate, where you can find recommended podcasts, literature, organizations to support, and an Interview with AACC President Raymond Chang on Anti-Asian Racism.
- Deep Roots: White Supremacy and the History of Anti-Asian Hate in America - March 19, 2021
- How to be an Anti-racist: Reflecting and Acting this MLK Jr. Day - January 17, 2021
- Five Ways to Take Your Activism Offline - December 15, 2020