It is not news to report that we, as a society, have been experiencing an immense amount of fear, confusion, and frustration this year. We have and are still navigating the unpredictable measures related to COVID-19 and reinventing our daily norms at a moment’s notice. Even though our nation has been under attack by this contagion for over a year now, it has shed light on another contagion that plagued us well before COVID-19: our nation’s history with racism and hate crimes, specifically related to the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. In this 3 part series, I will begin by sharing a few statistics from this year’s uptick in AAPI hate crimes and practical ways one can engage in support our AAPI community. Then, I will share my experience with racism and my journey of finding my racial identity. Finally, I will end the series by sharing TheraCare’s value in providing an all- inclusive therapeutic experience for all who are seeking support.

On January 28, 2021, Vicha Ratanapakdee was taking his morning stroll in San Francisco, CA. He was pushed to the ground in broad daylight resulting in injuries. He died a few days later. This is just one incident that received media attention amongst many hate crimes towards Asian Americans this year. According to the STOP AAPI HATE (an organization documenting anti-Asian hate in the midst of COVID-19) National Report, there have been 3,795 incidents received from March 19, 2020 to February 28, 2021. Out of the 3,9975 cases, 503 cases reported just in the beginning of 2021. The majority of these cases reported as verbal harassments and shunning as main forms of discrimination (68.1% and 20.5 %, respectively). Moreover, women are 2.3 times more than men to report cases. I also wonder if an aspect of under-reporting is impacted by cultural standards/ influences of “saving face” and gender role expectations.. There has also been a signifiant difference between various Asian communities experiencing these hate crimes. The Chinese community is the largest community to experience hate (42.2%), followed by Koreans (14.8%), Vietnamese (8.5%), and Filipino (7.9%). In many major cities, AAPI hate crimes have increased to at least 50 % (see graph below).

These statistics and stories may lead you to feel lots of different emotions: despair, heartache, anger, and/or activated in some type of way. Fear not (!), there are some practical ways to hopefully provide some helpful tips around supporting your AAPI community:

Stay Curious

I believe a strong way to support the AAPI community is simply to stay curious about their experiences in their community. If they are feeling the weight of their experiences of discrimination and racism, ask if there is something you can do directly to support them. Try not to assume that everyone in the AAPI community needs or wants help at the moment. The best, most powerful act that we can do for one another is to listen.

2. Support an AAPI organization/ local businesses

Here are some AAPI organizations that you could monetarily support and/or volunteer at:
https://stopaapihate.org– Organization that is tracking anti- Asian hate during COVID-19
https://aaci.org– Non-profit mental health agency located in the heart of San Jose
https://dearasiansinitiative.carrd.co – Organization that works to bridge the gap between #BLM movement and anti- Blackness in the Asian community through translated letters to create unity amongst minorities.
https://www.advancingjustice-aajc.org

3. Be an ally and educate yourself.

I will leave you with this. Amanda Nguyen, a social entrepreneur and civil rights activist, eloquently said: “It’s important to not just compare issues across communities, but rather work together in solidarity, Justice is a fabric that has threads from all different communities.”