opinions

WWW.OBUSIGNAL.COM | PAGE 7 #StopAsianHate supports AAPI community

BY MADELINE MARTIN

Staff Writer

Stories of hatred, discrimination and violence against Asian Americans began to surface following the March 16 shooting at Gold Spa in Atlanta, Ga. 8 people lost their lives, 6 of whom were women of Asian descent.

This crime inspired marches and rallies around the nation and also launched the social media movement #StopAsianHate. Asian Americans of all backgrounds use the hashtag to share stories of discrimination they have experienced. The movement continues to shed light on the systemic mistreatment of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community.

Several Asian American celebrities voiced their support of the movement. Gemma Chan, star of the film “Crazy Rich Asians,” spoke out on Instagram, highlighting the frequent discrimination of Asian women in particular. She called upon allies to educate themselves on the issue.

“Racism and misogyny are not mutually exclusive,” Chan said. “In fact, sexualised racial harassment and violence is something that many of us face regularly.”

Lana Condor, star of the popular “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” Netflix film trilogy, took to Twitter to share her own fear following the shooting.

“Wake up... Your Asian friends and family are deeply scared, horrified, sick to their stomachs and wildly angry,” Condor said. “Please please please check in on us, please please please stand with us.”

Many noticed that the support for the #StopAsianHate movement was lacking in comparison to the Black Lives Matter movement that ignited in June 2020. This proved how stories of Asian hatred and violence are diminished by the media.

This movement also brought attention to performative activism among brands that made statements of support that did not line up with their past behavior. Performative activism occurs when a brand makes a statement of solidarity but does not follow-up with actual action toward reaching change. e.l.f. Cosmetics CEO Tarang Amin released a statement condemning anti-Asian racism and went the extra mile by laying out his company’s plan to take immediate action. The brand plans to share Asian stories on social media platforms as well as conduct unconscious bias training among employees.

Being an ally cannot stop with a simple post. White Americans especially must recognize their privilege and take action or change will never happen. Here are ways to help the AAPI community:

Amplify Asian voices.

You do not need to speak for them, but you should share their stories. This can be done by sharing posts from people in the AAPI community about the discrimination and violence they face.

Actively educate yourself.

Read books and articles written by Asian authors that discuss the history of anti-Asian racism and their experiences. You can better support the Asian community by learning about these issues.

Support Asian businesses.

Buy from small, Asian-owned brands, like restaurants and beauty

(photo courtesy of changelives.org)

companies. For example, the Gua Sha facial treatment has become very popular on TikTok. Instead of buying a cheaper Gua Sha tool from Amazon, support the Asian community by purchasing one from a traditional Chinese medicine or beauty brand.

Donate.

Take action by donating to organizations that support the AAPI community. For more information on ways to donate and support the #StopAsianHate movement, visit stopaapihate.org and aapifund.org.

Spring 2021 presents surprises, challenges

BY WYATT ASHLOCK

2021-2022 Arts & Entertainment/Opinions Editor

This year at Ouachita has been a year of firsts. We had our first semester with masks, first semester back on campus since the move to virtual learning in March 2020, first year with virtual Tiger Tunes and first year without a spring break.

This is also the first year that both freshmen and sophomores have a full spring semester on campus.

This semester has been full of surprises like the removal of spring break, which was replaced with two catch up days and an extended Easter break. This was intended to reduce spring break travel and therefore lessen the spread of COVID-19. Students have expressed a combination of gratitude and grievances in light of the decision. A full week off of school is typically beneficial for physical and mental health, but the catch up days helped break up some of the semester’s workload. Many agree that the sacrifice of spring break is a small price to pay for the chance to be on campus during COVID.

Sacrificing spring break does not come without some consequences. Around the mid-March point, many students said that they felt mentally exhausted from not having a week off from school to relax and recuperate. Some students have said that with spring break gone, there should have been more than two catch up days this semester.

Another surprise was when students had a semi-break in February during “snowmageddon.” Despite the non-stop snow, students still had to attend virtual classes and complete homework in a timely manner, which proved difficult while trying to stay warm and brave the cold for food.

For several days students were snowed in, unable to drive anywhere or leave their dorms. However, the silver lining was certainly unforgettable. This week off allowed friends to build snowmen, participate in snowball fights and to go sledding down the ravine.

Lake DeGray has also been a safe haven for students to de-stress away from campus. Many students and Arkadelphia residents have gone there to hammock, swim or just enjoy the nature around them.

The lake and “snowmageddon” have given many great opportunities for students to make on-campus memories. Last year at this time, students were forced to find ways to make memories remotely. Friends had virtual game nights, Zoom hangouts and iMessage Game Pigeon tournaments.

Yet another surprise for the spring semester was when Dr. Wesley Kluck sent out an email saying that Ouachita would host a vaccination clinic for students. This made for another unorthodox event.

While this semester has been unlike others, Ouachita faculty, staff and students have tried to make it as fun and normal as possible by hosting Student Life events on the weekends, as well as sporting, theatre and music events.

This semester has been full of highs and lows, but nonetheless, it is a blessing to be back on campus with our peers. The first on-campus spring semester for many students will be an unforgettable emotional rollercoaster as the end nears.