Anti-Asian violence

“ IREMEMBER LAST YEAR [in] my Japanese class we had to do this thing where, in Japanese, we write a question for students to answer,” said Palo STOP opening their lunch to see fellow students’ disgusted looks. “Even in a city considered to be ‘accepting,’ there are still many macro and miASIAN HATE Alto High School senior Cody Hmelar. “Two people had written in Japanese: ‘Have you eaten dog?’ Looking back on that experience now, I was not croaggressions towards Asians,” said junior Hillary Cheung, co-president of AASU. Since last March, anti-Asian hate crimes have in“Even in a city considered to be ‘accepting’ there are still many macro and COMMUNITY aware of how culturally rooted that kind of sentiment microaggressions towards Asians.” creased by 1,900% in the United States, according to a study REACTS TO was, and that it was offensive.” — HILLARY CHEUNG, co-president of AASU by Stop AAPI Hate. Disturbing videos Hmelar is the of attacks flooded ANTI-ASIAN co-president of Paly’s Asian American Stu dent Union. - social media feeds and timelines, igniting national discussion on the issue. As early as elementary school, Palo “Especially in the Bay Area with all VIOLENCE Alto Unified School District’s Asian American students have withstood racism in all those stories about the elders being attacked, it’s really scary to consider [that] my Text by MIA BALDONADO, KATHERINE CHENG and MEENA forms, from microaggressions to blatant hostility. Common experiences include name calling, watching classmates pull grandparents are across the country,” senior Emma Wu said. “But they’re still in a very large urban area and so they’re at risk of beNARAYANASWAMI back their eyes to imitate “Asian eyes” and ing attacked. … I think it has just made it

BACKLASH IN BRISBANE (LEFT) — Protestors gather in Brisbane Community Park to denounce racism against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. They hold signs as speakers share stories and start chants. “This is what community looks like,” the crowd shouts. Photo: Mia Baldonado SPREAD LOVE NOT HATE (TOP MIDDLE) — A woman and young girl sit together on a park bench at the Brisbane rally to protest against hate against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Photo: Mia Baldonado #STOPASIANHATE (BOTTOM MIDDLE) — Community members hold signs supporting the Stop Asian Hate movement at the Town and Country rally to protest against hate crimes against the AAPI community. Photo: Myra Xu YOUTH OUTCRY (RIGHT) — A kid stands among a crowd of students who have gathered on El Camino Real to express their frustration after several instances of violence against the AAPI community garnered national attention. Photo: Myra Xu

[the possibility of a family member getting hurt] a little more real.”

Since the first cases of COVID-19 were diagnosed in China, many blame China, and subsequently Asians, for the devastation the pandemic has caused. Even before the pandemic, Asian Americans endured both blatant and concealed racism, but the recent spike in hate crimes has led to a passionate response from students, local organizations and the surrounding community.

Student discussion and activism

According to the Paly Profile, an annual report published by the school, Asian students currently make up over 40% of the student body. Clubs like AASU offer a way to unite students through their heritage as they watch Asian films and discuss Asian pop culture. In response to the recent Stop Asian Hate demonstrations, the club’s co-presidents, Hmelar, Cheung and junior Emily Yun, hosted an open forum for AAPI students during a February club meeting.

“It not only brought us closer together as a club, being vulnerable about our shared experiences with racism, but it also made me reflect more as an individual,” Yun said.

AASU hopes to collaborate with teachers, psychologists and education specialists to implement a curriculum that would teach topics related to racism against Asian Americans. Although the project is still in formulation, Hmelar hopes that it will help teachers handle these situations by learning about issues such as microaggressions and how to address them.

“From my experience, it’s not a lack of wanting to learn,” Hmelar said. “It’s the lack of resources on how to deal with these situations. Teachers and administrators, they’ve been wanting to improve. They want to deal with these issues. It’s just a matter of finding what the students need from them and how they can deal with it.”

As with AASU presidents, Wu has worked to find ways to spread her perspective on anti-Asian violence, focusing on the medium of digital art. Her recent digital photo collage reflects on the March 16 At

lanta Spa Shootings, white supremacy and to Tanaka, when he first ran for office, his the way that white men exploit their power father did not donate to his campaign beto hurt Asian women. cause he did not believe Asians should be

“It’s really considering ‘how do you involved in politics. think race is affecting your peers?’” Wu said. “He thought we should keep our heads “Especially when that part of our identity is down and mouths shut, and I think that’s something that can play a part in our safety. the attitude of a lot of Asians,” Tanaka said. I do think it’s something that mentally has “So when we get beat up, when we get disbeen kind of heavy on me and just thinking criminated against, we don’t say anything. about it all day and seeing it in the news We’re just kind of like a punching bag.” cycle is something that is scary to me.” Like many members of the Asian

Another student who has taken up community and their allies, Tanaka feels the effort to address racism against Asian inspired by the outpouring of support in Americans is Amanda Sun, the founder response to the recent violence. of the Instagram account @tellasiansto- “In the past when Asians would be ries and a Dartmouth College sophomore. killed, there’d be silence,” Tanaka said. “I With her account, Sun aims to provide a platform for Asian Americans to anonymously share their experiences, “I hope that the current moment Asian Americans are experiencing think this is a really strong showing [of support] … and this is a big step forward.” National Baspositive or nega- helps us to develop even ketball Association tive, with a wider audience. deeper empathy for oth- player Jeremy Lin (Class of `06) has

“Our goal er communities. ” been at the forewith this is main- front of the movely to disrupt this — JEREMY LIN, NBA player and Paly alumnus ment to denounce model minority violence against the myth — that idea that Asians are very suc- AAPI community. Lin has been outspoken cessful in this country and don’t deal with about his experiences in a career where racism,” Sun said. there are very few Asian Americans.

As a Japanese American, Sun observed “At first, it was hard to always be the that many other Asian Americans have had Asian American player and to feel like I similar experiences, inspiring her to create was being discounted because of that,” Lin a way to further the conversation about wrote in a message to Verde. “At the same Asian American stereotypes and racism. time, being Asian American on the court

“Even though … where I live in Sunny- forced me to not let what other people vale, it’s very diverse and full of immigrants, think of me at first glance limit what I can there’s a lot of racism — just under the sur- do on the court.” face,” Sun said. “And I think it’s important Lin emphasizes the importance of to keep this in mind because it keeps us on cross-cultural solidarity and sees it as necesour toes, and I think that’s important be- sary for progress in the fight against racism. cause there’s still work to be done.” “I hope that the current moment Asian Americans are experiencing helps us Representation in careers to develop even deeper empathy for other

Palo Alto City Council member Greg communities,” Lin wrote. “One way we Tanaka was present at the March 21 Town can all actively contribute is to be honest and Country Village rally to protest against with ourselves as to where we all have biases hate crimes against the AAPI community, and where we each can be better about our and believes that there needs to be more understanding for what other communities Asian representation in politics. According are going through.” v

TANAKA TAKES ACTION (TOP) — Palo Alto City Council member Greg Tanaka holds up a sign for passing cars to see. Photo: Myra Xu HATE IS A VIRUS (BOTTOM) — A girl attends the Brisbane vigil held in remembrance of victims of racially motivated violence. Photo: Mia Baldonado