Situational Analysis

Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to
physical appearance and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another. Racism has
been a part of human society ever since then but now with the pandemic racism has been increasing
lately especially among Asians living in the U.S according to an article written by Dr. Okazaki, he stated
that “with the global outbreak of COVID-19 and the associated school closures across the U.S. have
amplified a multitude of inequalities that long predate COVID-19, with emerging evidence of Black,
Native American, Pacific Islander, and Latinx communities bearing the disproportionate brunt of health,
economic, and educational consequences. However, there have been little discussion about the impact
of COVID-19 on Asian American students and families. Despite decades of scholarship contesting the
narrative, and despite enormous diversity among Asian communities, Asian American students continue
to be cast as a model minority group who outperform all others academically.” And also, according to
him, there has bee an alarming rise of xenophobic backlash and racial harassment and violence against
Asians globally, blaming China and the Chinese for the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

In addition, according to Lopez, Edwards, Ruiz (2021) one-third of Asian Americans fear threats,
physical attacks and most say violence against them is rising. It says amid the covid outbreak at least
32% of Asian adults say they have feared someone might threaten or physically attack them. and 81% of
Asian adults also said that violence against them is increasing far surpassing the share of all U.S adults.
And also nearly half of them experienced an incident tied to their racila or wthnic background since the
pandemic began.

In line with this, the researcher would like to propose an advocacy project to help bring
awareness to these racial backlash that is happening to asians living in the U.S. This advocacy project
aims to help those people who had experience these types of racial backlash and violence against them.
it also aims to bring light on what asian-americans go through especial now that most of these racial
slurs and attack are happening amidst the COVID-19 outbreak.
 Nature and Source of Issue

Eversince the Covid outbreak asian hate crimes has been increasing a great deal but racism
targeted towards asian has been around even before the pandemic. According to Ching (2021), she said
that “A total of 3,795 attacks have been reported since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, with
the steep incline in violence,physical, verbal and sexual, in part a result of the stigma surrounding the
Chinese origins of the coronavirus, with most mainstream media outlets attributing the rise in
xenophobia and racism to President Joe Biden’s predecessor.” Also, according to this article only 47
states have hate crime laws in place 17 of which don’t require data collection on hate crimes. Which
leaves national datas severly incomplete to which causes deficits in allocation of supports as well as
resources to vaulnerable communities.

Moreover, asian hate crimes did not start since the pandemic it has ben aroung quite sometime
from indentured labor to the federal Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 to Japanese internment camps
during World War II, violence against Asians is indeed not something new. It’s been a problem for quite
a while. Many believe former President Donald Trump’s anti-Asian rhetoric has been particularly
damaging. In fact, a recent study found that a tweet sent out by Trump on March 16, 2020, immediately
spiked the number of racist anti-Asian hashtags. The tweet referred to COVID-19 as the Chinese Virus.
Also, this is not the first time Asian Community has been scapegoated, there is a historical precedent.
The Chinese were blamed for the bubonic plague in San Francisco. The city enacted discriminatory
quarantine measures against Chinese and Japanese Americans that European Americans were not
subjected to. (Casabianca, 2021)

In line with this actions of the U.S. government has been increasingly absent with some of the
racial backlash against asians increase because of Prisident Trump fueled these discrimination amidst
the pandemic. However shortly after taking office of President Joe Biden signed a memorandum
denoucing the trump administration’s discriminatory sentiments directed at the Asian-Americans as well
as Pacific Islanders community and to better combat anti-Asian Racism. With the help of these new
administration, local governments turn their attention toward this human rights issue and look into local
efforts to combat these anti asian violence as well as reminaginging a safeter community. Aslo, various
community organizations have raised funds to support victims. Activists have called for increased
investment in community-led programs and for attention to the factors that prevent Asian Americans,
particularly older people, from feeling safe in their communities. (Vang and Nguyen, 2021)

As a Southeast asian as well as a filipino this issue has given me a great impact having to hear
the news about our fellow asian being attack just because they are asian is truly alarming and
disapointing especially with the U.S government doing little to nothing ar all to stop this. As a student of
Benilde I’d saythat this issue is very saddening not because as of what id value as a student but as a
person due to the fact our fellow people are not respected and being discriminated just because they
are different and also being blamed for something they have no control over.
 Advocacy Proposal/Reccomendations

Inline with this issues our fellow asian are facing I would like to start up an adcovacy project
involving the awareness of this issue. This advocacy project aims to spread awareness on how bad the
issue is, what the govenrment is doing to stop this and also help gain support in fighting against these
racial backlash.

First these project will target the opressed and help them into overcomming their battle against
these racial issues by gainning as much support as possible. Then witth the help of these supporter
hopefully we can help spread these awareness globally and some how make the government aware that
asian racisim is increasing and becoming more and more violent to which somebody needs to put a stop
to.

In addition, with the help of the contious expansion of technology, it woul be a great help to
utilize these in spreading our advocacy. Since we are basically now confined to our homes and almost
everything is now done virtually I think it is the best idea to bring these awareness advocacy virtually.
And create a platform that will help reach as many people as possible. For example, we will be putting
these advocacy project in social media with the help of blogs, animations, vlog and posters to help take
this globally.

Personal Reflections

Troughout these process I have learned a great deal not only from creating these advocacy but
also from the articles I have gathered. In the articles I have read I am greatly surprised that asian hate
crimes is increasing a great deal and that the U.S. government is doing nothing into putting a stop to
this.also I am disapointed that there is only little support for asian hate crimes that came fron local
govenrments in the U.S. With the help of the course critical thinking, I can have some tools that will
better help me be equip with the right skill to put these advocacy to a success. And with the help of the
field I will be taking I believe I can make this advocacy project come true and be better.

Sources

Dr. S. Okazaki (n.d) Asian American Experiences of Racism during COVID-19. Retrieved from.
https://steinhardt.nyu.edu/ihdsc/on-the-ground/asian-american-experiences-racism-during-
covid-19

N. G. Ruiz, K. Edwards and M. H. Lopez (April 21,2021) One-third of Asian Americans fear threats,
physical attacks and most say violence against them is rising. Retrieved from.
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/04/21/one-third-of-asian-americans-fear-
threats-physical-attacks-and-most-say-violence-against-them-is-rising/

J. Ching ( March 29, 2021) Where The Roots Of Asian American Hate Crimes Lie. Retrieved from.
https://www.civilbeat.org/2021/03/where-the-roots-of-asian-american-hate-crimes-lie/

S. S. Casabianca (March 24, 2021) Anti-Asian Racism Takes Devastating Toll on Community. Retrieved
from. https://psychcentral.com/news/anti-asian-racism-mental-health-impact

S. Vang and E. Nguyen ( Febuary 12, 2021) Anti-Asian Violence in US Demands Response. Retrieved from
https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/02/12/anti-asian-violence-us-demands-response