Mason’s Center for Culture, Equity, and Empowerment (CCEE) CCEE is acknowledging the recent attacks against Asian elders and those in the Asian community. We stand in solidarity with all APIDA members of the Mason family. On January 28, in San Francisco, 84-year-old Vicha Ratanapakdee was knocked to the ground and killed while walking in his neighborhood. There have been over 20 attacks in Oakland’s Chinatown in the past two weeks that the local Chamber of Commerce considered to be targeted against Asians. On January 31, an assailant violently knocked a 91 year old man to the ground and later attacked an older man and woman. On February 3, in New York City, Noel Quintana, 61, was slashed across the face, and on the same day in Oakland, a 71 year-old grandmother was knocked to the ground while crossing the street and robbed. (HRW) There has been a significant uptick in violence against Asian Americans since Covid-19 entered the United States in late 2019; invoking harmful rhetoric from former Presidential leadership surrounding the virus’ origin. We stand in solidarity with our Asian American students in the Mason community and strongly condemn these acts of violence. We pray that justice is served for the victims and their families.
What we can do:
- Continue to learn & amplify issues about all forms of violence against Asians and Asian American communities.
- Check-in with elders in your community; ask them what they need.
- Hold each other accountable.
- Work to end white supremacy, anti-Blackness, xenophobia, poverty, police violence and the violence within and against our communities.
- Support, volunteer with, and learn from community-based groups who are organizing on the ground around the needs of elders & community safety.
- Continue to build cross-racial solidarity.
Social media is uncovering several overarching societal themes attached to the violent incidents, including an influx of anti-black rhetoric and the nuance and complexities within the model minority myth. To learn more visit stopaapihate.org.
If you would like to process thoughts about these incidents, please email Brandi Blake at bblake5@gmu.edu . If there is interest, we will host a processing space.