Xenophobia and Racism Are Nothing New to the United States: a Critical Lens on Anti-Asian Hate.

An APIDA-centered Blog Series from a Black-centered Organization. Written By: Dr. Nicole Caridad Ralston, Dr. DeLa Dos, Dr. Faith R. Kares, Alisha Keig, & Kevin Lewis

Beloved Community stands in solidarity with our Asian, Pacific Islander & Desi American (APIDA) community. We are united against racism and hate crimes that kill communities of color. Full stop. Period. Xenophobia and racism are American pastimes. Anyone with a racialized identity can tell you their personal experiences with it, and anyone who has critically researched the history of this country can find mounds of evidence that support this fact. We continue to invite you to do your own work in learning the racist history of this country and how it impacts our daily lives. In this blog, however, we want to center the APIDA community and the rise of Anti-Asian hate through the lens of deep rooted anti-Black racism in the United States. To be clear: as a diversity, equity and inclusion consulting firm that centers Blackness, Intersectionality and racial equity, we uplift and name how racism impacts all communities of color. We are saddened and disgusted at the news of the murders of the eight people in Atlanta, six of whom were Asian women, but we are not surprised. This is how White Supremacy Culture works in the United State’s caste system.

White Supremacy has one ultimate goal: the elimination of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). It accomplishes this goal by either murdering us without repercussion or by erasing us through assimilation and incarceration, whichever serves its purposes better.  It operates silently and lures Black and Brown people in with the false promise of protection and proximity to power. 

The violence towards BIPOC communities at the hands of whiteness also highlights the extent to which BIPOC folx are consistently blamed for the transgressions of white people. In Atlanta, the white domestic terrorist had a sex addiction, but the Asian victims were to blame, purely for their existence. White Supremacy Culture deflects blame from White people and projects it onto BIPOC to justify othering, marginalizing, and destroying these communities. This virulent form of gaslighting is institutionalized and continues to be used by law enforcement in order to explain away and minimize white terror. There is no accountability for the violent or “immoral” transgressions of white America because there is always a finger to point at someone else. “This is not who we are” has become the white anthem, and BIPOC have been and always will be scapegoats for this society’s ills, unless this country faces its difficult history with humility and a critical aim at dismantling White Supremacy. 

We end with a call to action.This is also a call for white people to do the work of dismantling White Supremacy Culture, and a call for Black, Indigenous, and Brown solidarity to stand against racism because “Nobody’s free until everybody’s free”-Fannie Lou Hammer.   

In this blog series we will examine a new topic each week including:  

• Week 1: Global History of White Supremacy and Anti-Blackness 

• Week 2: Intersectional Hate: Past and Present

• Week 3: Critical Interrogation: APIDA & Black Community Relationships

• Week 4: Interrogating Inaccuracies: Hate Crime Data and APIDA communities 

Ways to support APIDA communities:

• Educate yourself. Recognize any anti-Asian sentiments you may harbor and work on eliminating that bias. You can start by taking an Implicit Association Test and reading up on the current and historical conversation around anti-Asian hate (Note: Some links to resources require subscriptions):  

  • Xenophobia

  • White Supremacy Culture 

  • We Will Not Be Used, Mari J Matsuda

  • Antiracism Resources: Racism, antiracism, and anti-Black racism

  • It's More Than Racism: Isabel Wilkerson Explains America's 'Caste' System

  • How Racism and Sexism Intertwine to Torment Asian-American Women

  • Stop Asian Hate National Report

  • After Atlanta: Teaching About Asian American Identity and History

  • AAPI Resources for Mental Health:

  • Mari Matsuda: Critical Race Theory is not Anti-Asian

  • Coronavirus and the Racist History of Pandemics

  • 50 Ways to Donate in Support of Asian Communities 

  • Anti-racism resources to support Asian American, Pacific Islander community

  • Then move to your family and friends. Center conversations about anti-Asian racism at home, and share Safety Tips for those Experiencing or Witnessing Hate.

  • Donate to activists and organizations already doing the work: Red Canary Song, Asian Women’s Shelter, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, and Stop AAPI Hate.