Eight bouquets — one in honor of each life lost in Atlanta Tuesday evening — lined the steps of a stage in Bicentennial Park as about 200 people gathered Saturday morning to rally against the increase in violence against Asians and Asian Americans. Credit: Owen Milnes | Campus Producer
In the wake of the fatal shooting of eight people in Atlanta March 16 — six of whom were women of Asian descent — Ohio State is offering support to Asian, Pacific Islander and Desi American students and resources for non-Asian students to educate themselves about anti-Asian racism.
The targeting of three Asian spas incredibly affected the Asian, Pacific Islander and Desi American community, Sophia Antoun, intercultural specialist for Asian, Pacific Islander and Desi American Initiatives at Ohio State, said — but she said it wasn’t an isolated incident.
Stop AAPI Hate, a nonprofit social organization that tracks incidents of discrimination, hate and xenophobia against Asians, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States, found that from March 19, 2020, to Feb. 28, there have been 3,795 reported incidents against Asian Americans. Antoun said it was frustrating to see the sharp increase of violent attacks against Asian Americans.
“It’s incredibly heartbreaking to hear the news because the community has been worried about targeted attacks like this and have been experiencing targeted attacks throughout this entire pandemic,” Antoun said. “It’s frustrating to see what happened come to life.”
Antoun said Asian and Asian American students experiencing emotional distress from this incident can reach out to Counseling and Consultation Services. Micky Sharma, director of CCS, said although these acts of violence occur outside of one’s immediate life, it is important to validate what that person is feeling.
“When these things repeatedly happen, it increases concern people have for their well-being,” Sharma said. “We’re working with them to manage reactions they have to that. We tell them to honor and accept their emotional response, working with them in that regard.”
Sharma said Monday-Friday between 3-5 p.m, a program called “Let’s Talk” is open to all students to connect with a counselor virtually and talk about their struggles.
Antoun said it can be difficult for people to recognize anti-Asian racism because of the lack of media coverage of violence and racism the Asian, Pacific Islander and Desi American community faces in the U.S. She said to prevent future events like the Atlanta shooting, there are several ways for non-Asian people to educate themselves.
Reflect on existing gaps and seek knowledge
Antoun said it’s important to remember that the Asian, Pacific Islander and Desi American community is not a monolithic group; the community spans across many cultures and identities that includes East Asians, South Asians, Southeast Asians and Pacific Islanders, among other groups.
Antoun recommended people look to organizations such as Asian American Community Services, which provides social support for Asian Americans and immigrants in central Ohio as well as educational resources. The organization seeks to combat the model minority myth, the stereotype that all Asians and Asian Americans are successful — particularly financially.
Another resource Antoun recommended is the Ohio Progressive Asian Women’s Leadership, an Ohio organization advocating for social justice and recognition of Asian, Asian American and Pacific Islander women and nonbinary people.
Antoun said the hypersexualization of Asian women and female bodies is a historical and persistent issue the community faces.
In a March 17 press conference, Capt. Jay Baker of the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office said the suspect, Robert Long, claimed his shootings were not racially motivated but rather due to his “sex addiction” that was tempted by the Asian-owned spas.
“What we continue to see is that Asian women are sexually objectified and exoticized in this lens of white male pleasure. And we see that very clearly with what the perpetrator himself named as what he believed to be some kind of sexual threat that he needed to eliminate,” Antoun said. “We see that continuation of the history of hypersexualization, objectification, and ownership of the Asian female body as a sex object.”
Be conscious of how the APIDA community is portrayed in the media
Antoun said it is important to be aware of possible stereotypes in the media, be it books, podcasts, movies or television. She said to try to consume media that accurately depicts Asian, Pacific Islander and Desi American perspectives and does not contain stereotypes such as the Asian model minority myth. In essence, if consuming media about the Asian, Pacific Islander and Desi American community, consume media by members of that community.
Connect through social media feeds
Antoun said there is no better time than now to be connected to the Asian, Pacific Islander and Desi American community through social media. She said it is a place for the community to express themselves and share what they want others to know about their experiences as Asians.
Listen
It is important to listen to the Asian, Pacific Islander and Desi American community and understand where biases come from, Antoun said. From dismantling the Asian model minority myth to responding to anti-Asian racism, Antoun said others should acknowledge the APIDA community experience.
Antoun said there are many resources students at Ohio State can reach out to and educate themselves during these hard times. The Center for Ethnic Studies and the Asian American Studies Department is a great place to learn about Asian, Pacific Islander and Desi American history, Antoun said.
Students can report instances of racial discrimination on campus to the Office of Institutional Equity. Antoun said students seeking support can go to the Multicultural Center located in the Ohio Union.
