Why do we keep forgetting about Asian Americans?
The mainstream media continues to neglect the reported hate crimes and struggles that Asians Americans are experiencing during the pandemic
It seems that every day we hear about figures reaching new highs and new lows. In March, the stock market hit the circuit breaker multiple times, death rates and cases related to COVID-19 continued to increase exponentially, and unemployment skyrocketed only second to Great Depression levels. What’s becoming more clear is that minorities are disproportionately affected by the loss of jobs and consequently, financial instability.
In the state of New York, unemployment claims mirror the nation. They are at an all-time high. According to the New York State Department of Labor, unemployment claims for African Americans rose by 1,927%, whites by 2,904%, Latinx by 3,222%, and Asian Americans by 10,210%. Everyone has suffered economically under the pandemic, and for Asian Americans, this time has been extremely difficult. In mid-January to February, they were forced to close their businesses earlier than most because Wuhan’s outbreak put a target on Asian businesses abroad. Stereotypes, racism, and xenophobia continue to fuel hate crimes toward the Asian community especially after the President declared the Coronavirus a “Chinese Virus”.
When will enough be enough?
At a time when Asians are thrust into the nation’s spotlight, the mainstream media somehow still continues to forget about and neglect the reported hate crimes and struggle that Asians Americans are experiencing. I’d like to see more of the media reporting on the astronomical highs Asian American unemployment has risen to. I’d like to hear the names of Asian American hate crime victims. I want to hear their stories and for others to know the Model Minority Myth is really just a myth. Not all of us are living above the poverty line. Not all of us are financially successful. It is time to hear about the rest of us. We’re not all East Asian and we’re not all college-educated. For many Asians, we live at or below the poverty line. We encountered racism before COVID-19 and most certainly will continue to afterwards. We’ve been oppressed and forgotten, but now is the time we have a chance to spread our stories.
Asian Americans deserve a voice in America, too.
