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Anti-Asian Sentiments and a Bottom-Up Approach to Change
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Abstract
Due to the quartines imposed to help control the spread of COVID-19 in the United
States during 2020, many people increased their usage of social media in search of news and
entertainment. In doing so, they found many derogatory posts directed towards Asians based on
false claims that they were to blame for the virus. Social media can be very influential, and the
growing anti-Asian sentiments online, some of which originating from politicians, stimulated a
growth in the number of hate crimes against the Asian population. Considering this racial
injustice, how can creating videos that show students’ opinions and awareness on Asian hate
help reverse anti-Asian sentiments and bring about a more socially just campus at UCSD? One
way is through social media, which has the power to make a positive difference just like it can in
a negative way. By employing a bottom-up approach, students at UCSD should be encouraged
through campus organizations to take part in a campaign for change, participating in the creation
of videos that are meant to educate the public about Asian-hate crimes and false associations.
The Chinese Union will play a major role in the organization creation of the videos. These
videos will be posted to different social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, and
YouTube to generate the most interactions. Students themselves will also star in the videos,
sharing their personal opinions and ideas about the rise of Asian hate in America. The goal is to
create a culture, starting on campus and with the student body.
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Anti-Asian Sentiments and a Bottom-Up Approach to Change
Many injustices have been unveiled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, just one of them
being the drastic uptick in anti-Asian sentiments, leaving 81% of Asian Adults believing that
violence against their community has risen since the pandemic’s start in the United States (Ruiz
et al., 2021). Such actions are unacceptable, particularly since they are the result of irrational
associations made between Asian Americans and the Coronavirus. Action is needed, particularly
in promoting an intersectional approach to creating more equitable and racially just organizations
and systems. However, government and upper-level officials engaged in policy making are not
the only means to change. It is important to recognize that individuals make up organizations and
have the potential to move them by sheer numbers. Universities, such as the University of
California San Diego (UCSD), are one place in which such change can happen because they are
filled with energetic and passionate young adults who want to make a difference in the world.
Considering this, this research paper will address the following question: how can create videos
that show students’ opinions and awareness on Asian hate help reverse anti-Asian sentiments and
bring about a more socially just campus at UCSD? In answering this question, research has
shown that a bottom-up approach is best for instigating lasting cultural change. Therefore,
actions should be taken by students who organize through existing campus organizations to
create and circulate videos that would help others understand the reality of Asian hate crimes and
the unjust associations between Asian Americans and coronavirus, the goal being to bring about
a more equally diverse climate on campus.
Problem Description
Hate crimes against Asian Americans have been on the rise in the U.S. Most victims have
faced verbal harassment with 68.1% of reports filed by Asian Americans in 2020 being of this
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nature (Jueng et al., 2021, p. 1). The second most common offense is shunning, which makes up
20.5% of the reports, followed by physical assault (11.1%), workplace discrimination (8.5%),
and online harassment (6.8%) (Jueng et al., 2021, p. 1). Of all the states in California is one of
the states reporting the most hate crimes against Asian Americans, which is likely attributable to
the fact that it is the state that houses the most Asian Americans, the number reaching more than
six million (Cabral, 2021).
Furthermore, the Coronavirus was a major problem in California relative to other states
between March and May of 2020. According to the Asian Pacific Policy Planning Council
(A3PCON) (2020, p. 1), 34 counties in California reported hate crimes against Asians that were a
result of COVID by June of 2020. In San Francisco alone, hate crimes against Asian Americans
increased by 140% (Levin, 2021, p. 2). One instance included a man who stabbed two Asian
American women waiting at a bus stop (Cabral, 2021). In general, large cities are particularly
worse throughout the nation with New York City also being a hotspot for Asian American hate
crimes. For example, in New York City, after refusing to remove her mask, an Asian American
woman was hit in the head with a hammer. Additionally, a 61-year old Filipino was riding the
subway when a person used a box cutter to slash the 61-year-old’s face (Cabral, 2021).
Much of what is occurring with Asian Americans can be better understood after
analyzing the data with an intersectional framework. According to May (2015, p. 2),
intersectionality refers to the study of discrimination and privilege through the identification of
social and political characteristics of an individual. These characteristics play a role in
establishing certain prejudices, resulting in unjust behavior towards another. For example, not
only at Asian Americans being attacked but Pacific Islanders as well. This is because of a lack of
differentiation between the ethnicities. It reveals an even greater disdain for Asians as they are
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denied the recognition of being a separate group. The same can be said for the Pacific Islanders
who have unfortunately become trapped in a culture blinded by the statement “you all look the
same.” In both groups, people are being denied their individuality, indicating a factor of
disadvantage that plays a role in intersectionality.
Unfortunately, there are certain issues with the public’s perception of intersectionality
that need also be addressed. According to May (20,15 p. 3), intersectionality is generally limited
to black women and oppression. This is a very narrow view that excludes important members of
the community that also need assistance. Such an incorrect view of the word is a contributor to
one of the major consequences of the pandemic that exacerbated the Asain hate. Government
officials and media outlets were guilty of using stigmatizing language that emphasized China’s
involvement with the virus or blaming Asians, in particular. for its spread (Darling-Hammond et
al., 2020, p. 871). One example of this happening is within former President Trump’s 2020
speech at the beginning of the pandemic where he frequently referenced the term “Chinese
virus.”
I remember hearing this speech, and the language that the president used made my
friends and me irate. As the president of the United States, he has significant power in leading
public perceptions, and he associated the virus with ethnicity in that speech. I watched with
horror and disappointment as the use of the terms “China virus” and “Kung flu” promptly
appeared on my social media feeds and those of my friends. While some association between
Asians and the coronavi...