>>> A WAVE OF ANTI-ASIAN
VIOLENCE IS SURGING ACROSS THIS
COUNTRY, FROM NEW YORK CITY,
WHERE A 61-YEAR-OLD MAN WAS
SLASHED ACROSS THE FACE, TO SAN
FRANCISCO WHERE AN 84-YEAR-OLD
MAN DIED OF INJURIES AFTER
GETTING SLAMMED TO THE GROUND BY
A MAN WHO CHARGED INTO HIM AT
FULL SPEED.
THE INCIDENTS HAVE REACHED A
CRISIS POINT WITH ASIAN-
ASIAN-AMERICANS NOW SAYING
THEY’RE AFRAID TO LEAVE THEIR
HOMERS SEND THEIR CHILDREN BACK
TO SCHOOL.
>> I CALLED FOR HELP, BUT NOBODY
CAME FOR HELP.
>> HE STARTED CALLING ME
[ BLEEP ].
CHINESE VIRUS, ALL SORTS OF
NASTY STUFF.
THEY EVENTUALLY STRUCK ME ON MY
FACE.
I FELL DOWN TO THE GROUND.
>> IT’S REALLY BEEN TERRIFYING
FOR OUR COMMUNITY, BECAUSE WE
ARE HIT BY THE PANDEMIC OF THIS
HORRIBLE PANDEMIC AND ALSO THE
RACISM THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS
ENCOUNTERING.
IT’S BEEN UNBEARABLE, AND IT’S
BEEN REALLY TOUGH.
>> THE NATIONAL COALITION STOP
AAPI HATE.
WITH THE PREVIOUS PRESIDENT
REPEATEDLY USING ASIAN SLURS TO
REFER TO COVID-19.
JOINING ME NOW IS MICHELLE KIM,
CO-FOUNDER AND CEO OF AWAKEN.
I’M SO GLAD YOU’RE HERE.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
YOU WROTE A PIECE THAT EVERYONE
SHOULD READ.
I’LL TWEET IT OUT WHEN THE SHOW
IS OVER.
BUT TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS
FROM A BROADER SENSE.
IT FEELS LIKE A LOT OF THIS IS
CONCENTRATED AROUND THE PANDEMIC
AND THE PREVIOUS PRESIDENT’S
CHARACTERIZATION OF IT.
TO WHAT EXTENT IS THAT IT, THAT
PEOPLE ARE ANGRY ABOUT COVID AND
BLAMING ANY RANDOM
ASIAN-AMERICAN PERSON THEY SEE?
>> YEAH.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
THIS IS AN HONOR.
I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE
ATTRIBUTING THE VIOLENCE,
INCREASE IN VIOLENCE TO THE
RHETORIC THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP,
EX-PRESIDENT TRUMP SPEWED OVER
AND OVER, CALLING COVID-19 A
CHINA VIRUS, KUNG FLU VIRUS.
I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT FOR US TO
REMEMBER THAT THIS VIOLENCE IS
NOT NEW.
IT HAS BEEN IN EXISTENCE SINCE
1800s, RIGHT?
WHEN WE LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF
THIS COUNTRY AND THE WAYS THAT
ANTI-ASIAN RACISM AND XENOPHOBIA
MANIFESTED LIKE THE CHINESE
EXCLUSION ACT, TO JAPANESE
INCARCERATION ACTS.
WE’RE SEEING PEOPLE OF YELLOW AS
DISEASED, TAKING AWAY OUR JOBS.
THAT RHETORIC IS CONTINUE INGING
NOW WE’RE SEEING INCREASED
VIOLENCE BECAUSE ON PART THE