Alongside the current pandemic of COVID-19, the world has also witnessed a revival of the “yellow peril.” A second pandemic in the form of an extreme surge in documented xenophobia and anti-Asian sentiments sweeps the nation. But the U.S is and always has been a racist country. Chinese laborers first immigrated to the U.S following the demand for labor during the California Gold Rush in 1848 and the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869 (The Conversation). They were seen as a model minority due to their economic success and assimilation into American culture. However, as job competition increased, the white working-class began losing their jobs to immigrant workers, and their “model minority” became a threat. White nativists used propaganda to portray the Chinese immigrants as the “yellow peril,” menacing, exotic, diseased, and a threat. These harmful and racist stereotypes provide a historical context to the hostile behavior that has erupted during the pandemic. The recent spike in hate crimes that started last spring has been fueled by the racist sentiment that seeks to scapegoat Asian citizens as the cause of COVID-19. The viral outbreak did not generate more anti-Asian racism, it has just given racist people an excuse to express their beliefs more strongly. These violent and harmful expressions are partially influenced by government enablement. In America, specifically Donald Trump’s labeling of COVID-19, “China virus,” suggesting to his loyal supporters that China unleashed the virus upon the world with intent and that they should be blamed. Although he has expressed an apology for the use of racist terms to describe the virus, there has been no action moved to support his apology, and Asian communities worldwide continue to suffer. 

The racially motivated attacks have taken many forms, depending on the factors of the situation. Physical assault, verbal harassment, vandalism, robbery; there have been many cases recorded and yet so many not. For example, on March 28, 2020, an Asian woman was boarding a bus in the Bronx when she was repeatedly hit on the head with an umbrella while others shouted racial insults at her. This was only the same month that the pandemic had begun. NextShark, one of the leading sources for Asian American news, reports that an elderly Asian man was left ‘brain dead’ after a violent robbery in Oakland. On the morning of January 28, 2021, an 84-year old Thai man was shoved to his death in San Francisco. The teen who did it then pled not guilty to his murder. There are hundreds of incidents reported daily, and data suggests that many more go unreported. According to Stop AAPI Hate, there have been more than 2,800 anti-Asian incidents documented since last spring, the first outbreak of COVID-19. There has been more attention focused on these hate crimes this year as cruelly older adults and the elderly are targeted, who already face increased health risks during the pandemic. 

These attacks have a very clear goal: instilling fear among Asian communities. Hate crimes have a devastating long-lasting effect on the health of both individual victims and communities. It is not uncommon for victims to develop psychological distress, and conditions such as anxiety, depression, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). According to Joo Han, deputy director of the Asian American Federation, "We know that when an individual experiences racial trauma, it can lead to a host of mental health issues -- increased anxiety, depression, trouble eating and sleeping." Imagine the long-term effects of spending every waking moment plagued by fear, that you or the people close to you are not safe. The discrimination we face is purely based on the way we look, which cannot be changed or disguised (nor should it). The recent targeted attacks on the elderly are abominable. Data from the National Latino and Asian American Study suggests that those with a stronger ethnic identity suffer more mental distress than those with a weaker ethnic identity. The data also shows that older adults will internalize the effects of discrimination more. Many elders do not report the incidents and remain unidentified out of shame and fear. Who knows how many incidents have gone unreported due to fear of poor public response, causing deeper internalization of harassment and a more damaging effect on mental health. 

A key contributor to the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes has to do with the behavior of political leaders. Many government officials worldwide have enabled or even indirectly encouraged the abuse. In America, former President Donald Trump constantly used racist terms to describe the COVID-19 virus, encouraging national hate speech. Names like “China virus,” “Kung Flu,” or “Wuhan virus” (Secretary of State Mike Pompeo) encourages the spread of derogatory speech in the media, which influences the public. Although Trump has since apologized, he has failed to support his apology with any legitimate governmental response to protect Asian American citizens. In fact, federal agencies haven’t taken any action either. Although local governments have set up hotlines and assisted investigations, we need elected officials to take explicit action to address the hate crimes. There is a lack of consistency in racial attack prosecution and they need to adopt new action plans against this new fueling of racism and xenophobia. This performative support has done nothing to protect Asian American communities. In 2021, our nation shifts into a new age of leadership that promises contrasting action to his openly xenophobic predecessor. In his first presidential speech, President Biden condemns Anti-Asian racism and acknowledges that “... So many of them, our fellow Americans, they’re on the front lines of this pandemic trying to save lives, and still, still they’re forced to live in fear for their lives just walking down streets in America'' (Biden). He has called for improved data collection of Anti-Asian hate crimes and encouraged the removal of derogatory language from official documents. Hopefully, these early actions will lead to further change. As a public, we can increase awareness among our own communities and put more pressure on governments to provide more financial support for victims and funding for local-based efforts. 

Those who were praised as the “model minority” for assimilating are now being targeted. The model minority myth is a concept that labels Asian Americans as the model minority, and for that, they have achieved the American dream (Afro Puff Chronicles). According to the myth, Asian American’s are polite, quiet, and they overcome discrimination by keeping their heads low. The model minority myth is a way to simplify the complex experiences of many Asian ethnic groups into one stereotype, and then that stereotype is used to attack and shame other minority groups into submission. The recent hate crimes have shown us that this myth does not protect Asian American’s from the xenophobia and racism associated with COVID-19. 

The model minority myth was solidified as the U.S. worried its exclusionism of Chinese immigrants would affect its allyship with China during the beginning of the Cold War. Once it became convenient for them, the U.S. flipped the narrative, creating the notion that Chinese

Americans were model citizens for successfully assimilating even as they experienced exclusionism. This stereotype grew to encompass all Asian-Americans, boiling down the diverse experiences of many realities into one concept. Although in 2021 Chinese Americans are scapegoated for COVID-19, racist rhetorics persist worldwide against citizens of diverse Asian descents. The scapegoating has even fueled racist sentiments to non-Asian minority groups internationally. In Sri Lanka and Myanmar, leaders use the pandemic to justify hate speech against Muslims, and many anti-Muslim hate crime attacks have been reported worldwide. Chinese authorities in Guangdong have begun a program to forcibly test and relocate African-Chinese citizens who tested positive into designated quarantine hotels. They are then evicted and forced into homelessness and face discrimination. In addition, the model minority myth itself pits minority groups against each other. The existence of a “model minority” implies that other minority groups (historically, specifically Black Americans) are at fault for not being able to assimilate, unlike the model minority. The model minority myth claims Asian Americans succeeded without government intervention, and implies that the responsibility of overcoming racism lies completely within the individual. It attacks Black Americans and ignores the realities of systemic racism. This perpetuates the shift in accountability from the oppressive government to the oppressed minority groups. The COVID-19 pandemic is fueling racism, not limited to those of Asian descent. 

As a second-generation immigrant, the COVID-19 pandemic has given me many things to worry about. I have anxiety about the uncertainty that this public health crisis has caused, as most people do, but also I have the burden of additional anxiety about my safety and the safety of others around me. I am mixed, half Korean and half white, and I am lucky enough to have never been the target of a physical attack, although I have faced incidents of derogatory language previously in my life. I feel guilt as I reflect upon my admission into the model minority myth, and my willingness to ignore racism in order to succeed. As a child, I laughed along as other children made fun of my eyes, and I never corrected my teachers when they pronounced my name wrong. I felt like an imposter when I identified with my Korean side, yet I felt ostracized and excluded from my white peers. The insecurity of my racial identity motivated me to brush off any harmful words directed at me, yet at the same time, I take comfort in them as a welcome form of racial validation. The mixed-race experience is one filled with isolation and loneliness. I am obsessed with finding the right way to describe myself that will satisfy both parts of my identity, but I will always end up feeling unsatisfied. As I debate in front of a mirror, I feel the pressure of the political world as it debates who counts as a person of color, who can identify as what. I am afraid for my safety, but I am more afraid of expressing that I am, because I know I am privileged. As a result, I feel that I had to deal with so little as compared to our Asian American communities today, and it shows that the recent anti-Asian racism is simply a new expression of century-old ideals. Hearing stories from friends, family, and the media constantly adds to my worries. I worry for my mom, and I worry about my Korean grandparents living in Queens, New York, a city that has been mentioned many times in relation to recent attacks. These stories that we hear all take place in grocery stores, on the subways, in the middle of ordinary people’s daily lives. My grandparents are some of the most hard-working people I have ever known, who have put up with so much. Many elders in Asian communities prioritized establishing and providing for their families over everything else. Historically, this has meant ignoring or dismissing anti-Asian racism. It feels particularly outrageous that these vulnerable individuals of an already marginalized group are being targeted now.

In conclusion, America needs to do more to protect our citizens. Awareness and education are tools that can be utilized to drive local power. Part of the problem is the lack of understanding of historical anti-Asian racism, as stereotypes pit people against each other. To heal as a nation, we must learn from our past, examine our position today, and then we will be prepared to create a safer future. Communities must rise up and bring awareness to the previously-overlooked injustices and governments must be pressured to pass legislation to counter intolerance as we transition into a new period of leadership. We cannot allow any further suffering.