My fellow Young Democrats -

These past weeks have been exhausting for many I am sure. Physically, mentally, emotionally. I know that after the events in Atlanta, GA, and Boulder, CO it is extremely difficult and triggering for some to broach the topics of gun violence, sexual violence, race-related hate crimes, and other violent behavior in general. So I will say that I will be talking about those issues tonight because while we are nearing the end of Women’s History Month, I think it is incredibly important to not avoid these topics. We need to show how they affect women, non-binary folks, trans folks, and queer people of color.

The uptick in Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) targeted violence should not be a surprise to us. America has exhibited a culture of tokenizing, degrading, and taking advantage of AAPI people, especially AAPI women, for decades. It is impossible to extricate this hate crime from America's culture of hypersexualization of women and the fetishization of Asian women in particular. The dynamics of colonization and racial capitalism are evident in many different ways, for example, the United States (US) military occupation of AAPI communities which has resulted in the subjugation of AAPI women to sexual violence and slavery. The violence of the sex trade is often directly tied to the violence of US imperialism and global capitalism that sustain white supremacy.

In that same vein, this past Monday, there was a vigil hosted in Annandale for the Atlanta murders at the Annandale Statue of Peace. The “Statue of Peace,” featuring a seated girl next to an open chair, is located at 7601 Little River Turnpike in front of the building that houses the Korea Times and Hans Travel. It memorializes the “comfort women,” a euphemism for the Korean women forcibly taken by the Japanese military to serve as sex slaves during World War II.

But this is not just an issue from the past. This continues to happen to this day here in the United States. AAPI women, trans folks, and non-binary folks have long been stereotyped in the media as being secret sex workers. Whether they’re in a massage parlor, a nail salon, or any number of professions, in many stories on television and in movies, there is always an underlying theme that these women, trans folks, or whoever it may be, are actually there as a tool used for sexual pleasure, even if they have stated that is strictly not what they are there for, which was the case in Atlanta. However, a very small minority of the people who work in these professions are actually a part of sex work. Even if they are, most of them are forced into it through trafficking and it does not give anyone the right to treat them as subhuman or as if they owe their “clients” anything.

Furthermore, sex work should not be a crime for the women and individuals that are in that space and should not be an excuse for assault, violence, or any other type of crime. Those trafficking them are the ones that deserve to be put in prison, not those who are forced into it, or even the people who do it willingly for that matter.

Another persisting trope of the AAPI community in the US is the “model minority”, which aims to pit minority groups against each other and furthers the “good immigrant versus bad immigrant” myth that is designed to distract us from white supremacy. These frameworks allow racist and xenophobic structures to thrive violently in American society. President Donald Trump exacerbated this type of behavior and rhetoric last year during the outbreak of COVID-19, blaming China as the origin of the virus and using sinophobic terminology to make his point. In fact, hate crimes against AAPI have risen exponentially (in New York City alone, they have risen by 1900%), and the targets of these crimes have primarily been the elderly and women, all of which have been overwhelmingly underreported in mainstream media. Conservative pundits continue this narrative and when those of us ‘on the Left’ call them out for it, they belittle the statements as being “too politically correct.” But the fact is that what you say and how you say it influences people and this rhetoric culminates in violence like the murders carried out in Atlanta, GA.

The murders of eight people in Atlanta, GA were targeted, premeditated, and racially motivated and do not come as the result of a person “having a bad day.” This act was steeped in the fetishization of AAPI women, trans, and non-binary folks. For decades, AAPI people have been used for their labor with little to no respect from white folks, whether it be manual, corporate, sexual, or other types of labor. We stand in solidarity with the AAPI community in protecting, uplifting, and celebrating their voices and their work for what it is worth, not as a means to an end.

So this leaves us with the common question: “What can I do to help?”

Thanks to our partners at the Democratic Asian Americans of Virginia and current DAAV chair Praveen Meyyan (a former AYD President) we have some resources to help.

Today, March 26th is #StopAsianHate day. Honor the victims of anti-Asian violence and push back against racism, sexism, and anti-Asian violence. Show your support through today’s Virtual Day of Action: pledge to support the Asian American community and #StopAsianHate

On this Virtual Day of Action, uplift the Asian American community by sharing your commitment to #StopAsianHate. Folks are being targeted for the language they speak, their accent, where they work, their culture — let’s end the violence together.

There are many ways we can #StopAsianHate together. Do your part to uplift the Asian American community: talk about the intersections of racism, sexism, and exploitation of immigrant workers. Support mutual aid networks, and donate here.

To #StopAsianHate requires efforts both big and small. Doing your part means offering financial support and other aid, such as holding yourself and your community accountable. Anti-Asian violence shows up as racist slurs and “jokes,” physical violence, tearing apart immigrant families, and exploiting workers. If you see incidents of racism or bias, do your part to be an ally and offer support: stopaapihate.org/.

For any Asian or Asian American that has experienced racism, they may find themselves lost and without support to #StopAsianHate. Connect your community with resources like OCA National’s Anti-AAPI Hate Incident Reporting Form.

Take the first step by signing up for Bystander Intervention Training today: Asian Americans have faced a double pandemic of COVID-19 and anti-Asian racism. Whether it’s in public transit, on the street, or even at their workplace, many Asian Americans have experienced violence this year. Be an ally and get involved.

I said to Praveen Meyyan the other night that it hasn’t even been a year since he and I drafted a joint statement against AAPI hate speech during the start of COVID-19 between AYD and Democratic Asian Americans of Virginia.

Not even a year and we are here looking at a vigil remembering AAPI women, trans, non-binary, and queer people of color proving words matter and have consequences. I said this before the other day but it bears repeating:

We can #StopAsianHate by calling out xenophobia & sinophobia.

But we can also stop over-sexualization & fetishization of Asian women.

We can stop the criminalization of sex work so those in danger aren’t afraid to report abuse or assault.

We can teach our sons to be respectful and that women don’t owe us anything.

While we were standing at the vigil earlier this week, we learned of another shooting in Boulder, CO. We may be putting to bed one pandemic, but unfortunately, we still need to deal with the epidemic of gun violence in this country.

The need for quarantining during COVID-19 curbed the common occurrence of mass shootings, but a deadly virus shouldn’t be the only thing standing in the way of more shootings. It’s mass murder. So you call it mass murder. It’s domestic terrorism. So you call it domestic terrorism. It shouldn’t take thousands of lives for people to admit that white folks can be domestic terrorists too. The Capitol. Atlanta. Boulder.

Do you know how awful it is to be at a vigil for one shooting and then hear the news of another shooting through a news alert while you’re seeing the pain of people and then still have other people say that gun violence isn’t a problem and that racism doesn’t exist? Look around. Don’t just sit there. Do something. Call your representatives and demand reform on these issues. Our voices must be heard.

We must do better than this.

PS. Please remember to register for VAYD convention if you have not already.

Stay well,