'Ching chong! You have Chinese virus!': 25 percent of Asian American youths have been victims of racist bullying, report says
Category: News & Politics
Via: perrie-halpern • 4 years ago • 73 commentsBy: Claire Wang (NBC News)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
A 14-year-old student in Dallas was followed home by a group of high school boys who pretended to cough on him and shouted, "Ching chong! You have Chinese virus!" A 17-year-old was told over social media that their "insides are full of 'f---ing bats" and that they should kill themselves because they are a "dirty f---ing dog eater." An 18-year-old who was grocery shopping was called "chink" and told to go back where they came from.
These are some of the stories revealed in a new youth-led study showing that one-quarter of Asian American young adults have been the targets of racism over the past year. The discrimination they detail primarily takes the form of verbal harassment, shunning and cyberbullying.
The report was released Thursday by the Stop AAPI Hate Youth Campaign, a high school internship program at Stop AAPI Hate, a national center that collects reports of coronavirus discrimination against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. The study details the emotional toll of growing anti-Asian sentiment around the country. Nearly 8 of 10 respondents expressed anger over the epidemic of hate against Asians.
The findings come from nearly 1,000 interviews of Asian American young adults conducted by a team of 87 Asian American high school students this summer.
"I think we hear this a lot, but the youth are the future," said Cassie Eng, a senior at the Urban School of San Francisco, who worked on the study. "This is a critical time for us to find our sense of self and our identity."
The campaign, which is supported by the Jeremy Lin Foundation, grew out of the San Francisco Bay Area in the spring. During Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in May, students at Eng's school learned about the work Stop AAPI Hate had been doing and wanted to get more involved, so they reached out to the group to find out what they could do.
Through their research, the students found that in addition to the racism they experienced themselves, Asian American youths have also been affected by the growing racism around the country, fueled by President Donald Trump's racist rhetoric, such as calling the coronavirus the "China virus" and "kung flu." Nearly half of those interviewed expressed sadness or depression about the situation, and one-quarter said they were scared for themselves and their families.
"Fear is really damaging to a person's self-esteem and sense of identity," said Rebecca Wu, a junior at Alhambra High School in the Northern California city of Martinez. "The rise in anxiety about you and your family in public can lead to many other concerning mental health issues. It also prevents you from speaking out."
In addition to the youth-led study, Stop AAPI Hate analyzed 341 reports of racism and discrimination against Asian American youths nationally that it received through its reporting tool since March. One pattern that emerged is the complicity of adults, who were present in nearly half of the cases and almost never intervened.
Even before the pandemic began, Asian American students reported high rates of bullying. In California public high schools, for instance, AAPI students are the racial group most likely to be bullied, according to data from the California Healthy Kids Survey.
"Asian Americans are targeted for their racial differences and linguistic or immigration status differences," said Russell Jeung, a professor of Asian American Studies at San Francisco State University, who oversaw the youth project. "Part of this is because teachers don't always recognize when Asian Americans are being bullied and stigmatized. They may not acknowledge that certain gestures, like pulling your eyes slanted, can be offensive."
The student researchers shared policy recommendations they developed alongside experts to curb anti-Asian racism in schools. They include anti-bullying training for teachers and administrators, creating anonymous reporting sites on social media, forming affinity groups and coalitions to empower Asian students on campus and developing restorative justice practices to foster communication and empathy between victims and perpetrators.
"Words matter": Asian Americans confront President Trump's 'Chinese Virus' rhetoric
The centerpiece of the interns' policy platform is the addition of an ethnic studies course in secondary school curricula so young people can learn about U.S. history through the lens of communities of color. In doing so, the report says, all students can develop a deeper understanding of the roots and ramifications of racist policies and attitudes.
Amanda Young, a senior at Campolindo High School in the Bay Area city of Moraga, said the Asian American history covered by California's public schools is rudimentary, even though the state has the largest Asian population in the country.
"For the most part, the Chinese Exclusion Act and the Japanese internment camps were the extent of our lessons," she said.
Several student researchers said they were surprised to discover just how normalized anti-Asian stereotypes have become. Beth Yeung, a sophomore at Aragon High School in the Bay Area city of San Mateo, said interviewing friends and family for the project was an emotional experience.
"This is not something that my family has talked about a lot," she said, adding that she's been brushing off microaggressions since she was young.
Working on the report "made me think about times when these incidents have happened to others and why I personally didn't stand up to help," she said. "It was a big moment of self-reflection on why we aren't educated to do more."
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I have made reference to this racism a few times in NT articles already, even posted an article about it 3 months ago. I truly believe that although there may in many cases have been underlying prejudice existing prior to the virus, Trump's and Pompeo's use of xenophobic terms like "China virus", "Wuhan virus", "Kung flu" and even "Chinese plague" have promoted the the release of existing latent prejudice causing proliferation of their use and the growing harrassment of Asian Americans. In my opnion the racial discrimination described in the article is no different and certainly no better than blatant antisemitism and Islamophobia. I guess what surprises me the most is that supposedly intelligent educated members of NT have also displayed their racism by using such terms. It was declared years ago that putting geographical names to such scourges just leads to the very racism and causing what is now being suffered by Asian Americans and Asians elsewhere. A decent POTUS would have warned Americans NOT to use such language, not to cause distress to Asian Americans, but rather to protect them, but instead he acted like the animal he is, and is as usual being imitated by his disciples.
No argument with your statement I just thought I'd add that this is not just occurring in the US and I have read of more than a few examples of morons here in Canada engaging in everything from insults to physical of anyone that looks to be of Asian descent.
Racism is a learned trait, we are not born with it, but we learn it, and Canada has never been free of prejudices - something I was made aware of at a very early age. I'm sure Canadians are quite familiar with and influenced by the hatred being preached by Trump and his crew.
This is a terrible Comment! Eventual racism in Canada is totally irrelevant.
Racism is wrong.
That there may be racists elsewhere in the world in no way justifies racism in America.
Maybe though I'm doubtful, hatred exist regardless of who's in charge somewhere else in the world. Were someone else in charge of the US the same assholes would still be hurling insults, punching old women in the face, shoving old men down onto the sidewalk. Besides although I cannot speak for all Canadians I personally don't pay any attention to US politics.
Bob I'm sorry if you took some offence to my post but I believe you're reading more into it than is actually there..
No, I didn't take offense... not personally at least. It's the method for determining morality that annoys me.
Actions are intrinsically right or wrong. It doesn't matter what anyone else does. There may or may not be a racism problem in Canada. That has nothing to do with the racism problem that certainly exists in the US.
This is the Trumpists' technique: "Hillary did it, so it's OK for Trump to do it!" NO!! If it was wrong for Hillary to do it, then it is wrong for Trump to do it.
Bob thank you for the explanation and although I still don't understand the reaction (a failing on my part I'm sure) it is only a little matter so I'm not going to pursue it
As for the political bit at the end as I stated to Buzz I have no interest in US politics (or any politics) whatever point was being made is lost on me.
Enjoy
Except that Freefaller in no way defended anybody's racism by mentioning another's racism. You're arguing with something he neither said nor implied. You're reading what isn't there, and lecturing Freefaller over it.
If so, you may as well stay off the Front Page - perhaps spend some time on the Creative Arts, Everyone Loves Movies and Discovery groups.
No. You are imagining that I said something that I did not.
I did not say that Freefaller said it. When I realized that he may have believed that I did... I came back to clear up any possible misunderstanding.
I was arguing against a way of thinking:
You should stick to what is actually said...
One of us did stick to what was actually said. It wasn't you, and anyone reading the thread can easily see it. Have a good day.
Lol I know what you mean but although a minority the is enough non-political seeds for me
Thanks but those subjects aren't for me
Maybe, I'll look into it
You're always welcome on my seeds no matter what the topic is.
I like a Canadian perspective
Thank you for saying that TG
I don't just "like" it, I prefer it. LOL
That goes for you, too, Buzz
Americans need very little incitation to show their xenophobia.
As Buzz says, this story makes no sense, but xenophobia is stronger than reason.
Kids can be cruel. Now explain adults on social media.
Anonymity encourages and allows true feelings to come out.
The findings come from nearly 1,000 interviews of Asian American young adults conducted by a team of 87 Asian American high school students this summer.
Sorry, Those are not findings! Those are things people are claiming.
This is a farce!
The real farce is your comment. Multi agencies and watch dog organizations including the FBI report a large increase in harassment again Asians.
Your "come to the rescue" link uses much of the same allegations, with the exception of noting the grand total of 16 "coronavirus hate crimes" in NYC. NYC is a city of over 8 Million last time I checked, so I guess we are fairly free from this type of discrimination. Many thanks.
Even 16 hate crimes is 16 too many
Nice job of cherry picking Vic. I would have expected nothing less from a Trumpster.
Why limit your comment to 'hate crimes' Vic. The link stated:
See that 'hundreds' thingy?
Frequently such organizations do. Here in MA we have something called the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD). About a decade ago I filed a complaint through them charging a company with "age discrimination." My real complaint involved retaliation against a union, but they don't handle that - I would have had to hire a lawyer. By charging age discrimination the Commission investigated & fought my battle for free!
The point I am making is that it cost nothing to file a complaint and it can be totally frivolous. Complaints are not verified acts!
That thingy means nothing.
To some, accusations are proof. Look no further than what they accused the Trump campaign of--collusion---with no proof for how many years?
I just heard he is responsible for every coronavirus death in America!
HE IS!
Oh I thought your point was that you filed a false discrimination claim and got away with it.
Oh, I have no doubt some very fine folks think that.
They are wrong, of course.
That seems to be your point.
Vic, I think I'm a little more familiar with Chinese people and their personalities than you may be, and I know very well that they are quite reticent about reporting such things, just as women used to be in reporting being raped. We are probably only hearing the tip of the iceberg.
Are you claiming that I was somehow prescient about your transgression?
Let me try to understand...
You abused the system.
You now criticize the system for having allowed you to abuse it.
And you use your own abuse of the system to prove that it can be abused.
I hope you don't use this method to observe the criminal law system...
Oh, Hi Bob, welcome back!
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Are you saying that increased harassment of Asian Americans is a farce, or that the interviews, or the results of them were a farce?
On my side of the aisle we have to back everything up with facts. An article full of individual claims does not equal facts.
So if a young Asian American tells you that he or she has been harassed by other Americans by being called names or gestures....you're just going to tell them that they're wrong?
Would somebody with a political ax to grind make something like that up?
I require proof.
wow....just wow
Everything to you is political, isn't it?
"On my side of the aisle we have to back everything up with facts."
I've never seen that happen 'on your side of the aisle'
Well, everything does appear to be political with yours truly...with no shades of gray either.
When you say 'yours truly' aren't you referring to yourself?
Thanks, Tessy. I was going to remind him of that.
When Freudians slip they land on their faces!
The most truthful thing you've ever said.
Atta boy Greg!
@ Vic
Oh, you mean like the "proof" you "provided" when you posted the article about the virologist Dr. Yan?
Straight answer, Vic??
Just once??
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Yet you have certain posters on here still reinforcing that Co-Vid was manufactured in China and intentionally released? Still, after all proof that this is not true?
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What we have here folks, is yet another left wing inspired "crisis" of some kind...based upon a handful of isolated accounts of alleged racism against young Asian-Americans. This is brought to you by the same people who have inspired the hate the police crowd to go after cops for supposedly killing scores of unarmed black people...almost all of whom were actively resisting arrest and trying to attack the officers. Normal and decent people of good faith aren't buying this latest round of anti-American bullshit.
The unvarnished truth is that the virus did indeed originate in Wuhan, China, whether in the lab or the wet market. It is an unalterable fact that the Chinese government at first went into denial and cover up mode, then delayed sharing the reality of the existence of the virus with the rest of the civilized world. So the ultimate blame for the unfortunate harrasement of a few peple of Asian heritage will have to go to the evil and corrupt Chinese Communist government.
How is this different from what the Trump Administration has been doing since the start, and is still doing?
I actually posted this article because my cousin told me that her daughter, who is Korean, has been taunted by people who think that she is Chinese, and my daughters are telling me that their Korean friends are having the same thing happen to them. Until you walk a mile in their shoes I really don't think you can know.
And seriously, is this wrong, too?
Thank you for posting those as a counter to the deniers on this site. The ADL link contains statements that support my opinion that although Chinese people experience these hate crimes, many are reluctant to report them, which means that there are many more incidents than what we know of.
I'm curious where most of these accusations are coming from. More than likely, they are originating in blue cities, where most Americans know racism is the most rampant among liberal whites.
I am married to an Asian woman, live in a red city and state, and have never heard or seen any harassment to her, her family or any of our friends.
My wife once was accused of racism against a black co worker. An investigation was conducted and it was found the accuser could not provide proof and those that were in attendance, including other blacks, during the alleged event said that what she was accused of never happened. The black co worker was subsequently fired.
Even if nothing else, we share that joy.
You're curious about where those complaints come from? Does it really matter if they're from blue states or red states or purple states? Is that REALLY what concerns you? They're happening, whether or not your wife has experienced them, enough have. Surely there is enough evidence that is IS happening in the USA.
Here, a five year old was attacked for no other reason that he was Chinese.