People across the U.S. took part in marches on Saturday to condemn attacks on Asians and Americans in the Pacific after the Atlanta shooting that killed eight people.
From San Francisco to Pittsburgh and in between, men, women and children marched and spoke out against the increase in hate crimes against members of the AAPI community, which came to a head on Tuesday when a shooter targeted three spas in the Atlanta area. has. Six of those killed were women of Asian descent.
“I’ve been dealing with words and looks my whole life,” Ann Johns told NBC News during a rally in Atlanta. “My family does not want me to go it alone.”
In San Antonio, Texas, former mayor Juliàn Castro told protesters that the United States has an “imperfect” history that justifies the investigation.
“We need to stop hatred against Asian Americans in this country,” Castro, a former secretary of state for housing and urban development, told the Obama administration. “For generations, Asian Americans have been discriminated against. I do not have to tell anyone in this crowd.”
In Pittsburgh, actor Sandra Oh told protesters she was “proud to be Asian,” NBC affiliate WXPI reported.
“For many of us in our community, this is the first time we can express our fear and anger, and I am so grateful to everyone who is willing to listen,” Oh said.
In Chicago, a rallyer in the Logan Square area told NBC Chicago that they were not only supporting the victims of Tuesday’s shooting incident, but to prevent such attacks in the future.
“I come here, I think not only for myself but also for my next generation,” protester Dai Quing said. “I think they should have the same opportunity and be equal.”
Research launched this week by the Stop AAPI Hate reporting forum has revealed nearly 3,800 incidents against people of Asian descent over the course of about a year. Women made up a much larger share of the reports, at 68 percent, compared to men, who made up 29 percent of respondents.
A day after the shooting in Atlanta, a 75-year-old woman in San Francisco was maliciously assaulted while walking down the street. Xiao Zhen Xie got two black eyes and struggled to see out of her right eye. It looks like she fought back.
San Francisco police chief Julian Ng said his department would increase its presence in Asian neighborhoods to alleviate the community’s fears.
“Hate can have no safe haven in America,” President Joe Biden said earlier this week during a trip to Atlanta. “It must stop.”
Vice President Kamala Harris, who is of South Asian descent, added that “racism is a reality in America and has always been so.”