Episode 6: Anti-Asian Hate Crimes and Gun Violence
CW: Death, Violence, Murder, Suicide, Misogyny. Please note that this is an ongoing discussion and all mistakes are my own. Please let me know what you think or if there are other literatures to recommend, as these topics are important, yet not very easy, to discuss. Please be advised that the episode may sound disjointed or unclear because of my emotions, and that if there are any mistakes or things poorly said, I will do my best to fix these issues. In this episode, I talk about my reactions and a quick literature review of Anti-Asian Hate Crimes and Gun Violence in the United States. It has been a rough year for Asians in America, especially since COVID-19 first started, with all the news of increasing Anti-Asian hate crimes in Asian neighborhoods, and the struggle and frustration has reached a boiling point following the events of Atlanta on March 16, 2021. However, this has been an ongoing issue dating all the way back to the 1800's. In addition to my reactions, I offer some literature as starting points in tackling and understanding the events from the past year. I provide some numbers regarding Anti-Asian hate crimes from the New York Times and Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism. I also dive into work being done on Gun Violence from data visualization websites such as the Gun Violence Archive, along with research from Dr. Jennifer Doleac from Texas A&M University on Gun Laws and other potential policy options to curb gun violence. My heart goes out to 1) those impacted by the acts of violence in Atlanta, their family, friends, and community, 2) those that have been impacted by acts of violence or verbal abuse across the entire United States, and 3) those, like myself, who are hurting at home feeling unsupported, upset, scared, angry, and frustrated. If you are able to, please consider donating to the Support the AAPI Community Fund on Gofundme. Check out other organizations that are speaking out and/or raising money to support those impacted by Anti-Asian Hate Crimes and Violence; to name a few: Welcome To Chinatown and Red Canary Song.If you enjoy this podcast or want to stay up to date, make sure to follow and comment on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever else podcasts are found. Consider sharing the podcast as well so more people can jump in on the fun! Learn more about my projects or the podcast on my website (https://sites.google.com/view/kmlai1).