By: Katelyn Chang, Staff Writer
The recent surge of Anti Asian American hate crimes and sentiments has become a topic that has hit close to home for both the Mills and Millbrae communities. In a community with a large proportion of Asian Americans, the feeling of wanting to take action against these atrocities remains ever the more present. Because without positive societal change, these social issues, including racism will never be solved.
This is where student and individual action comes into play. Because of the fact that we are so affected by AAPI Hate today, students and youth can act as changemakers to spread awareness and create positive impacts that will prevent the blatant attacks harming many marginalized groups, including Asians. But the fundamental question that arises from this desire to take action, is both “How?” and “What can I do?”. These are questions that this article will tackle on what exactly students can do to participate in the #StopAAPIHate movement.
One compelling method of continuing to advocate against Asian hate is to support or join an organization dedicated to stopping Asian hate. This can begin with supporting Asian owned businesses or fundraisers. Fundraising site ‘Go Fund Me’ has a page dedicated to Asian organizations to donate to. These include families of those affected by Anti-Asian hate crimes and advocacy groups. Another form of action to take is to support youth oriented non profit advocacy groups such as @dearasianyouth and @thenextgenerasian on Instagram. These groups consistently post resources and information around AAPI Hate which can be used to educate. By liking or reposting, you continue to encourage and participate in spreading awareness to why stopping Asian hate is so important.
And this leads us to the fact that as members of Generation Z, social media also plays a role in social justice as an effective advocacy tool. Something that anyone with a platform (no matter how small or large) can do to contribute, is sharing relevant information and resources. These include sharing the numbers to Hotlines and websites such as the Asian Languages Crisis Line, or the Asian, Pacific Islander, and South Asian American (APISAA) Therapist Directory, or links to additional resources by using tools such as carrd.co to attach onto your social media profile’s bio. Another more commonly seen method of social media advocacy is reposting posts that report on current social issues. This includes sharing stories and news on AAPI hate and racism to inform your followers on the blatant normalcy of it, because the more people are aware of a problem, the more people take action.
On an individual level, calling out anti-Asian rhetoric online or in person can also bring beneficial progress. Educating others should be prioritized as well as amplifying Asian voices. Ensuring that their voices are heard and not suppressed, fosters an environment where those who are most affected can highlight the actual changes that they feel should be made. Because in times of hate, sympathy and empathy are necessary in order to understand what affected groups, including the AAPI community, are currently enduring as well as what actions must be taken. And in Millbrae, a city with a high concentration of Asian Americans, coming together as a community uplifts each other. Joining and participating in local Anti-Asian hate rallies, such as those recently organized in San Mateo and Millbrae, draws more attention to an ever-important problem and continues to catch others attention, which in turn spreads more awareness.
What’s important to remember at the end of the day is that every person has the power to enact positive change. Even doing something as small as reposting something onto your Instagram story makes a difference by continuing to inform and educate others. The main goal of all social justice activists should be to uplift marginalized communities and peoples, which means lending your voice, personal power, and platform to those who require it. It is necessary to combine our efforts as youth to make our demands against racism heard. Because individually, small actions lead to progress, and together, progress creates change.
