Here's a good editorial by Vincent Pan in the San Francisco Chronicle not only speaking out against recent attacks on Asian seniors, but reminding everyone that Asian Americans, like everyone, are subject to discrimination and entitled to be heard: Why Asian Americans must be heard.
He also outlines several approaches to addressing the problem at hand, and stopping the harmful cycle of violence and stereotypes:
To many, the violence by a very small subset of African American young men against Chinese American seniors reflects a problem that has finally boiled over - the product of decades of bullying and harassment that have gone unchecked. These incidents are often unreported because of cultural norms and language barriers, or unsolved. Without intervention, a cycle begins in which harassment escalates into robberies and assaults, and even homicides, with the stereotyping of African Americans as assailants growing on the one hand, and Chinese American elders and youth as targets on the other.Yesterday outside San Francisco's City Hall, Asian American community members held a rally calling for end to violence. According to this article, the rally created so much community buzz, some Chinatown shops closed early so workers could attend: Asian community rally supports end to violence.
The nature of the problem requires a different approach:
First, an exhaustive effort to document the scale of the problem, coupled with mental health support for victims to address what has become public trauma in some neighborhoods.
Second, use federal stimulus dollars for a multiracial civilian escort program that stops harassment before it escalates. More cost-effective than police, this can remind us that our diverse communities overwhelmingly do live and work together in peace.
Third, fund a team of San Francisco interpreters and translators who prioritize public safety needs.
And last, a broader dialogue and action plan around race - one that addresses the mentality of the small number of perpetrators, as well as the systemic issues of unequal access to education, employment, housing and transit that serve primarily to pit communities of color against one another.
