How much longer?
Lately, I have been feeling really sad thinking about the violence experienced by Asians and Asian Americans in the US and other places in the West as a result of racial discrimination related to covid19. Things have only gotten worst after President Trump called COVID-19, the Chinese virus. But even before this, Western media irresponsibly continued to use images of Asian people or places like Chinatown in reference to anything related to COVID-19 - even if their stories had nothing to do with Asian people or communities.
Seeing these examples of racial discrimination combined with actual violence committed against those of Asian descent led me to find ways to express the sadness and frustration I was feeling. I ended up creating this collage. I wanted to depict how Asians were often both intentionally and unintentionally demonized in the media as if we were some kind of monstrous beast bringing destruction to the Western (i.e. white) world. Furthermore, while many have been impacted by the virus, the news often only focuses on celebrities and those of prestige. In the process, the situations faced by migrant workers, refugees, or other marginalized communities often remain overlooked and forgotten.
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If you’re interested in learning more and/or getting involved, check out and consider signing the Statement on Anti-Asian Racism in the Time of COVID-19 put together by the Asian American Christian Collaborative.
