1 year later and finally we are seeing some progress in the fight against COVID. With vaccinations in full swing, our hope is that everyone will be vaccinated by fall. What hasn't seen progress? Racism. According to stopaapi.org's national report, almost 4000 cases of discrimination and racism have been reported between March 2020 to 2021 in the US. And these are the cases that were reported, there are probably thousands more unreported. In Canada, the situation is just as bad if not worse on a per capita basis, with anti-Asian hate crimes rising by 700% in Vancouver alone. As a podcast centered around Asians growing up in western society, seeing the rise in cases every day hit us hard. Although racism has always existed, it's like COVID made it okay to be racist. this needs to stop. We are not a virus. hate is a virus and we cannot let the conversation die on this.
Joining us today is Joann, a Texan who moved to the US from Taiwan as a child. Growing up in a "melting pot" neighborhood populated by Asians, blacks, and Latinx, Joann never had an issue with racism. Yet when COVID hit, all that changed. Joann recounts her experiences with racism and shares her view of how it is handled in the US. Among other issues, We also talk about the effect of Trump, the model minority myth, and the effect (or no effect) of law enforcement on hate crimes.
To learn more, please visit stopaapihate.org. Read more stories and become more aware of the situation. Let's stand together in this.
We are always looking to share other people's experiences with us! if you'd like to be a guest on our show, email us at offthewok.info@gmail.com and let us know! Give us a follow at offthewokpodcast on Instagram so you don't miss out on any new episodes! Thank you and we appreciate you wok'ing with us.
