“Main Perpetrators of Asian Hate Crimes are Black?”… The two faces of racism in mainstream American society

[Asian Hate Crimes: Past-Present-Future] ‘Model Minority’ and ‘Forever Foreigner’; the dualistic plan of mainstream US society

 Correspondent Jeon Hong Ki-Hye, April 6, 2021; Translated by Danielle Lee, April 30, 2021

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On March 16th, the shooting incident in Atlanta, Georgia, revealed the seriousness of ‘Asian hate crimes’ in American society. However, even after this incident, many various forms of ‘Asian hate crimes’ have been being reported every day.

 

Because the root of ‘Asian hate crimes’ in America is ‘racial discrimination’, it is difficult to solve the fundamental problem simply by [advocating against] the ‘hate crimes’ that occur every day and demanding a harsher punishment. It is a ‘higher-order equation’ that is more difficult to solve, because the racial problems in the United States overlap with socio-economic problems. Experts were asked for their opinions about why ‘Asian hate crime’ has soared after the new coronavirus infection (COVID-19), what kind of pattern it has, and what could be the solution.

 

“Vicha Ratanapakdee was murdered. Pak Ho was also killed. Noel Quintana was cut with a knife from one ear to the other. An 89-year-old woman was set on fire, and the jazz pianist Tadataka Unno was beaten so badly that he can’t play the piano anymore. Now, six Asian women have been shot and killed in Georgia, which are just a few of the 3,800 crimes reported since March of last year.

 

I responded to an exit poll survey at the last election, and asked the poll worker why it was rare for a public opinion poll to classify ‘Asian Americans’ as a separate group in terms of racial classification. Then he replied to me that Asian Americans are a minority, so not considered statistically meaningful. Statistically insignificant. You know what this means. ‘We don’t matter’.

 

Asian Americans came to America following the ‘American Dream’. Some have succeeded. But many are still struggling. The gap between the rich and the poor among Asian Americans is greater than any other racial group in the United States. On one hand, Asians in New York have more real estate than any other minority group. On the other hand, nearly a quarter of Asians live below the poverty line. In particular, the rate at which Asian elderly fall into poverty is higher than that of any other race, and this most vulnerable in our group is being ridiculed, pushed, cut with knives, and murdered. Despite these divergent differences in experience, we continue to be viewed as ‘Model Minority’. Very few successful people represent Asians.”

 

“Model minority, the stereotype that imprisons Asians”

 

Korean-American actor Daniel Dae Kim testified at a hearing on Asian hate crimes held in the US House of Representatives on March 18th. His speech highlights the problems that the Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) are facing today.

 

“Model minority” is a strong stereotype about Asian Americans. In mainstream American society, blacks are regarded as criminals and Hispanics as illegal immigrants, while Asians are regarded as people of color who have achieved the ‘American Dream’ based on the ‘hardworking and sincere’ Asian cultural norms. They are also considered to have a relatively higher level of education and socioeconomic status. Chungse Jung, a senior researcher at the Center for Korean Studies of Binghamton University in New York, pointed out five major problems with the notion of ‘model minority’ in an online lecture hosted by the Korean American Civic Empowerment (KACE) on March 27th.

 

First, it conceals racial and systemic inequality and conflicts inherent in American society.

Second, Asian Americans of various nationalities, religions, cultures, ethnicities, and histories are treated as one homogeneous group.

Third, the conflict of the socioeconomic gap and discrimination between the group described as ‘model minority’ (above the middle class among Asians) and those who are not is fixed and taken for granted, is disregarded.

Fourth, it forces Asian Americans to take personal responsibility for the injustices and disadvantages they receive due to systemic racism in American society.

Fifth, it makes Asian Americans perceived as those who enjoy socio-economic privileges alongside whites.

 

These problems are also revealed in the rapidly growing Asian hate crimes. Two major problems stand out. First, blacks and Hispanics, who are equally discriminated against in white supremacist society, also commit hate crimes against Asian American and Pacific Islanders. Second, the racial discrimination that the Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have suffered for nearly 200 years becomes invisible, so the currently occurring hate crimes are understood as a kind of ‘deviant behavior’.

 

▲A rally condemning hate crimes against Asians. Asians’ rallies and protests have continued across the United States since the Atlanta shootings on March 16th. ©️Yonhap News

 

 

 “Asian hate crimes should be viewed as a systemic problem, not a personal deviation”

 

Among Asian hate crimes reported through the media recently, the perpetrator is often black. Why do black and Hispanics, who are discriminated against as people of color in various parts of society such as education, labor market, and culture based on systemic racism, become perpetrators of racist hate crimes? In an interview with Pressian, Sohyun An, a professor at Kennesaw State University, expressed concern over paying too much attention to the race of the perpetrator, saying, “The racist words and actions of individuals are due to systemic problems.” She also questioned the system in which white racist discourse is reproduced through education and the media.

 

“After all, some blacks and Hispanics who commit hate crimes in a white supremacist society are also victims. They commit crimes because they are persecuted and life is difficult in this social structure. This is what happens when Asians are viewed in the framework of “model minority” and “forever foreigners”. American education and media also instills that there is no systemic problem in American society and that ‘it is your laziness that makes you poor’. In this process, a small number of successful Asians are showcased in order to distort the reality and say, “Look at them, there is no racism in the US.” Additionally, it makes people think that Asians are not Americans, but are instead foreigners, and that they deserve to be deported whenever they threaten the US economy, diplomacy, or security. This constructs a request to ‘go back to your country’.”

 

In the same way that capitalism maximizes exploitation by turning workers’ enemies into workers, the debate that causes people of color to antagonize and reject one another ultimately strengthens white supremacy. The representative case in which the media maximized the conflict between people of color is the LA Riot. Rodney King was a black man who lost his hearing after being caught and beaten by the police for speeding violations. A year later, the blacks became very angry when those police were released as innocent in 1992. At that time, the media was focused on the Soon Ja Du case that happened concurrently with Rodney King’s case. Soon Ja Du, a Korean supermarket owner, misconceived a black girl as a thief and shot the girl with a gun after a fight. On top of that, black people attacked Koreatown for six days, weidling arson, looting, and violence. The reason for this was mainly that Koreatown was located between a black-dwelling area and a wealthy white residence in Los Angeles, and while police were deployed early in the white residence area, Koreatown was ignored and left unprotected, which led to it becoming a battlefield. The media replaced the anger of black people over racism in American society with the conflict between Korean and black people.

 

▲ 1992 LA riot. ©️Yonhap News

 

It is true that Asians, on average, have a higher socioeconomic level than blacks and Hispanics. This is a phenomenon that emerged as the number of professional East Asian and Indian immigrants increased because the quota for each country of origin was abolished. The abolition was due to the amendment of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 and the system for preferring professional immigrants taking effect. It was a phenomenon that occurred, not because Asians are free from racism, or because racism is a problem that can be overcome by individual efforts, but because originally highly educated professions were transferred to American society as immigrants.

 

Because of the different types and experiences of immigration, it is also possible to criticize that some Asians (especially the first generation of immigrants) have complied rather than resisted white racism in the United States. Also, there are ‘experiences’ of black and Hispanics in their recognition of Asians as ‘middlemen minorities’ or ‘honorary whites’. Some black scholars argue that ‘anti blackness’ is a key axis in East Asian modernization. It is a criticism that Asians functioned as an active agent in deepening racism against blacks and Hispanics while taking advantage of being ‘middlemen’ by riding on the racial hierarchy created by mainstream white society. Based on this history and personal experience, it seems that some blacks and Hispanics feel hostile to Asians rather than solidarity or empathy as people of color.

 

“Members of Congress also suffer from racial attacks and microaggressions everyday… Racism among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders is becoming invisible”

▲   Sungkwan Jang, Deputy Executive Director of KAGC

 

Second, the stereotype of ‘Model Minority’ makes the reality faced by the Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders invisible. In an interview with Pressian, Deputy Executive Director of the Korean American Grassroots Conference (KAGC) Sungkwan Jang pointed out that social status based on racism cannot be overcome individually.

 

“The reality is that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are a racial and cultural minority, even after successfully building wealth, developing a professional career, or serving in the highest levels of our government. Members of Congress also face racial attacks and micro-aggressions on a daily basis, as well as combat veterans and celebrities. Racism cannot be overcome with economic advancement or earning academic degrees, and is absolutely separate from one's citizenship status, duration of residency in the U.S., or English proficiency. Racism arises from the interaction between public policy, institutions, and cultural perceptions.”

 

Even those who are evaluated for their socioeconomic success are not free from racial inequality and discrimination, but for those who are not, the stereotype of ‘model minority’ plays a role in increasing the pain. According to a survey (published last January) of 2,684 Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in California by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI), a non-profit academic foundation, about a quarter of the respondents were suffering from poverty. By race, 26% of Vietnamese and Cambodian immigrant respondents complained of poverty, which was the highest percentage, followed by China (23%), the Philippines (22%), Japan (22%), and India (20%). In addition, one-third of respondents answered that they had experienced unfair treatment, such as wage discrimination or wage exploitation, by employers, and three out of ten answered that they had experienced racial discrimination in the workplace.

 

Deputy Secretary General Sungkwan Jang pointed out, “If you look at the recent rapid increase in violence against AAPI, the majority of victims are elderly or women, and most of the victims targeted are people who do not speak English well.”

Source:

https://www.pressian.com/pages/articles/2021040522532320801?fbclid=IwAR0vGM57dFjmpjJRHUEunlxEYZZ0h-BeKcRzdkf0ur3Vqwp9EUAYIHzjmb4#0DKU

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