#StopAsianHate: What It Is and How You Can Help

#StopAsianHate. I’m sure you have recently seen the tag trending on social media, but what does it mean? Asian culture is perpetually appropriated by other communities. For example, Asian street style, anime, and a more recent appropriation of the traditional Chinese game Mahjong. Three white women from Dallas decided they wanted to create their own Mahjong set. They appropriated the game by changing all the pictures on the original tiles to trendy, neon-colored images. On their website, which has now been taken down, they stated, “On a quest to purchase her first Mahjong set, Kate discovered that the artwork of the traditional tiles, while beautiful, was all the same — and did not reflect the fun that was had when playing with her friends. And nothing came close to mirroring her style and personality.”

Although the culture seems to be appropriated and talked about often, Asian and Asian-American people seem to be left out of the conversation.

In 2020-2021, hate crimes against Asian and Asian-Americans have risen by nearly 150% compared to 2019.

There have been way too many fatalities, assaults, and hate crimes committed based on people’s nationalities. As of March 20th, there have been about 3,800 incidents against the Asian community, and the numbers rise every day.

There is no excuse for committing a hate crime primarily because of someone’s race. While multiple headlines detail these attacks that have left many Asians and Asian-Americans disfigured, wounded, or even dead, nothing has changed. “See something, say something” is a common phrase in NYC—this must be put in place when you see a hate crime happening. Websites such as StopAppihate, allow people to report a hate crime that they see.

Even if you are not Asian or Asian-American, there are ways to help those impacted by these hate crimes. We have compiled a list of different companies to support.

Foundations

Support Chinatown Love - Support Small Asian-owned Businesses
Welcome to Chinatown - Support NY’s Chinatown Businesses
Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Protect Asian-American Rights
American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association - Promote Mental Health/Well Being of Asian American/Pacific Islander communities.

Food Companies

Nguyen Coffee Supply - Vietnamese Coffee
Omsom - Traditional Asian Spices
The Fortune Cookie Factory - Custom Fortune Cookies
Mason Dixie - Baked Goods

Home Decor Companies

Wing on Wo & Co. - Porcelain Goods
ILHA Candles - Handmade Candles
The Sill - Garden Supplies

Cosmetics companies

Glow Recipe - Fruit-Powered Skin Care
Velour - Eyelashes
Sweet Chef - Vegan Skin Care

Fashion and Accessories companies

Capsule- Leather goods
Nimble Made - Inclusive Male Clothing for Slimmer Men
Sorah Yang - Clothing for Dancers

Artists

Even if this issue doesn’t directly affect you or your family, everyone needs to do their part. No one deserves to be treated this way.

For more information on this subject, read Anti- Asian Violence Hasn’t Ended, It’s Getting Worse and visit the Asian American Federation’s website here.