Here is an extremely small sampling of everyday incidents reported by the New York times in 2021:[ii]

While these are reports of slurs, the reports continue with people doing everyday things that are being spat upon, screamed at, have things thrown at them, are beaten, or made to watch while a loved-one is beaten. Interracial couples are terrorized, homes painted, cars vandalized, places of worship defaced or destroyed.

Let’s take a look at percentages of race in the U.S.[iii]

The chart above reflects the latest U.S. Census. So, white alone constitutes 76.3% of the overall population. With Asian alone being a mere 5.9%. Since I mentioned crimes committed against Asians, let’s also take a look at Asians who commit crimes in the U.S.[iv] According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), they represent about 5%, less than their overall representation in the country. That being said, while crimes against them seem to be dismissed at a swift rate, I would wonder if sentencing would tend to be stronger given the overall hate systemically that seems to infect this country and continues to rise.

Can you imagine how hard it is to feel welcomed into a group when only one in 17 people is Asian in this country? What if it is not your nature to insert yourself? This should not give the other 16 members an exaggerated sense of importance, nor should it exclude the “one”. Do you blend with the 16 and ignore #17? If you are all meeting and everyone heads to lunch, do you make sure #17 feels welcome to join. Do you assume they would know they were automatically welcome? Think of times when you were left out. What would you have liked someone to do to welcome you? If you don’t understand a culture, do you ask about it and learn, or do you ignore it which leads to ignoring the person, in this case our #17? If you see hate, do you speak up? Are you afraid of being a victim as well? It hurts.

If you know you are not part of the problem, how can you inspire the cure? Racism is a bigger problem than one person can fix. It takes all of us. If you haven’t taken the first step to fix it, do it now. If you have taken many steps grab someone’s hand so they can take these steps too. We must lead by example.

“Why this wave of Anti-Asian Racism Feels Different?”  The question alone implies a long-term relationship with racism with varying peaks of hatred. We have the power to change one person’s behavior and no other: your own. Let your behavior inspire others to want to change theirs.