THE CAUSE: Ending hate and violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to recognize National AAPI Heritage Month via donation to Stop AAPI Hate.
THE CHALLENGE: Start your fitness tracker and keep track of your steps! For every 10,905 steps, we will donate $1 to Stop AAPI Hate. Post a screenshot of your stats from your tracking device’s app in the discussion section of our Facebook April 2022 event page, tag us in a post on Instagram (special instructions apply), or submit your results manually on our website. This challenge runs from 5/15/2022 to 5/29/22 at 11:59 EST. Submissions will be accepted until 6/1/2022 at 11:59 PM EST.
THE WHY: Between March 19, 2020 and December 31, 2021, 10,905 hate incidents occurred against Asian Americans, according to Stop AAPI Hate. Hate incidents include verbal assault, physical assault, shunning/avoidance, being coughed/spat on, refusal of service/barred from establishment, vandalism, and online harassment. The majority of hate incidents were reported by women. These incidents were self-reported so are likely an underrepresentation of how often these hate incidents are actually occurring. While racism isn’t new, there has been an uptick in hate incidents towards Asian Americans in the wake of the pandemic, verbal assault being the most common.
Marian Anderson said, “No matter how big a nation is, it is no stronger than its weakest people, and as long as you keep a person down, some part of you has to be down there to hold him down, so it means you cannot soar as you might otherwise.” We have had public officials using words like “Kung Flu” and “Chinese Virus” in reference to COVID-19. The language we use to talk to and about the people in our world MATTERS. It is the foundation of our belief system through the stories we are told, it perpetuates ideas, and it shapes our society through the rhetoric of those in influential positions. Using dehumanizing language to talk ABOUT race, gender, ability, SES, sexual orientation, etc. sends the message that it is also okay to talk TO others in a dehumanizing, verbally abusive manner. Let’s do better and help make the world a kinder place.
Yellow Horse, Aggie J., et al. “Stop AAPI Hate National Report.” Stop AAPI Hate. 4 March 2022. stopaapihate.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/22-SAH-NationalReport-3.1.22-v9.pdf