Systemic Racism — the AAPI version
When I hear or participate in conversations about systemic racism, my mind first goes to prejudice against BIPOC people, but systemic racism is just that — systemic. By that, I mean racism is built into Western culture and is prejudice against all non-white peoples.
The current attacks on Asian-American and Pacific Island (AAPI) people are a perfect example. All it took for racists to turn their attention to AAPI people was the idea that the Coronavirus “originated” in China. The racist notion that all people of Asian descent are essentially the same dehumanizes their targets by turning them into a faceless mass rather than individuals. Because of this, we’ve seen attacks not only on those of Chinese ancestry but also those of Thai, Vietnamese, and other ancestry, just as we saw attacks on those of the Sikh faith after 9/11 for no reason other than that Sikhs wear turbans, and ignorant racists can’t see the difference between a turban (Indian) and other headdresses (Arab).
The fact is, systemic racism creates an atmosphere of hate that is always looking for targets, and that has no interest in the factual basis for targeting, because facts are not the point — hate is the point. Those infected by systemic racism (i.e., all of us) don’t really care — the “facts” are an excuse, not a reason.
This is why Ibram X. Kendi asserts that it is not enough to be “not a racist,” but what is needed is to be anti-racist. As individuals, systemic racism is the water in which we swim — we were born into it, it is invisible to us unless we make a discipline of being aware of it, and it infects us all. If you had a fish tank where the fish were getting sick, it would not help to change the fish — you would have to change the water. It would be of no use to treat the fish, expect the fish to get well, or ignore the fact the the fish were sick.
Unfortunately, in the case of systemic racism, there is no one standing outside the tank able to change the water. Those of us who are aware enough to realize that the water is polluted must simultaneously practice awareness and anti-racism personally and work to change the system, and to undo the culture of racism.
Too many people who are engaged in the struggle against anti-Black or anti-POC racism fail to speak out against anti-AAPI racism. Oh, we bemoan the attacks on people of Asian ancestry, but we still consider Asians a “model minority,” who are advantaged by their supposed above-average intelligence, work ethic, etc. We rail against cultural misappropriation when it comes to Indigenous traditions and practices, yet fail to notice it almost entirely when it comes to Asian culture and spirituality.
The current wave of bigotry has deep roots in U.S. history, which includes the Chinese Exclusion Act (one of the first laws to exclude immigrants), the inhumane treatment of Asian American immigrants at Angel Island, and the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. Also at issue is the failure to recognize the contributions of Asian immigrants.
There was a more than 164% increase in anti-Asian hate crime reports to police in the first quarter of 2021 in 16 major cities and jurisdictions compared with last year, according to a report from the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino. More than 6,600 hate incidents have been reported in the year after the pandemic began in the United States. It is incumbent on those of us who are not BIPOC or AAPI to do more than feel bad. It is not a coincidence that the majority of physical attacks against AAPI people have been on women, the elderly, and young people — these are acts not only of hate, but also of cowardice.
Here’s what we can do: speak out against racism in any form. Offer help to local AAPI communities to accompany the elderly and others who might be in danger. Press local authorities to provide greater protection and to publicly observe AAPI Heritage Month this month and beyond. Take action!
