From San Francisco, California to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, many women, men and even children took to the streets on March 20 to protest the wave of hatred targeting the Asian American community.
`I’ve always had to pay attention to every word, image and action throughout my life. My family doesn’t want me to go anywhere alone,` Ann Johns said while participating in a parade in Atlanta.
Two children participated in the `Stop Asian Hate` protest in Pittsburgh on March 20.
In San Antonio, Texas, former mayor Julian Castro told protesters that America has an `imperfect` history.
`We must stop the problem of hate against Asian Americans in this country,` said Castro, former secretary of housing and urban development under Barack Obama.
In Pittsburgh, artist Sandra Oh told protesters she was `proud to be Asian.`
In Chicago, Dai Quing, a marcher in the Logan Square neighborhood, said joining the protest not only showed support for the victims of the shooting on March 16 but also to prevent similar attacks in the future.
`I came here not only for me but also for my future generations. I think they should have the same opportunities and respect,` Quing said.
Research released this week by the Stop Hate AAPI community forum revealed that nearly 3,800 attacks targeting people of Asian descent occurred in the past year, of which 68% were women and 29% were men.
Protest against anti-Asian hate
Protests against anti-Asian hate in many cities in the US on March 20.
The day after the shooting in Atlanta, 75-year-old woman Xiao Zhen Xie of San Francisco was attacked while walking on the street.
`Hate cannot exist in America. It must be stopped,` President Joe Biden said during his visit to Atlanta on March 19.
Vice President Kamala Harris, who is of South Asian descent, added that `racism is a reality in America and it has always been.`
