We are outraged at the racist violence against Asians and Asian Americans, especially elders and women, which has resurfaced since the outbreak of COVID-19 in the United States. As “Asianists,” we are painfully aware that prejudice and hatred against Asians and Asian Americans have been an integral part of the US history of racism since the 19th century. Recent assaults in Atlanta, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York follow a familiar but disturbing pattern of racial violence against those who are regarded as Asians or those of Asian descent in the United States. In the current moment, the practice of blaming the pandemic on the Chinese nationals who first suffered its horrifying effects also fits a common but intolerable culture of castigating original victims of a pandemic for its devastation. The Editorial Collective of positions politics joins with others around the country and elsewhere in standing against this violence. We hope all people of Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander ancestry remain safe in these perilous times, not only from the effects of COVID-19 but also from the pandemic of racist violence.
In solidarity,
Editorial Collective of positions politics