The Cardinal Times Spring 2021 Issue

OPINION The Cardinal Times, SPRING, 2021 • PAGE 11
Editorial: Asian-American violence is nothing new
By MICHELLE YAMAMOTO AND
AMANDA NGO
Content warning: This article contains
graphic descriptions of violence and hate
crimes against the Asian-American community.
On Mar. 1, 2020, an Asian man in New
York City gets water thrown at him while
being accused of carrying the coronavirus.
On Mar. 16, 2020, an Asian man is verbally
confronted for coughing in a Target
store in Daly City, Calif.
In early April of 2020, an Instagram post
is shared by @antiasianclubnyc threatening
to “shoot at every Asian” in Chinatown
to “destroy the epidemic of the coronavirus.”
Now, nearly a year later, hashtags like
#stopasianhate and #protectourelders are
trending across social media, and mainstream
media sources are finally covering
the repeated attacks on Asian people in the
United States. However, for Asian-American
community members, this outdated
news has only come after months of unheard
cries for help.
In late January of 2021, several Portland
businesses were attacked, 11 out of 13 being
Asian-owned. These businesses are located
in East Portland, where the majority of
Portland’s Asian community resides. One
could reasonably assume that, since these
attacks were local, more Portlanders would
be aware of it. However, due to the lack
of accurate reporting and media coverage
on discrimination and violence towards
Asian-Americans (especially for lower-income
neighborhoods like the Jade District
in East Portland where these businesses are
located), it’s difficult to talk to another person
about the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes
without having to give context.
Media coverage of Asian hate crimes fails
to label them as such, sustaining the idea
that our pain does not deserve recognition.
On Mar. 16, 2021, a white terrorist shot and
killed eight women in Asian-owned businesses,
six of whom were Asian victims. In
the days following this tragic hate crime,
headlines failed to acknowledge the race of
the victims, in turn ignoring the racist intent
of the murderer and working to victimize
him instead. The idea that Asian-American
violence is not “newsworthy” is a
familiar one, and continues to suppress and
ignore our oppression.
The “model minority” myth– upheld
by American white supremacy– affords
Asian-Americans a false luxury that allows
people to perceive us as “closer to whiteness.”
As a result, Asian-American reports
of racism are often ignored. Our oppression
is overshadowed by our perceived perfection.
This sentiment, in combination with
the popularity and virality of racist Asian
jokes, perpetuates the notion that our pain
shouldn’t, and doesn’t, deserve to be taken
seriously. This erasure and ignorance of
Asian hate crimes creates a cycle in which
Asian-Americans fail to speak up or report
violence out of the fear of not being taken
seriously.
Historically, the ideal Asian person is
seen as submissive and apolitical, deeming
us ideal targets for racial hate crimes
without fear of retaliation or backlash. In a
white-dominated world, adhering to these
compliant and nonassertive stereotypes
affords us power and privilege. Many of us
seek to fulfill these stereotypes to appease
white people in power, internalizing the
racism that we have been conditioned in.
As a result, many Asian-Americans suffer
from internalized racism that contributes
to the silencing of incidents of racialized
violence.
Similarly, the grip of white supremacy
rewards division and conflict between marginalized
racial groups in America, as it
hinders collective power that has the potential
to dismantle this system of superiority.
Asian-American activists fight for civil liberties at a 2017 May Day (International Workers’ Day) rally in
San Francisco.
Courtesy of WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Asian-Americans must refrain from using
Asian hate as an opportunity to exercise
anti-Blackness. Instead, we should seek allyship
and solidarity to promote universal
liberation.
The Students For Fair Admissions v.
Harvard court case, for example, displays
the terrifying social control white America
has over people of color, baiting different
communities into an us-versus-them narrative
as marginalized groups vie for the
limited opportunities that they are allowed.
When the race of Asian students negatively
impacted their college admissions, white
litigators sought to tear down the affirmative
action policies that benefit marginalized
groups. With Asian-American plaintiffs,
asking the courts to end the use of race
in college admissions is more effective than
white anti-affirmative action students.
As victims of white supremacy, each oppressed
racial group has the potential to
turn against one another, as displayed by
inter-racial violence. However, phrases like
“Asian Lives Matter” divert attention away
from liberation movements by turning oppression
into a competition, rather than a
common enemy that needs to be treated as
such.
To our non-Asian peers: use this opportunity
to uplift and listen to Asian voices,
and further educate yourself on how to critically
analyze ways in which your behavior
negatively impacts the Asian community.
For more information on how to help,
visit the links below.
https://stopaapihate.org/
https://www.advancingjustice-aajc.org/
ways-give
https://www.apano.org/
Editorial Board: Give teams the choice to play the national anthem
By THE CARDINAL TIMES EDITO-
RIAL BOARD
Over the course of the United States’
history, many citizens have viewed the national
anthem as the foremost symbol of
patriotism.
Since 1918, when “The Star-Spangled
Banner” was played during the seventh-inning
stretch of Game One of the World Series
(and especially due to a resurgence in
its popularity following WWII), the song
has been a staple at sporting events around
the nation— including at Lincoln sporting
events such as football games.
No team, however, should be required to
play the national anthem at all.
In early February, Dallas Mavericks owner
Mark Cuban, made the choice to stop
playing “The Star-Spangled Banner” before
regular-season games. When the NBA realized
this, they issued a statement reaffirming
their policy that required teams to play
the song.
The fight over the anthem perpetuates
partisanship when the country is arguably
more divided than it has been since the Civil
War. Conversations about the song have
proven to be a flash point between the right
and the left. Conservatives belittle athletes
for using their platform to protest and liberals
condemn those critics.
The full national anthem includes the lyrics:
“No refuge could save the hireling and
slave, From the terror of flight or the gloom
of the grave.” These lyrics, which condone
slavery, make the anthem a poor representation
of patriotism for many Americans,
and we on the editorial board find it foolish
to let a wartime tradition from over a century
ago exacerbate the partisan divide in
our country.
Over the past five years, the national anthem
has caused more divisiveness than
ever before.
During the 2016 NFL season, San Francisco
49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick
kneeled during the anthem for every regular-season
game. He was soon released
from the team and has been effectively
blacklisted from the NFL since then.
Instead of being forced to play the anthem,
coaches and players at all levels,
including here at Lincoln, should sit down
and discuss as a team whether it is the right
choice for them. Some teams will choose
to keep it, but others could choose to play
a different song instead like “Lift Every
Voice and Sing.” Some teams might opt out
of playing any song at all, directing their
attention to the actual game and competitions.
Lincoln football players kneel during the national anthem on Mike Walsh Field before a game against
Madison, Sept. 22, 2017.
By FAITH PAUKEN
Nearly every high school football team
in the United States plays the national anthem.
While it’s somewhat understandable
that the NBA and professional leagues have
policies in place for uniformity, it’s unnecessary
for high school teams to follow this
precedent.
We are not advocating for the removal
of the anthem entirely. The problem is that
many people who support the anthem believe
that when athletes kneel, they are implying
they don’t respect the people who do
stand for the anthem.
Perhaps this can change someday and
those who disagree can form a mutual understanding
with each other. Until then,
the divisiveness will cause more harm than
good.