Day 56: Stop Asian Hate

The United States House of Representatives passed the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act and the Senate confirmed Katherine Tai as the first Asian American woman U.S. Trade Representative today, on the heels of a shocking attack on three Asian-owned businesses in Georgia.

Eight people died — including six Asian women — in a mass shooting by one man already in custody, in a state already reeling from a voting rights battle. According to local officials, he was a church-going man who had a “really bad day” Tuesday, when he targeted three massage spas to eliminate temptations to his sex addiction.

Many on social media and beyond recognize it as a moment to #StopAsianHate, making connections to the historic hypersexualization and demonization of Asian women and alternative wellness practices like yoga and massage therapy. Hate crimes and suspected hate crimes against Asian Americans has risen amid the pandemic and rhetoric like “Kung Flu” and “China Virus” that was spread.

Economic competition, too, has fueled tension.

Katherine Tai, a Chinese-American who served as the Chief Trade Counsel for the House’s Ways and Means Committee has argued successfully against China’s policies on behalf of the U.S. at the World Trade Organization. She was confirmed in a 98-0 vote, reportedly with support from the two Senators who were absent.

President Biden says he hopes the Senate passes the The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act with such certainty too. It addresses an “an urgent crisis,” he said via statement.

“While we have made significant progress, there is still much work to do,” he said. “As many as 1 in 3 women are subjected to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking at some point in their lives, and the rate is even higher for women of color, Native American women, and members of the LGBTQ community. Growing evidence shows that COVID-19 has only exacerbated the threat of intimate partner violence, creating a pandemic within a pandemic for countless women at risk for abuse.”

Mere hours after the Georgia mass shooting, a man was apprehended with a gun outside of Vice President Harris’s official home. It is as yet unclear what his intention was.

Harris is the first Asian American and first woman to serve in the position.