Asian-Americans, no longer silent, stand up in the face of attacks and abuse
- A stiffening of resolve is taking several forms, starting with a growing willingness of victims to report incidents and demand accountability
- Asian-Americans, which now constitute the fastest-growing slice of the US electorate, are also flexing their political muscle
Leting “Leo” Cai was hanging out at a playground near his home in the New York City borough of Queens earlier this month with his Asian-American friends when five teenagers approached, called them “ching chong”, cursed at them and started to attack one of his classmates.
When Cai, 15, jumped in to defend his buddy, the gang turned on him. Cai initially fought back but they were big. They punched and kicked him, leaving him dizzy and bleeding with a swollen face before he ran away.
They followed him into a nearby apartment building where a family took him in and blocked the door. After the attackers left, he called the police and accompanied them to the playground. Cai identified three of them, who were arrested, before heading to the hospital.
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New York teen attacked and called Asian slurs speaks out to raise awareness
“I’m aware of all the news about Asians being attacked, but I didn’t imagine this would happen to me,” said Cai, a high school honours student. Since then, he has started a support group for other Asian teens who have been physically and verbally attacked. “I think people my age want to speak with people my age that understand their situation, rather than their parents,” he said.
The attack on Cai is one of thousands of hate incidents against Asians recorded in the United States in recent months.
In something of a sea change, however, Cai and many in the Asian-American community are no longer willing to take it in relative silence. Cai said his initial reaction was to keep quiet about what happened, in keeping with Chinese and many other Asian cultures that place a premium on being understated, avoiding a fuss, not drawing attention to yourself.
“At the beginning, I thought that getting beaten up was pretty embarrassing. My first decision was to let it pass and not let anyone know,” he said.
After talking it over with his mother, however, Cai changed his mind, recognising the importance of standing up and being counted in a community that is increasingly fighting back. “I realised it was not just about me. If you’re silent, it will happen over and over again and never end.”