Exclusive | Eileen Gu calls out ‘domestic terrorism’ of Asian-Americans amid spike in coronavirus-related violence – ‘killing more Asian people isn’t going to kill the virus’
- The 17-year-old two-time world champion recalls fleeing a racially charged attack with her grandmother last year
- ‘It really comes from bigotry and a lack of information’ said Gu, an advocate for race and gender equality
Chinese-American freeski sensation Eileen Gu Ailing is still traumatised from her experiences of racially motivated hatred towards Asian-Americans, the most terrifying encounter occurring in the company of her more than 80-year-old Chinese immigrant grandmother.
“I remember at the beginning of the pandemic, I was with my grandma in a Walgreens in San Francisco and this haphazard, haggard man runs in screaming profanities about Asian people and how they were bringing the virus in and how it was super dangerous. I don’t think I’ve ever felt fear like that in my entire life.
“This was in San Francisco – supposed to be the liberal bubble within California, which is the most liberal state, in the most liberal country in the world. This was supposed to be the safest place and I felt physically in danger. I grabbed my grandma and we ran out. I was so scared. That moment was definitely a reset because I realised how close to home it hit. That anybody can be affected just because of the way they look or their culture and heritage.”
Born to an American father and Chinese mother, she now finds herself bridging a familiar cultural gap that has transcended the sports world. Gu called for those pushing racist, anti-Asian beliefs amid the Covid-19 pandemic to do their research.
“It’s an absolutely absurd idea and it really comes from bigotry and a lack of information. Killing more Asian people isn’t going to kill the virus,” she said.
“At this point, America has by far the most cases and any American is just as likely to have it. It really comes from a sense of entitlement and misinformation – and also from people feeling threatened by these movements.
“That’s why it’s so important to clarify that the Black Lives Matter movement and current climate of hate crimes – which they are, by the way, hate crimes and domestic terrorism – against Asian-Americans is not hate towards people who are Asian-American or African-American; it’s literally just highlighting the inequality and I think what is happening is people are afraid that it’s an attack on them. That they’re saying all white people are bad, which is not true. The whole point of this is not to draw more racial divide, but to combat and bring to light these inequalities.
Gu has long been a proponent for equality and has no intention of stopping now. In seventh grade, she gave her first speech about women in sports and continued to address the gender pay-gap, sex-based educational discrimination and misrepresentation of women in media in the US throughout high school.
“I have always been really outspoken in all matters, not just race but gender too. I’m very comfortable with these topics because they are very important. During the Black Lives Matter movement, I wanted to do my part as an ally. Obviously I’m never going to fully understand the kind of oppression that [African-Americans] go through. But it’s so important to stand by, support and amplify those voices that are so often silenced,” she said.
“What needs to happen is more people need to be willing to listen in a non-biased sense – a non-defensive sense – and to not attack people when talking about these topics. To bring light to the violence and suggest ways for change and to bring people together.”
