The US’s heightened crime rate of violence against Asians has an overarching influence overseas in international institutions
In 2020, the United States was required to address two massive social issues: COVID-19 and the historical inequalities faced by the Black community. Yet, while the American public battled fiercely to find some sort of resolution to these issues, another social issue was growing increasingly significant. Specifically, while the total number of hate crimes declined by 7 percent, hate crimes targeting Asian-Americans rose by a staggering 145 percent according to the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino. However, none of 3800 Anti-Asian racist crimes reported in 2020 brought a revolutionary call for recognition, until a major shooting incident on 16 March, 2021 in an Asian-run spa business in Atlanta, Georgia, ignited the powder keg. The current epidemic of violence against Asians and Asian-Americans in the United States has risen concern among the student body of Mason Korea as many must transition to the United States beginning in the Fall.
The 2021 Atlanta Spa Shootings, accounting for 6 deaths of Asian individuals, stunned the nation as it compelled people to realize the seriousness of the Asian hate. The incident served as a confirmation that confirmed the gravity of the situation by recognizing the occurrence as something new; however, microaggressive racism from individuals’ tendency to stereotype has existed for much longer. Microaggressive racism, includes verbal aggression, sexual harassment, and physical violence, has posed difficulties to marginalized groups. In an interview with The Voice, Krystal Flynn (Business, ‘23), with an Asian American background, explored these issues stating, “I grew up in California and it is liberal there... [so] I haven’t experienced any serious racism; [however,] when it comes to microaggressive racism, I have gotten questions like ‘do you speak ching-chong’, and ‘do you eat dogs and cats?’” Therefore, racism cannot simply be defined as an act of shooting as it includes different forms of harassment, today’s racism requires the attention of Asian student body of George Mason University more than ever.
The rise of Asian hate crimes in the US impacts Mason Korea’s domestic students who are in process of taking the necessary steps to transition to Fairfax. Saeyeon Kwon, (Global Affairs, ‘22), who is once again preparing to go to Fairfax after being sent home in Spring 2020 due to COVID-19 explained, “Asian hate crimes worry me a lot. Covid-19, not too much… Because when I go to the United States, I will get vaccinated so I will actually feel more safe in the US than in Korea. But Asian hate, I view it as something that I could really die from.” Kwon, speaking of her experiencing racial prejudice during her stay in America, expressed “there was once when me and my friends, all from Mason Korea, called an Uber and the driver kept his door locked from us. Then he lowered the window and said, ‘you guys don’t have the virus or do you because you guys look Chinese.’’' She furthered, “the people [I] saw on the streets who would intentionally cough on [me].”
Contrasting to Kwon’s undergoing racial microaggression in early 2020, Taein Lee, (Forensic, ‘23), a Mason Korea student who is currently at Fairfax for Spring 2021 semester, said, “As Asian hate crimes increase, it is true that I became more cautious and sensitive using transportation or go out of campus… [However,] I mainly stay on campus and there are various races including Asians so there is not much fear or discrimination within the campus.” Lee demonstrated that “[she] thinks it is safe to stay within the GMU community [as] GMU is taking care of racism and Asian hate.”
Another Mason Korea student who asked to remain anonymous who is looking forward to transferring to the main campus for the upcoming semester expressed that she is not concerned about the racism on-campus, stating, “I don't really think there’ll be a dominant race in the campus that isn’t targeted for racism. I heard that the campus is very multi-racial [so] I don't think there will be any serious racism on campus.” Embodying all domestic students’ uneasiness in overcoming the worries and staying optimistic, the student stated, “I am trying hard not to be too worried about it...because I really want to be engaged actively in a lot of communities and take advantage of the opportunity… I try to stay positive.”
The rise of Asian hate crimes in the US has significantly increased the duties of staff and faculty members of George Mason University to take accountability in ensuring that all students feel secure and included within the campus. Hannah Park, Mason Korea’s Campus and Office Coordinator, stated, “We have around 100 students who are eligible [for transfer]... Yesterday [4/21/21] during the departure orientation a student asked about the current stance and what is GMU Fairfax doing to address what is going on… President Washington has been sending emails and messages to the student body, and also, the community is all about their strong stance, helping students to feel safe on campus.”
President Washington in an interview with The Voice regarding the Anti-Racism Task Force his office opened in 2019 clarified, “The task force has always focused on dealing with hate of any kind and is meant to support all students at Geroge Mason. We can add more directives and more outcomes to the work that the Task Force is involved in so that the Task Force is really made of all races, not just Black Lives Matter.” Demonstrating the university’s efforts in further confronting the conflict directly, President Washingon signified that “recently we had [Virginia] Governor [Ralph Northam] come to the campus to discuss Anti-Asian hates with some of our students, some of our faculty, and staff.” Additionally, President Washington confirmed that he would meet with members of the Asian-American community in the community on 17 May to find solutions to the problems they face.
To encourage Mason Korea students transferring to Fairfax in the Fall, President Washington wished to convey that, “Students can feel pretty good that the environment of George Mason University is relatively safe… Most of the events you see happening are not in our area. They're in the other parts of the country. So if they’re coming to this area, they will feel safe as well.” President Washington concluded, “[We] want to do whatever [we] can do so that Asian students feel very comfortable on the campus.”
With a surge of Asian hate crimes, deriving from pre-existing racial prejudices, humanity’s responsibility towards basic human rights is further prevalent. As the issue has become more viral throughout the entire nation, each institution is expected to address racism by creating effective countermeasures and educating its patrons. Recognizing that George Mason University has actively taken strides through establishing a task force and reinforcing representation of all nationalities in its communities, GMU’s resources are not just for main-campus Asian communities. These initiatives extend to Mason Korea students as well. With that being said, Mason Korea students can be rest assured that their upcoming time at the Fairfax campus will reflect Mason’s efforts into protecting its Asian communities. Continuing the dedication to its mission statement of maintaining a diverse and inclusive environment, GMU avidly looks for new ways to enhance its students’ college experience.
Dawn Oh, Staff Writer
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