A new club on campus tackles Asian hate in the Boulder Community
According to the Huff Post, the number of hate crimes aimed at Asian Americans has increased by 1900% since the beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic. Since March 2020, there have been 3000 such Asian-directed hate crimes recorded nationwide, and it is predicted that there are more that have not been reported due to the language barrier. Forty-seven states, including the District of Columbia, have reported incidents, and many of these acts have been directed towards the elderly population. In a recent hate crime, 6 of 8 people killed in Atlanta, Georgia, were Asian women.
In response to these types of crimes, CU Boulder’s Unmask the Racism is taking action. The student-led campaign, Unmask the Racism, started in May 2020 when Kimberly Fung noticed how the global pandemic, COVID-19, was affecting Asian American communities. It was, “created in response to the anti-Asian racism in the United States”, Fung said. Unmask the Racism started as a social media campaign, but within a few months, it evolved to be so much more. And with an Instagram following of 1000 and counting, Unmask the Racism has caught the attention of many. Their posts focus on what racism towards Asian Americans looks like, historical causes, and most importantly, how to debunk stereotypes. The group hopes to help people reflect on their own assumptions and biases and to advocate generally on behalf of Asian Americans.
In addition to being on social media platforms, the members of Unmask the Racism have an active presence in local communities in and around Boulder County. The team continues to raise money to support local Asian businesses and to give back to essential workers during this time. With the money accumulated from fundraising, the team is purchasing meals from local Asian restaurants and delivering those meals to essential workers.
The team is currently working on a 1000 paper crane project, which will involve the CU and Boulder community in folding 1000+ origami cranes. In Japanese culture, cranes symbolize health and longevity. 1000 cranes are said to grant a wish. Through this initiative, the team is going to “spread hope and solidarity by folding these cranes and donating installations to different organizations and community centers that continue to face adversities as a result of the pandemic,” Jordan said.
Campaign member, Joe Ning, shared that the most rewarding part of being a part of the campaign is, “being able to show support to the community.” He adds that” seeing the smiles on people’s faces makes the hard work worthwhile.” Unmask the Racism is keeping, “the momentum going on to continue to make meaningful changes in the community” member, Katelynn Thammavong, said.
What members of Unmask the Racism demonstrate in their work conveys a powerful message of trust and understanding. If more people followed their example and took time to learn more about CU and other communities, the University would have a much easier time upholding its mantra to “Be Boulder.”
First photo: Jordan Lee (middle) and the Unmask the Racism team delivered 36 meals to local Boulder County fire stations.