The violence being experienced by Asian Americans is a blight on our country and — at least in part — a result of hate speech uttered by both everyday and famous Americans
As the Dangerous Speech Project has posted, “People don’t commit violence against other groups – or even condone it – spontaneously. First they must be taught to see other people as pests, vermin, aliens, or threats.” And that’s exactly what has been happening with Asian Americans.
While it’s true that the COVID-19 virus may have originated in China, ordinary Chinese citizens — let alone Americans who happen to be of Chinese descent — had nothing to do with spreading or failing to contain the virus. Most Asian Americans have never been to China so blaming them for COVID-19 makes absolutely no sense. But, thanks to former President Donald Trump and others who keep talking about the “Wuhan Virus” or –even worse “Kung Flu,” some people have gotten it into their heads that Asian Americans are somehow responsible for COVID-19 even though there are millions of causation Americans who have spread the disease by failing to wear masks or take other precautions while most Asian Americans are not only doing the right thing and some are on the front lines in the war against COVID-19.
So, yes, some of our leaders have “taught” people to be biased against a group of Americans who have done nothing to hurt others.
In ConnectSafely’s Parent’s and Educator’s Guide to Combating Online Hate Speech Brittan Heller and I point out that “Hate speech is more than just harsh words. It can be any form of expression intended to vilify, humiliate, or incite hatred against a group or class of people.” That includes memes and videos which, unfortunately have been used to demean Asian Americans.
“Expressions of hate against minority populations.” says the Guide. “can be used to normalize discrimination, outbreaks of hate crimes, and targeted violence. Even for those who simply witness it, hate speech harms our ability to effectively process information. Many examples of online disinformation are centered around exploiting social struggles around race and ethnicity, deepening these social rifts through use of hate speech. This is designed to inflame our emotions and prevent us from evaluating the truth or falsity of the claim.”
It’s up to all of us to stop hate whenever we see it. Please full-guide or the two-page Quick-Guide to share with parents and educators.
