There’s not much I can say that hasn’t already been said. In fact, I’m a writer who’s lost her words. I’m enraged, frustrated, devastated, exhausted—and though there is so much swirling in my head, this tragedy is not mine to report on, much less one to use as a means of metabolizing (and catalyzing) thoughts surrounding my own identity. So instead, I want to highlight those whom I’ve retweeted; these are the true activists and journalists whose words deserve amplification. I’ve also found that the resources gathered by Red Canary Song helpful; if you can, donate to their organization. This 5-minute video by Trevor Noah says everything I felt and wanted to scream into the void, but couldn’t. This thread quickly illustrates how detrimental—and violent—the consequences when media (and people) continue to perpetuate stereotypes of Asian women. There is no doubt that the (alleged) shooter was motivated by racist and violent, sexualized fantasies.
And now, eight families are forced to live with unimaginable grief—all while stomaching vile commentary about the people they loved.
The least we can do now is remember their names: Soon Chung Park, Hyun Jung Grant, Sun Cha Kim, Yong Ae Yue, Delaina Ashley Yaun, Paul Andres Michels, Xiaojie Tan, and Daoyou Feng.
Rest in peace.
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For additional resources and readings, scroll to the bottom half of this post.
xx
Your turn. Thoughts?