My artwork is inspired by my recent experiences being cat-called on the street for being Asian, hearing about members of my family's community being attacked/almost suffocated, and seeing new Asian hate crimes everyday, which have risen 150% since COVID-19 started.??
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Vicha Ratanapakdee. Angelo Quinto. Juanito Falcon. Hanako Abe. These are some of the beautiful lives who have been lost due Asian American violence. Noel Quintana. Please Tadataka Unno. Zeqiang Chen. Michael Hsu. Zheng. Ying Ngov. Phyllis Chu. Subhakar Khadka. These are only a few of fellow Asian Americans who have been brutally attacked, robbed, or racially slandered. ?(NOTE: there have been more who have passed away after the creation of this artwork, so I want to also recognize the deaths of Pak Ho, Ee Lee, Christian Hall, Cindy Song, Joyce Chiang and more)??
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Please Stop Asian Hate. The elders in my community are being targeted, and they are afraid to walk alone outside. Small Asian businesses are being robbed. See something, say something. Report Incidents. Check-in with your Asian and pacific islander friends. Stay informed and help raise awareness about what’s happening. Please remember and celebrate the legacy of the victims. During this time, please also celebrate Asian joy, uplight Asian artists, support Asian businesses and communities, and recognize Asian accomplishments.?
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Also, for my fellow AAPI, it's important to remember our own biases and aim for collective healing, support, and advancement with all minority groups. This should be a time to be building Afro-Asian solidarity, not tearing it down. We need to dismantle the “me vs you” attitude and instead replace it with “us vs hate.” Let's show up, fight for, and empower each other.??
