Attacks on Asian Americans spike again amid pandemic

A series of violent crimes against Asians and Asian Americans has prompted activists and experts to warn that racist rhetoric about the coronavirus pandemic may be fueling a rise in hate incidents. A suspect was accused last week of pushing over a 91-year-old Asian American. In less than a week, Asian Americans were killed, robbed and stabbed in a new wave of violence. Racist violence first erupted last spring after some politicians started talking about the “China virus” and “Wuhan flu.”

Class discussion: Do politicians who use inflammatory language bear any responsibility for the violence that follows? Why or why not? Have Asian-Americans been used as scapegoats to shift blame for pandemic woes? Why were American citizens of Japanese descent put in prison camps during World War II? What other ethnic minorities have been attacked and killed they were blamed for troubles of the majority? Have you ever blamed other people or a group of people for your troubles?