Stop Asian Hate + Princeton Rally

#StopAsianHate

Last month was Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, so in honor of this, I wanted to share about our family’s participation in the Stop Asian Hate Rally & Vigil in Princeton, NJ in March, which took place just shortly after the senseless shooting of 6 Asian women at an Atlanta spa. This rally was a symbol of why we must all rise up to not only #StopAsianHate, but to proactively protect our Asian communities. I loved introducing my boys to their first social justice rally and seeing them take pride in our heritage. As a first-generation daughter of Chinese immigrant parents, who is raising four biracial children, I felt so proud of my boys on this day, their compassion, and their thoughtfully handmade signs. (The boys came up with their signs all on their own, even making one for baby Helena – “WE LOVE ASIAN BABIES” – but she was feeling sick that day and didn’t come.) The energy at the rally was high, and the turnout in the Princeton community was so, so good.

If you’d like to get involved or perhaps better understand how you can all take action against hate crimes or injustices, here are some things you can do to be an ally to Asian Americans:

❤️ Check up on your Asian American friends and family.

❤️ Stand in solidarity with us. Talk openly about our experiences and uplift us.

❤️ Support your local Asian businesses like restaurants and grocery stores.

❤️ Support Asian American community based organizations that provide solutions to Anti-Asian violence. @stopaapihate @napawf @redcanarysong are just a few.

I hope you will all take the time to learn about Asian immigrants’ stories and about our culture and our differences. As a first generation Asian American, I’m still learning how I can do better to educate others about my people. To everyone who wants to be an ally, it starts with not being passive and speaking out against bad jokes, micro aggressions, and blatant attacks. I sincerely hope we can use this anger, fear, sadness to root out hate and uplift our community – WE ARE NOT THE VIRUS.