JOINING US.
I’M VERY SPOIR THIS IS THE
SUBJECT WE’RE DISCUSSING.
THIS SHOCKING INCREASE IN
VIOLENCE.
WHEN DID YOU KNOW SOMETHING WAS
HAPPENING LIKE THIS?
THAT WE’RE NOW SEEING IN THE
STATISTICS?
>> WELL, THROUGHOUT AMERICAN
HISTORY, THERE HAS BEEN A STEADY
UNDERCURRENT OF ASIAN HATE
CRIMES THROUGHOUT.
WHEN THERE ARE REPORTS OF DEAN
IS FOLKIC HYSTERIA, THEN IT
SWELLS UP AND WE ARE GOING
THROUGH THAT RIGHT NOW.
PARTICULARLY BECAUSE FORMER
PRESIDENT TRUMP, OR AS DEFENDANT
TRUMP, AS YOU REFERRED TO HIM,
STARTED USING THE WORDS CHINA
VIRUS, OR WUHAN VIRUS, OR KUNG FLU.
THAT JUST GALVANIZED XENOPHOBES.
THERE WAS A SWELL AGAINST
PARTICULARLY ELDERLY
ASIAN-AMERICANS.
THERE IS THAT CASE THAT HAS BEEN
QUITE WELL PUBLICIZED NOW OF AN
84-YEAR-OLD THAI MAN WHO WAS
PUSHED DOWN, WHO WAS PUSHED DOWN
BY A YOUNG MAN AND HE DIED FROM
THOSE INJURIES.
SO THIS IS JUST BECOMING A
PROBLEM THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY,
PARTICULARLY WHERE THERE ARE
LARGE ASIAN-AMERICAN POPULATIONS
LIKE HERE IN CALIFORNIA, ON THE
WEST COAST GENERALLY, AND ON THE
EAST COAST, BOSTON, NEW YORK,
THERE ABOUTS.
>> AND OF COURSE, VICE PRESIDENT
HARRIS BEING, HAVING BEEN SAN
FRANCISCO DISTRICT ATTORNEY,
KNOWS THIS PHENOMENON WELL.
SHE CERTAINLY PROSECUTED CASES
INVOLVING THIS HORRIBLE PROBLEM.
"THE NEW YORK TIMES" IS
REPORTING A COMMUNITY LEADER IN
OAKLAND SAYING, QUOTE, OUR
SENIORS ARE AFRAID TO WALK THEIR
OWN STREETS.
AND I IMAGINE WHEN YOU WERE
HEARING DONALD TRUMP SAY CHINA
VIRUS, AND YOU WERE SEEING HIM
ESPECIALLY EAGER TO THROW THAT
TERM AT ASIAN REPORTERS IN THE
WHITE HOUSE BRIEFINGS, THAT OF
COURSE, THERE WAS AN INCITEMENT
IN HIS USE OF THAT TERM.
>> YES, THERE WAS A MEAN
NEFARIOUS INTENT BEHIND DONALD
TRUMP.
BUT YOU REFERRED TO PRESIDENT
BIDEN’S EXECUTIVE ORDER DURING
THE FIRST WEEK OF HIS
ADMINISTRATION, AND IN CONGRESS,
CONGRESSWOMAN GRACE MING WAS
INTRODUCED, SHE INTRODUCED AN
ASIAN HATE BILL.
AND IN THE STATE ASSEMBLIES IN
CALIFORNIA.
DAVID SHU AND ANOTHER PERSON
HAVE INTRODUCED BILLS.
BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, ON THE
COMMUNITY LEVEL, COMMUNITY
ORGANIZATIONS HAVE BEEN PUTTING
TOGETHER YOUNG VOLUNTEERS TO
WALK, TO ACCOMPANY ELDERLY
ASIAN-AMERICANS ON THEIR WALKS.
THEY GO ON WALKS FOR THEIR
EXERCISE, AND SO THEY ARE
PROTECTED.
AND THESE VOLUNTEERS ARE NOT
JUST ASIAN-AMERICANS.
IT IS MULTIRACIAL.
WHITES, BLACKS, LATINOS, AS WELL
AS ASIAN-AMERICANS, JOINING IN
ON THIS PROGRAM.
SO THE COMMUNITY IS REACTING TO
THAT.
AND THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGAINST
HATE CRIMES IS BECOMING
PARTICULARLY VIGOROUSLY
ENFORCED.
>> GEORGE, WHAT IS IT LIKE FOR
YOU HAVING BEEN IN ONE OF OUR
DISGRACEFUL INTERNMENT CAR.
S DURING WORLD WAR II AS A
CHILD, AND NOW COMING THIS FAR
IN THIS COUNTRY?
SURELY AT SOME POINT YOU HAD TO
THINK WE WOULD LEAVE THESE KINDS
OF THINGS BEHIND.
>> WELL, I GREW UP, I WAS 5
YEARS OLD WHEN I WAS
INCARCERATED WITH MY FAMILY.
AND I REMEMBER THE ANXIETY, THE
WEEPING, AND THE FEAR THAT I
FELT.
I REMEMBER THE BARBED WIRE FENCE
SENTRY TOWERS BUT I DIDN’T
REALLY UNDERSTAND IT.
AFTER WE WERE RELEASED, AFTER
THE WAR, I STARTED TO UNDERSTAND
THAT THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT
THAT THAT WAS WRONG ABOUT ME AND
I FELT GUILTY BEING JAPANESE,
AND WHEN THE SCHOOL TEACHER TOOK
ROLL.
>> I BEG YOUR PARDON?
>> I’M HEARING THINGS.
>> OH.
>> I MISPRONOUNCED MY NAME,
RATHER THAN CORRECTING THE
PRONUNCIATION OF MY NAME, I
ASSUMED THAT MISPRONUNCIATION,
HOPING THAT MAKES ME LESS
JAPANESE.
AND SO I’VE BEEN ALWAYS
CONSCIOUS OF THAT.
AND SO I’VE BEEN ACTIVE IN EACH
ONE OF THE CASES WHEN THERE WAS
A SURGE OF ANTI-ASIAN HATE.
SO IT’S BEEN A PART OF MY LIFE.
AND THAT’S WHY I’VE PUBLISHED
BOOKS.
I’M WORKING ON ANOTHER ONE RIGHT
NOW.
AND WE PUT TOGETHER A BROADWAY