>> MORE THAN 9,000 ANTI-ASIAN
INCIDENTS IN THE U.S. HAVE BEEN
REPORTED SINCE THE PANDEMIC
BEGAN ACCORDING TO STOP AAPI
HATE COALITION'S RECENT REPORT
THAT STATES 4500 HATE INCIDENTS
OCCURRED IN 2020 AND 4500
ALREADY IN 2021.
AND JOINING US TO DISCUSS
ANTI-ASIAN VIOLENCE AND HOW
COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE
EXPERIENCING IT, ARE GRACE PAI
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR
ASIAN-AMERICANS ADVANCING JUDD
IN CHICAGO AND VIVIAN ZHANG
OUTREACH COORDINATOR FOR A
COALITION FOR A BETTER CHINESE
COMMUNITY.
WELCOME TO "CHICAGO TONIGHT."
GRACE, WHAT HAVE YOU NOTICED IN
THE CHICAGO AREA IS IT MIRRORING
WHAT HAPPENED ACROSS THE
COUNTRY?
>> WE HAVE SEEN A SIMILAR TREND
IN CHICAGO TO OTHER STATES AND
ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
WE HAVE SEEN AN UPTICK IN
INCIDENTS AND THE TROUBLING
THING IS I THINK EVEN WITH THE
INCREASE IN REPORTS THAT ARE
BEING SUBMITTED TO ALL THE
VARIOUS TRACKING SITES I THINK
IT STILL IS VERY MUCH UNDER
REPORTED THAT THERE ARE MANY
HESITATIONS IN OUR COMMUNITY
ABOUT SHARING THEIR EXPERIENCES.
AND BARRIERS.
WHETHER IT'S STIGMA NOT WANTING
TO SAY THEY HAVE BEEN A VICTIM
OF WHETHER IT IS A CRIME OR NOT.
ANY SORT OF RACIAL INCIDENT OR
JUST NOT WANTING TO INTERACT
WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT BECAUSE OF
LANGUAGE BARRIERS.
>> VIVIAN ZHANG WHAT ARE THE
INCIDENTS TEND TO LOOK LIKE?
MORE PHYSICAL ALTERCATIONS?
VERBAL?
A COMBINATION OF BOTH?
>> AS OF LAST MONTH, IT HAS NOT
SEEN VIOLENT PHYSICAL
ALTERCATIONS.
BUT I THINK THERE IS DEFINITELY
AN INCREASE IN VERBAL HOSTILITY.
>> AND TO THAT END, WE SPOKE
WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
STUDENT ABOUT A RECENT
EXPERIENCE THAT SHE HAD SHOPPING
AT A TARGET.
LET'S TAKE A LOOK.
>> I WAS JUST AT THE REGISTER
TRYING TO RETURN AN ITEM WHEN A
LADY CAME UP TO ME AND TRIED TO
TELL ME TO GO BACK HOME.
AND THAT I CAN'T CONTROL THE
THINGS COMING OUT OF MY MOUTH
AND REFERRING TO THE VIRUS
ITSELF.
AND CONSTANTLY TELLING ME THAT I
SHOULD GO HOME AND THAT SOME
PEOPLE JUST SHOULD GO HOME AND
THEY DON'T BELONG HERE.
IT WASN'T JUST FEAR FOR THIS
LADY IS VERBALLY ASSAULTING ME,
BUT THE FACT I DON'T KNOW IF SHE
HAS A KNIFE OR A GUN AND IF SHE
WILL USE PHYSICAL VIOLENCE
TOWARDS ME.
IF I DIDN'T LEAVE THAT
SITUATION.
>> GRACE PAI YOU TALKED ABOUT
THE BARRIERS TO REPORTING
INCIDENTS.
HOW ABOUT THE DIFFICULTY OF
REPORTING AN INCIDENT LIKE THIS?
>> I THINK IT IS JUST A
TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE FOR A LOT
OF PEOPLE TO BE ACCOSTED BY A
STRANGER IN A PUBLIC PLACE AND
NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO IN THAT
MOMENT.
A LOT OF PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF, I
WOULD FREEZE IN THAT SITUATION
AND NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO.
AND TALKING ABOUT IT WITH PEOPLE
YOU MAY WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT
WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY AND
LOVED ONES BUT THERE CAN BE
BARRIERS TO WANTING TO FILE A
REPORT IF SOMETHING HAPPENS.
IT'S NOT ALWAYS SOMETHING THAT
PEOPLE WANT TO DO.
>> VIVIAN WHAT HAVE BEEN THE
RIPPLE EFFECTS IN THE COMMUNITY
AT LARGE?
>> FOR CHINATOWN SPECIFICALLY, I
THINK THAT PEOPLE HAVE STARTED
PAYING ATTENTION MORE TO LOCAL
GROUPS THAT REPRESENT THEIR
INTERESTS SO IN THIS CASE, WE
RECENTLY HAD A RALLY A SAFETY
RALLY WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.
AND THERE'S BEEN MORE
NEIGHBORHOOD WATCHES AS WELL.
A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE KIND OF
GRAVITATED TOWARDS GUN OWNERSHIP
AS A MEANS TO FEEL MORE
PROTECTED AS WELL.
>> SO INCREASED GUN OWNERSHIP
AND YOU ARE SEEING THAT AMONG
MANY GROUPS.
GRACE PAI WHAT ELSE CAN BE DONE
TO TAKE DOWN THE TEMPERATURE TO
MINIMIZE THESE INCIDENTS TO DO A
BETTER JOB TO PROTECT
ASIAN-AMERICAN THERE IS THIS?
>> WE BELIEVE THAT RESPONDING TO
ANTI-ASIAN INCIDENTS AFTER THEY
HAPPEN IS NOT ENOUGH.
WE NEED TO TAKE PRO-ACTIVE
SOLUTIONS TO MAKE SURE WE ARE
REDUCING BIAS AND DISCRIMINATION
AND THAT LOOKS LIKE EDUCATION.
WE WERE PROUD TO LEAD THE EFFORT
TO PASS THE TEACHINGET
WITNESSABLE ACT WHICH REQUIRES
ASIAN-AMERICAN HISTORY TO BE
TAUGHT IN 2022.
AN APPROACH LIKE THAT IS A GREAT
WAY TO EDUCATE OUR YOUNG PEOPLE
AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO UNDERSTAND
OTHER COMMUNITIES AND NOT
DISCRIMINATE AGAINST PEOPLE.
>> THE TEACH ACT SIGNED INTO LAW
BY GOVERNOR J.B. PRITZKER.
VIVIAN, HOW HELPFUL WILL IT BE
THAT ILLINOIS SCHOOL CHILDREN
WILL LEARN ABOUT ASIAN-AMERICAN
HISTORY AND THE CHINESE
EXCLUSION ACT?
HOW BENEFICIAL WILL THAT BE DO
YOU THINK?
>> I THINK IT IS A VERY
IMPORTANT FIRST STEP.
ILLINOIS IS THE FIRST STATE TO
MANDATE THIS.
SO THAT IT IS INCREDIBLE.
I THINK THAT IT IS --
THIS IS JUST LIKE THE VERY FIRST
STEP REALLY TO TELLING OUR STORY
I THINK THAT ASIANS IN AMERICA
HAVE FACED SIMILAR TRIALS AND
TRIBULATIONS FOR OUR ENTIRE
HISTORY GOING BACK TO THE TRANS
CONTINENTAL RAILROAD.
AND I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT
FOR US TO LEND THEIR STORIES AND
LEARN ABOUT THEIR RESILIENCE AND
LEARN FROM WHAT WE CAN DO TO BE
PRO-ACTIVE AND APPROPRIATE THE
HISTORY OF RESILIENCE.
>> WE THANK YOU FOR LENDING YOUR
EXPERTISE.