Asian Americans in the United States have seen a disturbing rise in anti-Asian bigotry since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, and the recent mass shooting in the Atlanta area has further stoked anger and fears in the community.
"We have been facing this over the past year, specifically related to the COVID-19 racism the last couple of weeks," said John Yang, president of Asian Americans Advancing Justice, a Washington-based group that advocates civil and human rights of Asian Americans. "Especially with respect to the shootings, (it has) really brought our community to a breaking point.
"People feel that the government and other people are not doing enough to protect Asian Americans," Yang said.