Being a Malaysian Chinese living in an Asian country, my heart weeps for the Asian American community that is facing a rising tide of hate crimes in the United States of America.
Photo by Ketut Subiyanto from Pexels
By Michael Tay, Johor MCA Government Coordinating Affairs chairman.
Asians worldwide mourn the deaths of the 556,036 people who have died from the coronavirus in the US, a nation hardest hit by Covid-19. We do not see them as Blacks, Whites or Yellows nor were they mere statistics. They’re someone’s child, someone’s spouse, brother, sister or parent.
I can understand the pain and grief felt by those who have lost their loved ones, and my heart bleeds for them but the bashing of Asians currently taking place in the US is beyond my comprehension.
News reports revealed some 41 million citizens have been fully vaccinated while 75 million have been given one dose of the vaccine (as of time of writing). Soon, the US population will achieve herd immunity through vaccination, and normalcy is expected to return. The economy will boom again, and people will find employment.
So, I don’t understand the flare-up of the anti-Asian stigma which has resulted in violence and deaths of innocent victims. This is striking fear and terror in everyone’s hearts, even someone who is living some 15,000km from the US.
Imagine the emotional turmoil of Asians who are currently in the US.
When an African-American man, Mr George Floyd died on May 25, Asians were sympathetic and had come together to support the Black Lives Matter movement. Floyd’s death sparked reactions across Asia. Even though one of policemen who were at the scene of the killing was Asian American, this should not be a reason to attack the Asian American community.
America used to be a beacon of democracy, a beacon of light for the rest of the world.
I had studied and worked in the US, spent about 8 years of my life in ? near New York. I have immense respect for Caucasians, Blacks, the Latinos, and most of the Americans I’ve met there. They made me feel at home.
You can read my previous blog posts about my thoughts about the US and I care about the country and its citizens.
The US today, is not the US that I used to know. All the bigotry and hate crimes against Asians has got to stop. If Asians in the US are facing discrimination and living in insecurity and fear of getting beaten up or even losing their lives from day to day, then I hope they will consider coming to Malaysia. Invest in Malaysia, build a new life in Malaysia.
In Asian countries, such as Malaysia, we do not bash up people because of their race. No matter what is your race, you can walk on our street and feel safe.
Asian students who are currently studying in the US should consider coming to Malaysia and continuing their studies here, as there are international universities in Malaysia. Those who feel threatened should turn to their respective embassies for assistance.
All this hatred and blame is not going to bring back the 556,036 people who have died. Please stop the hate. Respect President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris who are strongly condemning the attacks on Asian Americans, and exercise some self-restraint. I’m happy to read this news
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Asians are not to be blamed for the pandemic. Once the US has achieved herd immunity from vaccination, things will go back to normal.
Meanwhile, the US government should set up the mechanism and infrastructure to protect the Asian American community there.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in Your Say are those of the contributor, not the blog owner.
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