Racism is not uncommon as many people face it at one point within their lives. Some events are catalysts for a mass movement of hate towards a certain racial group. Some events are the bombing of Pearl Harbor which propelled the hate towards people of Japanese descent who were all thrown into concentration camps where they faced inhuman conditions. Despite the fact that they were legally American citizens, Japanese Americans were only viewed as national enemies and Japanese spies. The imprisonment in the camps made no exception for children who faced a traumatic childhood that was abnormal from what a child should be experiencing. This is portrayed with detail in the graphic novel, “They Called Us Enemy”, where the author shares his personal experience of growing up in a concentration camp as a child. No one should’ve had to endure the conditions of the concentration camps as there was a lack of privacy, the food looked barely edible, and they were confined in such a small space surrounded by barbed wire. This is portrayed through the perspective of the author who shares the horrors he faced in the camps. As can be seen in the panels below, the conditions of the camps weren’t ideal and differed harshly from the usual lifestyle of an American citizen. 

Another more recent event that became a catalyst for Asian hate is the worldwide spread of Covid. Driven by fear once again, many hated and feared Asians as the virus had originated in China. This brought unwarranted hate crimes upon those who were innocent. An elderly woman was attacked solely based on her Asian heritage by a man who she didn’t even provoke. Hate crimes didn’t stop there as there are many other horrifying stories. One incident that stirred my emotions was the attack on a family right in Sam’s Club. What I found to be most shocking was that the assailant didn’t hesitate to grab nearby kitchen knives to stab the father and a 6 year old child. I found it unfathomable how a 21 year old man could without hesitation, attack an innocent child who most likely didn’t even understand the motive behind the attack. The man admitted to attacking solely because of the fact that he believed the family was Chinese and nothing else. He had felt an unnecessary obligation to attack those of Chinese heritage as he felt anger towards the virus and took it out on innocent people. 

He spoke to authorities admitting his crime and when asked why he attacked them he responded saying that he attacked, 

“whoever I think came from the country who started spreading the disease around”

The family showed no sign of aggression towards the man and was solely there for the purpose of shopping for items, yet the man went out of his way to stab them. Being holed up at home most of the time during the pandemic, the racism Asians faced seemed nothing more than a distant storm that was far from my life. 

I soon found that to change during a trip to Las Vegas on a visit to my grandparents along with other aunts, uncles, and cousins. While it was usually hot enough to fry an egg, it was a particularly nice day, which brought up the urge in my relatives to give a tour of local stores. Everyone except my sister, dad, mom, and me were locals of Nevada, so my uncles and aunts were enthusiastic to show us what blazing Nevada had to offer. When we reached a local mall, we entered a room which led to three metal elevators. I remember looking through the glass doors as we pushed through them and seeing two separate groups of people both wearing masks. They were spaced relatively close together, but it was apparent that they were two separate parties as they each conversed among themselves separately. As soon as we entered, one particular man looked up and upon making eye contact with my grandpa, he shifted back and forth uncomfortably. Our group was a good distance apart from each other and the closest point of contact was between the man and my grandpa.

As soon as my grandpa settled into a spot in front of the elevator about two arms length away from the man, he immediately left after a long stare at my grandpa. He walked through the glass doors and waited outside with his arms crossed as his family’s eyes trailed after him in confusion. A woman, who seemed to be his wife, glanced awkwardly at my grandpa before following her husband outside. She gently grabbed his arm and they started whispering to one another as I stared unsure of whether to be angry or confused. She tried to gently tug on his plaid shirt to pull him back inside, but he refused to budge, staying rooted with his arms crossed. Then, the elevator in front of us rang with a sharp ding and our family stepped into the metal box.

As my uncle pressed 1 the elevator door slowly slid closed and through the narrow gap, I saw the glass door swing open as the man walked back in. I shot a quick glance at my grandpa who silently stared at the falling numbers, but even without words I noticed how his eyes drooped ever so slightly. Although this experience didn’t result in a major physical or violent event, it still hurt to know that someone didn’t want to even be in the same room with my grandpa because of his Asian heritage.   

Hopefully one day, prejudice, racism, and racial stereotypes that fuel attacks and imprisonment on others will become nonexistent. In the two mentioned events, the creation of Japanese American concentration camps and the Asian hate aroused by the pandemic, fear was a catalyst for both. The fear caused people to either make irrational assumptions or jump to the worst possible outcome when the situation didn’t call for it. It only made things worse for the U.S. as a whole and traumatized innocent people involved. Many lives were loss as a result of anger and fear. Fear is a strong emotion that often sweeps us off our feet and makes our mind grasp at unreasonable conclusions, leading to terrible decisions that come with their own equally horrifying consequences. Many took out their anger about the current situation on innocent people they used as a scapegoat in order to find an outlet for their emotions. Although it is very unlikely that every individual can be free of such thoughts of prejudice or racism, it’s important that we as a whole can make better decisions that don’t involve the cost of lives of fellow American citizens.