While reading They Called Us Enemy, a graphic novel by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, and Steven R. Scott, I saw that before Executive Order 9066 which resulted in the internment of Japanese immigrants and Americans, they faced much hate and hardship from the world. It reminded me of the resurgence of Asian hate due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

During World War II, Japanese Americans were sent to internment camps for something they had no part in, due to their heritage and blood. Similarly, Asian Americans during the pandemic have been subjected to hate for “being the cause of the Corona Virus” although they lived in America all their life. Sinophobia, or the hate of Chinese people, rose considerably and Asians during this time were grouped together, all considered Chinese so other people could have an excuse to be racist.

Asian Hate is no stranger to America. From America’s first Immigration Law banning East Asian women from the country in 1875, to the recent Pandemic subjecting many Asians to cruel jokes and violence. However, these events sparked much needed awareness about the need to promote change in our communities and to combat hate with education.