As hate crimes against Asians rise nationally, locals share their stories and raise awareness.

Triad City Beat – May 2021

Part of what Soper, Firesheets, and Chow are combatting as East Asians is the insidious concept of the “model minority” which arose in the mid-1960s as a way to cast Asians, particularly Chinese and Japanese Americans as the hardworking and ethical, “good” minorities compared to Black and Latinx Americans. The myth caused a rift between many Asian and Black and Latinx communities, seen most notably during the clash between Korean Americans and the Black community during the LA riots in the 1990s. But repercussions of that rift can still be seen today.