Beyond Black and White: The Movement the Media Hides?
By: Jaehyun Park
Vicha Ratanapakdee—age 84, vigorously attacked and killed in his own driveway. Noel Quintana—age 61, fatally slashed from cheek to cheek...We've seen the stories and heard about the tragic deaths of Asian Americans across the nation....What more do we need? What did we, as Asian Americans, do to have to endure and watch these horrific scenes unfold in front of our very eyes?
COVID-19 is no excuse for this bigotry against Asian Americans. Extreme discrimination toward Asians has persisted to this day. So I ask: why haven't these stories hit the headlines of every newspaper?
We hear empty promises from government officials designed for pity. “We’ll do it.” “We’re working on it.” “We’re all in this together.” But I’m tired of helplessly watching politicians blatantly lie in front of our very eyes. I’ve had enough of watching innocent Asian-Americans succumb to callous acts.
The government “reassures” and tells us we are “all in this together.” Where is their support? Are we really in this together when we continue to perpetuate racism? Are we really in this together when the government fails to combat discrimination? Every day, I mourn more tragic deaths in despair, knowing that I can’t do anything to mitigate the effects of its causes. Executive orders are signed but do nothing. Promises are made but are empty. The accused are incarcerated but are released within years.
We’ve heard stories of the many innocent Asian-Americans suffering daily. Stories are salient. We all repost the same pictures “condemning” anti-asian antics but do we really read through them? Or do we post them to let our friends know we do not condone such reckless behavior? Do we mean it when we say, “Anti-Asian Movement is bad” or are we saying it for show?
I flip through hundreds of stories with the same exact post. Repetition is not conducive to mitigating the effects of Anti-Asian hate. Condemn what’s wrong with what’s right: spamming your story with a post that’s been on everyone else’s will soon come to a point where it’s no longer effective. Spreading awareness about a prevalent issue means being persistent with posting and doing your own research. Spreading awareness does not mean posting about an issue every once in a while and using a post that’s been on two hundred different stories.
We all believe shallow instagram posts help while we don’t turn to the facts and read victims’ testimonies. Read, educate and learn.
NYC is the dream destination for many. But the city is not all that it seems. What the media covers is conveniently distorted and romanticized for the views, the likes and the fame. Amid propaganda that sanitizes truth in Times Square, Central Park and Radio City, the reality of being an Asian in the heart of NYC is obscured.
On a Saturday evening just last week, I was walking through the streets of New York City Walking down the long blocks with my dad, we exchanged laughs, conversed about our day and pondered when the construction down the road would finish. We were blithe, unsuspecting.
We would’ve never expected what we encountered as we turned the corner. A man—a white man—scoffed at us, narrowed his eyes, and spewed reckless phrases at us, resembling an Asian language. We were appalled. It took us just a moment to register what had just happened into our head. Shocking as it was, I realized that the night’s incident was not something new. Discrimination in NYC has always been around, but awareness has suffered a lack of coverage.
What can we, at Exeter, do to combat this invisibility of Asian-Americans in the media? Beyond Black and White—one of our very own anti-racist courses that teaches the prevalence of racism beyond “Black and white.” After taking this course in fall term, I realized the significance of addressing racism reaches beyond our typical binary perception of race as Black and white.
Awareness of the Anti-Asian movement came to a halt when the media decided to no longer take such coverage. I believe this course is a stepping stone for resuming the once prevalent movement that has now turned invisible. So I ask you: Beyond Black and white—what does this mean to you, exactly? The lack of coverage when it comes to Anti-Asian Americans—who is to blame?
Take a moment to educate yourself on what the media fails to do. Take a moment to pay tribute to innocent Asian American lives lost from the ascendency of impetuous actions. Condemnation of Anti-AA should not be taken light-heartedly.
We cannot reverse deaths, but we can choose to combat the lack of coverage Exeter faces. It’s been three entire weeks since the tragic death of Vicha Ratanapakdee. Three entire weeks yet we have not received a single email from the academy addressing these issues. Three entire weeks yet there has not been one support system provided to assist those affected. Three entire weeks of silence, with no one to speak up.
A school that supports diversity yet hesitates to send an email addressing the prevalence of these issues is beyond the odds. Us Asian-Americans must stand up to make change. We can no longer remain reticent and watch as we surrender to violence and discrimination. Please Exeter, it’s a matter of time before these issues become nullified by the media.
