Zero Tolerance Against Racism

By Irene Kim

National University Virtual High School

"Racism against the Asian community needs to be addressed properly, especially because the cases have dramatically increased since the initial outbreak of COVID-19."

The Fourth of July holiday weekend was when it all happened. The Chan family was spending a wholesome time together at a restaurant in Carmel Valley until they were interrupted by a white supremacist. The tension escalated quickly. Moreover, the fact that the person who aggressively attacked the Asian family with racial slurs was the CEO of the tech company Solid8, Michael Lofthouse, shocked everyone. As the video went viral, Michael Lofthouse resigned from the company and apologized for his behavior. Racism against the Asian community needs to be addressed properly, especially because the cases have dramatically increased since the initial outbreak of COVID-19. 

The incident that happened in the restaurant was explicitly revealed by the video that Jordan Chan filmed and posted on her social media. Chan clearly remembers the man insulting and harassing her family with his racist rants. In the video, it shows Michael Lofthouse cursing at the family with his middle finger up. Not only but also, he shouts racist comments such as “you guys need to leave...Trump is going to…” and “you asian piece of…” which are all extremely offensive. However, what is very important to note about the Chan family’s experience is that this is in no way an unique incident. Four out of five high school Korean-American students answered that they have encountered moments when they were mockingly called on with biased languages and/or derogatory terms. They commonly shared that all of their experiences were taken lightly, as a joke, and that everyone else was laughing and not making a big deal of the situation. Furthermore, one of the interviewees answered that she did not know how to react, specifically, how to express how uncomfortable she felt in the situation as a whole. This implies the lack of awareness in our society and generally among people, which should indefinitely be corrected. 

After the outbreak of COVID-19, the Asian community became more susceptible to racism than ever before. Many unpleasant experiences were shared online and racism took place everywhere: the subway, shopping center, restaurant, grocery stores, and more. It is unfortunate that there are still ignorant individuals who discriminate against humans by race, believing that one is superior or inferior than the other. In order to stop, people need to educate themselves and others, have a voice, and stand up for what is wrong. Racism must stop and it is not a choice.