Celebrities are speaking out in the wake of racist incidents against Asian Americans. On social media and at rallies and protests across the U.S., many are making their voices heard and sharing resources to support the AAPI community.
Content warning below // race discrimination and violence
Last week, a domestic terrorist killed eight people — six of them being women of Asian descent — in a string of shootings involving three spas in Atlanta, Georgia.
Grey’s Anatomy star Sandra Oh spoke out about the Atlanta shootings and the rise in AAPI hate crimes on Saturday (March 20) at a “Stop Asian Hate” protest in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
“For many of us in our community, this is the first time we are even able to voice our fear and our anger, and I really am so grateful to everyone willing to listen. I know many of us in our community are very scared,” the Killing Eve star shared. “I understand that. And one way to get through our fear is to reach out to our communities. I will challenge everyone here, if you see something will you help me?”
The 48-year-old actress led the crowd in chants, saying, “I am proud to be Asian.”
Watch the full video of Oh speaking at the “Stop Asian Hate” rally, below.
Many Asian American stars have spoken out against the rise of violence in the aftermath of the Atlanta shooting, including Eric Nam, George Takei, Lana Candor and Mindy Kaling.
“I was born and raised in Atlanta and some of the murders took place near my old stomping grounds. I was filled with shock, grief, frustration and then anger. As attacks on AAPIs have spiked over the last 12 months, the calls for help and the warning signs from our community have felt ignored—as if the stories were about people living on the other side of the world, not about your neighbors in America,” Nam wrote for Time.
Celebrities such as Cardi B, Ariana Grande, Rihanna and Kim Kardashian have also taken to social media to speak out.
“I want to let you guys know… Let’s stop being xenophobic, let’s stop saying f–cked up jokes, let’s stop having crazy anger because I’ve been seeing a lot of Asians get beat up,” Cardi B said on Instagram Live.
Meanwhile, Grande shared resources and action item materials, created by Kim Saira, to her Instagram Story.
See tweets from celebrities supporting the Asian American community, below.
You can help support the Asian American and Pacific Islander community through donations, education and action with organizations such as AAPI Community Fund, AAPI Women Lead, Act To Change, Asian Mental Health Collective and A3PCON, to name a few.
Non-monetary support includes amplifying voices and sharing stories of hate to raise awareness of anti-Asian incidents, calling out misinformation or jokes that are racist and addressing harmful behavior with friends, family, or co-workers.