Atlanta shootings spark fear of anti-Asian bias. 

A series of mass shootings occurred at three spas or massage parlors in the metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia on March 16, 2021. Eight people were killed, six of whom were Asian women, and one other person was wounded. Two of those spas were in Atlanta and one was in Cherokee County. 

A suspect, 21-year-old Robert Aaron Long, was taken into custody later that day. He was allegedly involved in the attacks on all three spas. Surveillance cameras picked up the same vehicle at all three shootings. Long took responsibility for all the shootings. according to Capt. Jay Baker with the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office, “He apparently has an issue. What he considers a sex addiction and sees these locations as something that allows him to go to these places and it's a temptation for him that he wanted to eliminate," 

There has been a wave of attacks against Asian Americans coinciding with the spread of the coronavirus across the United States. As such, the Atlanta shootings have been deemed a “hate crime” by many. “Whatever the motivation was for this guy, we know that the majority of the victims were Asian,” Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said “We also know that this is an issue that is happening across the country. It is unacceptable, it is hateful and it has to stop.”

A community comes together to stand against racism

There were a lantern lighting and candlelight vigil for the Winchester, MA community to express solidarity with the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) on March 23, 2021, at Mill Pond, behind the Winchester Public Library. Several prominent community leaders and Winchester High School, MA students spoke against the wave of racist incidents that were taking place not just across the country but in our own community. Network for Social Justice Executive Director Liora Norwich started off the proceedings by expressing her  "struggle to comprehend yet another maddening and senseless act of hate.” 

Wei Han, president of the Chinese American Network of Winchester, expressed that Asians were “perpetual foreigners in this country.” Alexander Lee, a senior at WHS, echoed a similar sentiment last summer in his award-winning New York Time Student Editorial Contest where he writes about the phenomenon whereby the American society “has always regarded Asian-Americans as non-American.” This article came out during the peak of the pandemic when many people blamed China for spreading the virus. 

Nor is the discrimination restricted to just the AAPI community. Ayesha Ghosh, currently a sophomore at WHS, and an American of South Asian origin, described how she felt during her school years growing up in Winchester. “We were embarrassed to speak our languages when we were young” and “threw away the homemade foods that our parents packed us for lunch when our friends looked at them in confusion.”

The speakers at the vigil stated the importance of recognizing the rise of incidents of discrimination against Asian-Americans and acknowledging its detrimental effects. Mike Bettencourt, chair of the Town Select Committee, alluded to this in his speech. “We really have one common enemy – the racism that is embedded in our culture and society.  By being in solidarity with each other, against all forms of racism, we are asserting our shared humanity and creating a space for healing.” State Rep. Michael Day spoke about the importance of having “dinner table conversations” about race discrimination. Senator Jason Lewis talked about his upcoming legislation that better defines a hate crime and to hold perpetrators responsible. However, beyond legislation, he mentioned that all citizens have a role to play. “We must all strive to be upstanders, not bystanders whose silence makes us complicit.” 

The event also highlighted the need for, tolerance and acceptance of one’s differences. Alexander Lee said it best, “we need to go beyond cultural stereotypes and share our individual experiences.” This was also illustrated at the vigil by Reverend Nick Myers from Parish of the Epiphany who told the audience to turn to their neighbors and say “We belong together.” The event was concluded by setting afloat eight lanterns, symbolizing the eight victims, on Mill Pond.

The shootings in Atlanta have brought to the forefront the dialogue of race and discrimination against Asian-Americans all across the country. However, on a positive note, it provided an opportunity for the community to band together to fight the forces of division. As school superintendent, Judith Evans said “we must stand united against any form of racial aggression, xenophobia, or prejudice and continuously reaffirm our core values of respect, inclusion, and community.” 

Discrimination against one is discrimination against all.  Senator Lewis summed it well when he quoted Dr. Martin Luther King “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”