Taking a stand against Asian hate

In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, the Asian-American community faced an alarming surge in targeted violence and harassment. Fueled by a toxic mix of fear, scapegoating and xenophobia surrounding the origins of the virus, animosity towards Asians in the U.S. manifested itself in over 2,800 reported cases of hate between March 19 and Dec. 31 of 2020.

Sadly, the issue has abruptly returned to the national spotlight following a series of brutal attacks on Asian American seniors, including one that took the life of an 84-year-old man. While Asian American celebrities, politicians and leaders were calling attention to the issue in the press and messages of compassion were flooding social media, there was a deafening silence from brands, who just months earlier, vowed to fight injustice in all its forms.

Few in the Asian-American community were surprised. After all, how can a company credibly proclaim support and solidarity to a group they have virtually no relationship with?