Asian Americans have often been marginalized in our country’s history. That doesn’t mean we can’t do something about it.
By Dr. Russell Jeung
I
n a short span this year, we went from being Crazy Rich Asians—the model minority—to Crazy Infected Asians: disease carriers, national security threats, and perpetual foreigners.
Throughout US history, Asian Americans have been met with interpersonal violence and racist policies during periods of epidemic, economic downturn, or war. At this moment, we are living through all three, each fomenting racism: the global COVID-19 pandemic, the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, and a looming Cold War with China. It’s not surprising, then, that we’ve seen an upsurge in anti-Asian racism, manifested in both interpersonal attacks and racist policies.
Recognizing these historical patterns, in mid-March I helped launch the Stop AAPI Hate reporting center with two community organizations to document this current spate of racism. We knew we needed to prove to policymakers and the broader American public that Asian Americans indeed faced racism.
The flood of incidents we’ve received have been horrific and disheartening. To date, we’ve received over 2,600 reports from forty-seven states and Washington DC, ranging from civil rights violations and verbal harassment to spitting, coughing, and physical assaults.
These are not isolated incidents by ignorant, prejudiced individuals. They make up a pervasive pattern of hate, incited by and normalized by our own president.
As an Asian American raised in an evangelical setting, I grew up singing the song “Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God.” I took the song to heart. Our first priority as followers of Jesus was to seek God’s reign of grace and right relations. For me, it wasn’t so difficult to see my own personal sin and wrongdoing, as well as what was wrong with this world. I needed saving. I needed to be made right, and so did this world.
Since I want to make things right for Asian Americans harassed by racism, and thus engage in public policy, I can appreciate how conservative Christians engage in politics over pro-life policies. They may not necessarily deal with abortion in their own personal life, but they consider how to vote for candidates on this issue because they want to protect unborn children in all of society. They want to address societal wrongs.
Likewise, I humbly suggest that Christians should extend this pursuit of God’s righteousness in society over all areas where his kingdom should extend. We should uphold his holiness over every aspect of life. Instead of boxing in God, with a narrow view of what the Lord of the Universe is concerned about in American politics or what societal sin is the most evil, we should desire his rule in both our personal life and in our communities.
For me, seeking first the kingdom of God involves being pro-life on a range of issues. It means being pro-life so that Black Lives Matter, everyone has access to healthcare, refugees are given resettlement, and God’s creation is stewarded well. As an Asian American Christian in this time of racism, being pro-life means safeguarding Asian Americans’ health and safety.
In seeking God’s kingdom and righteousness first, the church should bear witness to God’s love and hospitality. Unfortunately, the President’s insistent use of the term “Chinese virus” and blaming China as the source of the plague has given license for others to scapegoat and attack Asians. We see it in our data, as many perpetrators parrot President Trump’s language, taunt with racial slurs and profanity, and scream at us to go back to China.
Even more troubling to me is that the most vulnerable in our Asian American communities are attacked. Women are harassed 2.4 times more than men; one in seven of those reporting hate are children or youth; and the elderly make up 8% of our incidents. Here is one report from Cliffside, New Jersey: “Elderly grandparents (Korean) were taking our one-year old daughter for a walk in her stroller. A group of young men followed them, yelling that they had Coronavirus.”
Who has the audacity to stalk our senior citizens as they care for their baby grandchildren? If Christians want to focus on the family, respect their elderly, and defend their children, then we need to address this spate of anti-Asian hate.
Some Christians argue that they support the president because the ends justify the means: he’s appointed judges they prefer.
God doesn’t call us to pursue and embrace power by any means necessary, but to seek first his kingdom and its righteousness. We need to reflect and exemplify his love, compassion, and grace in all that we do, even in the secular arena of politics.
In past presidential elections, evangelicals voted based on what they perceived to be the moral character of candidates. I still agree—like most Asian Americas—that our elected leaders need to be role models and exemplars of Christian virtue, especially love, compassion, and hospitality. But just two weeks ago, 164 Republican members of the House voted against a House resolution denouncing racism against Asian Americans during the pandemic.
Though lowly in the world’s eyes, this outsider status, might be where God wants Asian Americans to be. From the margins, prophets have held out God’s righteousness. Nathan challenged David not only for his personal immorality but his abuse of power. John the Baptist spoke truth to power to Herod.
Yet, today, I see white Christians actively seeking political power and status for their own narrow political agenda. I grieve and repent of the church’s poor witness to the world.
In his letters, Peter calls Christians to identify as exiles, foreigners, and resident aliens. As the people of God, we have been called out of darkness into God’s wonderful light. We are to live undefiled by the powers that be. Consequently, Peter writes that we should live as free people.
I pray that we use our outsider perspective to see all that’s wrong and broken in American society, and then employ our democratic responsibilities as free people to pursue God’s righteousness and compassion in every facet of our lives.
Photo by Nadine Shaabana on Unsplash
Dr. Russell Jeung is a professor of Asian American Studies at San Francisco State University and the author of several books and articles on race and religion, including, Family Sacrifices: The Worldviews and Ethics of Chinese Americans (Oxford Univ Press, 2019); Moving Movers: Student Activism and the Emergence of Asian American Studies (UCLA Asian American Studies Center, 2019); and At Home in Exile: Finding Jesus among My Ancestors and Refugee Neighbors (Zondervan, 2016).
In 2020, he launched Stop AAPI Hate, a project of Chinese for Affirmative Action, the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council, and SF State Asian American Studies. It tracks COVID-19 related discrimination in order to develop community resources and policy interventions to fight racism.