“At the start of the pandemic, I was already quite worried that people would start blaming Asian people for bringing COVID-19 to North America. After hearing months of reports of anti-Asian attacks, I felt a sense of hurt, anger, devastation, and confusion, especially when those targeted were mainly elderly Asian populations or those more vulnerable. I felt weak and helpless, and I didn’t know what to do. However, I wish to share with you all something that you probably have already heard of:
75-year-old Ms. Xie from San Francisco was another elderly Asian lady who experienced an anti-Asian attack. She was punched by a man, and instead of cowering in fear, she fought back with a wooden plank. 75 years old, and she had the bravery to do that!
When I first heard about this news, I did feel the same sense of hurt and anger that I usually felt; however, I also felt a sense of admiration for Ms. Xie. I felt so proud of her for being able to stand firm and stand strong. I also felt a sense of hope and determination for the very first time. No one deserves to be hated upon based on the colour of their skin.
我在新冠开始传播的时候十分担心人们会责怪亚洲人把新冠带来北美。近几个月以来关于反亚裔袭击（尤其是针对老年或弱势亚裔）的报道让我有强烈的消极情绪。但当我得知75岁三藩市的谢女士面对反亚裔袭击时用木板反击，我为她的坚定和勇敢感到自豪；同时，我也在反亚裔仇恨中的消极情绪中找到一丝希望，更加坚定了我认为没有人因为肤色而被仇恨的想法。” — Karine
REN Project 