On top of the craziness of the Pandemic, there has been a lot of tragic news with the POC population in America. The death of George Floyd and the countless other black lives lost to unjust has given momentum to the Black Lives Matter movement. The Coronavirus heightened Asian hate, which prompted attacks toward innocent victims. People have had enough and America needs to be more representative of a nation of equality without prejudice.
Around the time I arrived in DC, there was news of a man who had shot and killed 8 victims at an Atlanta Spa. Six out of the 8 victims were of Asian descent. This news triggered the Asian-American Community and they simply had enough of the Asian hate crimes.
I had never participated in a rally or protest before but this rally was very relevant to me. If there’s any place to participate in a rally to incite change or raise awareness, it would be the Capitol – at least that is where a lot of movements in US history takes place. We gathered together on a square in the Capitol to stand in solidarity against Asian Hate. They had people sharing stories about being an Asian-American and how they felt about the state of the world. Afterward, we marched from the square we were at to Chinatown, passing through the Black Lives Matter street and the White House. It was truly an unforgettable experience and it felt really good to be a part of something for a greater cause. We all shared similar struggles and we stood up for the AAPI community. A lot of us immigrated to the US for a better life, therefore, we wish to go accomplish our version of the American Dream and be equals in this society.