On July 14th, an 89-year-old Asian woman was deliberately slapped and set on fire by two unknown attackers in Brooklyn, New York. This appalling criminal act was still not deemed a hate crime by the police as of August 4th. Seeking investigation and punishment for the two unknown attackers, the Asian community has taken to the streets to march and protest against the beyond prevalent anti-Asian racism that has spiked since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, seeing the location of origin of the virus. The hashtag and protest #theycantburnusall, started by Brooklyn-born rapper China Mac, began on August 1st and has now gained over 500 participants, including celebrities that support it.
This march once again is reflecting on how the Asian community is everything but the model minority myth— the myth claiming that all Asians are docile and complacent with quiet voices, always refraining from speaking out for themselves. This march has not only shown that the Asian community is stronger than what the stereotypes claim, but also brings awareness to the ongoing racism that has now escalated to sheer violence towards Asians and Asian Americans— and even so, they persist to be a topic that is rarely discussed. Fighting against the anti-Asian racism, China Mac continued to march with the people of Brooklyn with numerous more to bring the voices of the Asian community to the frontlines and advocate against any xenophobia that the Asian community has faced and is facing.