4 min read · Oct 20, 2020
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Xenophobia is everywhere in the country. From the fear surrounding Middle Eastern citizens, to the labelling of Chinese people as a virus, xenophobia has become a major problem in our society. With racial tensions high in America, along with a pandemic to accompany the divide, it is easy to ignore the discrimination that Asian Americans are going through.
Rapper and former gang member China Mac has stepped up to the plate, and he is not afraid to be the face of the modern Asian American movement.
China Mac was born and raised in New York City and grew up in a rough setting. He learned about hip hop at the age of eight, which served as an outlet for his creativity. His father was a member of the “Flying Dragons,” a violent gang at the time, and so he was absent from much of Mac’s childhood. Mac followed suit, and joined the Ghost Shadows gang when he was 12 years old.
When he was twenty one, an altercation with another Asian rapper, MC Jin, led to China Mac serving a decade in prison. During his time in prison, he educated himself about business and encouraged others to follow him. His entire moral system changed, and he realized that this life was not for him. By the time he left prison, he had acquired $7,000 in cash from his work.
Upon his release in 2017, he started his own record label, dropped multiple albums and EPs, and continues to influence his audience as a conscious rapper who talks about real issues in society, such as drug use, gang violence, and police brutality. He strives to be a good role model, showing people that there are alternatives to the difficult life that he came from.
In recent times, an unforgettable incident sparked a new wave of activism, with China Mac at the forefront.
In June, two teenagers slapped an eighty-nine-year-old Asian grandmother and lit her shirt on fire. Fortunately, she survived the terrible incident-but the attack was a clear hate crime against the woman’s race (there was a white woman directly next to the grandma, but she remained unscathed throughout the whole incident). (City Limits)
When the Asian woman reported the hate crime, the NYPD told her to “go home and call 911.” (Ham) What are the police for if they only tell us to call more police? Looking at the big picture, hate crimes against Asian Americans are being caught on camera, but they are not being ruled as such. All across the country, Asian Americans have been beaten, shamed, and harassed solely because of their ethnicity. However, either many of them do not report the crime out of fear, or their attack is ruled as a minor incident. Verbal harassment is just as bad, and those who make offensive jokes should be called out and their actions should be addressed appropriately, (ex. Hiroshima/Nagasaki jokes, dog jokes, referring to entire demographics as a virus).
According to CNN, there have been 2,120 reported hate crimes against Asian Americans this year as of July 2nd. This is a widespread issue, but the response to these attacks has been weak at best. Compared to the public reaction and protest that met certain movements, it seems like the Asian community has been undermined, in a way. Discrimination against Asians has often been swept under the rug, but this pandemic has taught us the extent of xenophobia’s normalization in society. Phrases such as the “Chinese virus” and “kung flu” are key examples of the mob mentality that shapes Asian discrimination.
Someone had to speak up. Someone needed to say something.
After hearing about the attack, China Mac organized a peaceful protest in New York City on August 15th in order to spread awareness about Asian American xenophobia, and created a space where people could come together to stand up for a common purpose.
During the event, Mac brought up many good points about the Asian community. “We are treated as foreigners in our own country, and we are discriminated against as a whole group.” Mac asks an important question: “Who will stand with us if we don’t stand up for ourselves?” The rapper encourages others to stand up with him in the hopes of creating a chain effect of activism.
“[The] media rarely reports on the Asian community in general, so these are just the first steps to make sure we are being heard from now on.” This event is prompting the community to let Asian voices be heard. Mac has also recently led a march for Asian Americans in the Bay Area, with a phenomenal turnout.
As Asian Americans, we must stand up for our elderly and support those who have been victims of hate crimes. That could’ve been anyone’s grandma, and we cannot be silent about the matter.
Like China Mac said, they can’t burn us all. #ProudToBeAsian
Young Min Miller (16) is a junior at Parkdale High School in PG County, Maryland, and is currently in the IB program. He runs cross country and track for his school. In his free time, he loves to bike, rap, and take long runs in the morning. You can find him on Instagram @yaomin.069 and email him at youngminmiller465@gmail.com
Originally published at https://yellohmoose.org.
