In this episode, we look at the significance of the cotton ban from Xiang, untangle the data around the increase of anti-Asian violence across the country and in New York City, unpack how race, gender, and class issues impact Asian American communities, and we will end with audio archives of Corky Lee's voice; the unofficial Asian American photographer laureate died of COVID-19 in January of this year. 

Cotton Ban in Xinjiang

In a segment broadcast initially on Dissent Magazine's Belabored podcast, we hear from Scott Nova, Executive Director of Worker Rights Consortium discusses why the cotton ban from China's Xinjiang region is significant and what it could mean for the movement for supply chain accountability.  

Historical specificity of sex-based and gender-based violence on Asian women 

On March 16, 2021, 8 people were killed in Atlanta by a gunman targeting massage parlors, an industry dominated by women of Asian ancestry. Six of those killed in Atlanta were women of Chinese and Korean descent. We'll share excerpts from the AF3IRM National Speak-Out Against Femicide. Mila Konomos, an Atlanta-based Korean adoptee, poet, artist, and activist, performs her poetry, "Do you see now?" Nayoung Kim Park, a Korean attorney and feminist, discusses how femicide is racialized and the need to attack this issue from a global perspective. AF3IRM National Chair Connie Huynh discusses militarized patriarchy and the need to organize.  

Analyzing the rise of anti-Asian violence 

Anti-Asian violence has gained visibility due to Stop AAPI Hate and organizations across the country mobilizing to highlight how attacks and harassment on Asian communities have been racialized with references like "China flu" and "China Virus." New York City is second to San Francisco with the highest reported incidents of anti-Asian violence.  The subway slashing of Noel Quintana, an elderly Filipino, and the brutal assault of Vilma Kari, an elderly Filipina woman are a few examples.  

We'll first hear street interviews with Alodie and Esther from the Rally Against Hate in Columbus Park, New York, on March 21.  Dr. Russell Jeung, Professor at the Asian American Studies Department at San Francisco State University and one of the founders of Stop AAPI Hate, discusses the character shift of anti-Asian violence one year after the pandemic, movement solidarity work, and the higher reported incidents of violence on elders, women, and immigrants.  Chris Kwok, attorney and one of the Asian American Bar Association of New York report authors: A Rising Tide of Hate and Violence discusses the importance of history, what anti-Asian violence has looked like in New York City, and the role of media influencers, law, and government have in accountability.  

Remembering Corky Lee 

Finally, we hear the voice of Corky Lee. He offers the same meticulousness in his interviews as he also recounts the stories behind each photo. In honor of his memory and legacy, we'll share publicly accessible audio excerpts from The New York Public Library, an interview with Corky Lee by Wun Kuen Ng, and our own Asia Pacific Forum Radio interview.