Intervention 2 Andy Liu

            For my intervention I decided to create a wearable piece that expresses the emotions of many Asians in America during this time. I was inspired by designer Junya Watanabe and his 2001 collection with Comme Des Garçons where he placed romantic poems on everyday articles of clothing such as shirts, jackets, etc. and I decided to use this idea but with a contemporary message regarding Xenophobia. The acrostic poem I wrote goes as 

                Afraid

               iNflux                                 

                Xenophobia

                Immigrant

                Elder

                Trauma

           whY

        I wrote down an acrostic poem that spells anxiety as the vertical word and each letter with a word that describes the feelings my family and others have experienced during an influx of attacks towards Asians. Our elders are afraid due to the influx of Xenophobia and attacks towards immigrants and elders that caused trauma in our community. And all I can ask is why? About a week ago from the time writing, there was another attack on an elderly Asian woman trying to get home and she was hit by a man more than 100 times. According to the New York Times "A 67-year-old woman, wearing a white face mask and dark hooded jacket and pushing a shopping cart, enters an apartment building vestibule in Yonkers, N.Y. As she moves to unlock the door, a man comes up behind her and hits her in the head with a roundhouse right hand... The force of the blow knocks the woman to the ground. As she lies there, her attacker bends down and pummels her repeatedly with both hands for the next minute, more than 125 blows altogether. He then stomps on her seven times and spits on her before walking away" (Shanahan, 1). 125 times, this senseless act of violence honestly left me speechless and in shock. At a lost of words myself I had a conversation with my mother recently about this incident and she immediately was afraid for me as I frequent New York City. Personally, I am not afraid but her worries for me struck me at my core because I understand that this is not just my mother who feels this way but a large portion of Asian who live in America share the same feeling. The feeling that is it not safe to ride the subway or be out in public in fear that you will be the next victim of an attack because you are Asian. The incident I referenced is merely the latest attack on an Asian person in the massive influx in the past year. In the same report by the New York Times, Shanahan states that "anti-Asian violence has risen sharply during the coronavirus pandemic. From March 19, 2020, through the end of last year, nearly 11,000 hate crimes targeting those of Asian and Pacific Island descent across America were reported to Stop AAPI Hate...In New York City, the police recorded 131 bias incidents against Asians in 2021, up from 28 in 2020 and just three in 2019. Activists have cautioned that the figures may not tell the whole story because bias incidents are not always classified as such or reported to the police" (Shanahan, 11). 

        We do not deserve to feel this way, nobody should. No one should have to stay inside or have to cover their face in order to hide their identity in the fear of an attack because of your race. The fact that my mother is afraid to be outside because of the fear that she may get attacked or I may get attacked makes my heart sink to my stomach. I wanted to use this piece that I made to deliver a honest and direct message that expresses what Asian are going through during a time of anti-Asian sentiment amongst people. "I refuse to be afraid" (Siegler, Chapter 10, 9). During a time like this it is understandable why some are afraid, but afraid is something I refuse to be. Like Kimberly Drew said "Small actions foster change" (Drew, 61) , and I refuse to sit still. "Our activism, like any other part of ourselves, develops into something that is bigger than a singular experience" (Drew, 61). Hopefully my piece can spark a thought or a conversation amongst people about what is happening to Asians in America. By wearing this shirt in public spaces I hope to be able to raise awareness to what is happening to Asians to inspire others to fight for what is right.