AB Reacts to the Atlanta Shootings
BY REBECCA ZHANG '22
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“Stop Asian hate! Stop Asian hate!”
Several days after the Atlanta spa shootings, a wave of cardboard signs and synchronized voices flooded Kelley’s Corner: the Acton-Boxborough community had come together to protest the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes. Earlier that week, ABRHS clubs and administration reacted to the tragic event with heavy discussions and evident effort, but some of the trauma may never be resolved. With the deaths of six Asian women, the Atlanta shootings have thrust anti-Asian violence into the spotlight. However, the disputes about motive and hate crime classification highlight a far more elusive issue. Though anti-Asian sentiments have soared since the beginning of the pandemic, many argue that the media largely underreports Asian experiences. Even in the AB school district, where 34% of students identify as Asian American, discussion around Asian discrimination was relatively minimal until now. |
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ABRHS’s Student Clubs Took Initiative
AB’s Asian activism club, Dear Asian Youth (DAY) leaped into action after learning about the Atlanta shootings. On March 17th—the day after the shootings—DAY leaders released an Instagram post condemning the event and extending their support to the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. In addition to holding an open discussion the following Friday, DAY created a presentation that was shared in advisory.
DAY’s president, Arianna Roberts ’22, expressed her frustration at the media’s response. She and the other leaders were forced to “find their own information. For instance, [they] discovered that there were about 20 spas between the three attacked, which should’ve been something that the media covered, but didn’t.” Roberts’s efforts to fill the gaps in the media’s coverage left her emotionally exhausted, and given that the shootings were a hurtful and personal event for many Asians, she felt that the media “was failing the community.”
Acton-Boxborough Students for Equity and Justice (ABSEJ) also held an emergency meeting that week and invited the Dear Asian Youth leaders. With Associate Principal Baker and Ms. Rosenman listening, the two activist clubs discussed possible solutions, pointing to the implications of the model minority myth and the pyramid of hate.
In response to the Atlanta shootings, AB’s activism clubs quickly took initiative and addressed anti-Asian hate without filter. At Sunday’s protest, Sue Hennessey, the high school speech and debate coach, expressed her pride for “all of you guys, who are my students and who are excellent activists.”
ABRHS Administration and Teachers Pushed for Discussion
On March 17, Assistant Superintendent for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Dawn Bentley emailed ABRHS students and families. In her message, she acknowledged the school’s large Asian demographic and attached several resources, including DAY’s presentation.
The following Thursday and Friday, the presentation was also shared during advisory. Some teachers further dedicated entire class periods to Tuesday night’s events. At Sunday’s protest, the Bits Team interviewed students to gauge their reactions. Heidi Xie ’24 praised the advisory lessons and emails, believing that “AB has been doing a pretty good job of acknowledging the problem” by “bringing awareness to the situation.” Anna Zeng ’24 added that AB “took it seriously and made a big deal out of it in a good way.”
However, Amelia Kim ’22 questioned the efficacy of the school’s response, claiming that “it's very repetitive to get the same types of emails every time, which almost minimizes these different hate crimes because it's just so monotonous getting the same thing.”
While many acknowledged ABRHS’s response to the Atlanta shootings as progress, they also emphasized that anti-Asian hate cannot be solved with a single discussion and requires further attention.
The AB Community Rallied Together
On Saturday, March 20, multiple organizations hosted the first rally at Kelly’s Corner. Racial Justice for Black Lives Matter, and the Acton Chinese-American Civic Society held another peaceful protest the next day. The crowd presented a myriad of faces from residents of surrounding towns to young children to state leaders.
Many non-Asian community members attended the rally, including Littleton resident Jeanine Wood, who joined Sunday’s protest for “our Asian neighbors and friends.” Acton resident Carol McClatchy added that “right now is a really really pivotal time, and [she] just wanted to stand in solidarity.”
Massachusetts State Senator for Middlesex and Worcester, Jamie Eldridge ’91, also stood with the community. He emphasized the importance of education, as “[Asian discrimination] is often forgotten in history classes,” and addressed the “need for more outreach to the Asian American community from elected officials and people in power.”
Meanwhile, Racial Justice for Black Lives Matter founder Lowingski Jasmin led the chants. He marveled at the size of the protest and expressed that “it’s great to see that groups are supporting each other.” In a moment of fear and anger for many, Jasmin reminded the Asian community, “You’re not alone, and we will continue to support you.”
As an Asian American myself, hearing discussions and seeing the raw emotion about the Atlanta shootings makes me feel more represented and understood than ever before. But still, it’s frustrating that six Asian women had to die for this to happen; discrimination has poisoned the Asian experience since the beginning, and we are only now talking about it. Underneath the Atlanta shootings lies a relentless stream of hate crimes, aggressions, and stereotypes that continues to flow, fighting to be seen.
AB’s Asian activism club, Dear Asian Youth (DAY) leaped into action after learning about the Atlanta shootings. On March 17th—the day after the shootings—DAY leaders released an Instagram post condemning the event and extending their support to the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. In addition to holding an open discussion the following Friday, DAY created a presentation that was shared in advisory.
DAY’s president, Arianna Roberts ’22, expressed her frustration at the media’s response. She and the other leaders were forced to “find their own information. For instance, [they] discovered that there were about 20 spas between the three attacked, which should’ve been something that the media covered, but didn’t.” Roberts’s efforts to fill the gaps in the media’s coverage left her emotionally exhausted, and given that the shootings were a hurtful and personal event for many Asians, she felt that the media “was failing the community.”
Acton-Boxborough Students for Equity and Justice (ABSEJ) also held an emergency meeting that week and invited the Dear Asian Youth leaders. With Associate Principal Baker and Ms. Rosenman listening, the two activist clubs discussed possible solutions, pointing to the implications of the model minority myth and the pyramid of hate.
In response to the Atlanta shootings, AB’s activism clubs quickly took initiative and addressed anti-Asian hate without filter. At Sunday’s protest, Sue Hennessey, the high school speech and debate coach, expressed her pride for “all of you guys, who are my students and who are excellent activists.”
ABRHS Administration and Teachers Pushed for Discussion
On March 17, Assistant Superintendent for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Dawn Bentley emailed ABRHS students and families. In her message, she acknowledged the school’s large Asian demographic and attached several resources, including DAY’s presentation.
The following Thursday and Friday, the presentation was also shared during advisory. Some teachers further dedicated entire class periods to Tuesday night’s events. At Sunday’s protest, the Bits Team interviewed students to gauge their reactions. Heidi Xie ’24 praised the advisory lessons and emails, believing that “AB has been doing a pretty good job of acknowledging the problem” by “bringing awareness to the situation.” Anna Zeng ’24 added that AB “took it seriously and made a big deal out of it in a good way.”
However, Amelia Kim ’22 questioned the efficacy of the school’s response, claiming that “it's very repetitive to get the same types of emails every time, which almost minimizes these different hate crimes because it's just so monotonous getting the same thing.”
While many acknowledged ABRHS’s response to the Atlanta shootings as progress, they also emphasized that anti-Asian hate cannot be solved with a single discussion and requires further attention.
The AB Community Rallied Together
On Saturday, March 20, multiple organizations hosted the first rally at Kelly’s Corner. Racial Justice for Black Lives Matter, and the Acton Chinese-American Civic Society held another peaceful protest the next day. The crowd presented a myriad of faces from residents of surrounding towns to young children to state leaders.
Many non-Asian community members attended the rally, including Littleton resident Jeanine Wood, who joined Sunday’s protest for “our Asian neighbors and friends.” Acton resident Carol McClatchy added that “right now is a really really pivotal time, and [she] just wanted to stand in solidarity.”
Massachusetts State Senator for Middlesex and Worcester, Jamie Eldridge ’91, also stood with the community. He emphasized the importance of education, as “[Asian discrimination] is often forgotten in history classes,” and addressed the “need for more outreach to the Asian American community from elected officials and people in power.”
Meanwhile, Racial Justice for Black Lives Matter founder Lowingski Jasmin led the chants. He marveled at the size of the protest and expressed that “it’s great to see that groups are supporting each other.” In a moment of fear and anger for many, Jasmin reminded the Asian community, “You’re not alone, and we will continue to support you.”
As an Asian American myself, hearing discussions and seeing the raw emotion about the Atlanta shootings makes me feel more represented and understood than ever before. But still, it’s frustrating that six Asian women had to die for this to happen; discrimination has poisoned the Asian experience since the beginning, and we are only now talking about it. Underneath the Atlanta shootings lies a relentless stream of hate crimes, aggressions, and stereotypes that continues to flow, fighting to be seen.
