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Dozens of people gathered at Hanover Square in downtown Syracuse on Sunday to remember the lives of the Asian women who were killed in Atlanta earlier this week.

A white man shot and killed eight people — Hyun Jung Grant, Xiaojie Tan, Daoyou Feng, Paul Andre Michels, Yong Ae Yue, Suncha Kim, Delaina Ashley Yaun and Soon Chung Park — in three spas in Atlanta on Tuesday. Six of the victims were Asian women.

Police have said it’s too early for the suspect to be charged with hate crimes, but violence against Asian Americans has increased throughout the coronavirus pandemic. Roughly 3,800 incidents of racial violence against Asian Americans have been reported during the pandemic, according to NBC. Female victims made up about 68% of these reports.

Organizers at the vigil praised the solidarity and willingness to come together that the crowd, which included members of Women’s March Syracuse and Rebirth SYR, exemplified.

Emad Rahim, whose family came to the U.S. in the early 1980s to escape genocide in Cambodia, said in a speech that Syracuse is a city that should never stand for racially motivated violence.

Rahim referenced the culture of Syracuse that, for him, represents the support system he wishes the rest of the country would embrace.

“What existed in Syracuse that still exists today is tolerance,” Rahim said. “There were some amazing families that were there to love us, to support us, embrace us and celebrate us. That is the history of Syracuse.”

Another speaker, Jay Subedi, said that, although people of Asian descent like him may not all have been born in the U.S., they deserve the benefits of calling the country home.

“We work here, we pay taxes, and we are all the contributing factors to this community,” Subedi said. “What is going on in the country right now is not justice.”

Nodesia Hernandez, director of community outreach for New York State Sen. Rachel May, also spoke at the vigil and echoed Subedi’s sentiment that justice is not being served for marginalized community members in the U.S.

“We built America. There would not be an America without us. We’re tired of the hatred toward the people who made the country what it is today. Enough is enough,” she said.

Hernandez proudly wore a face mask bearing the face of Vice President Kamala Harris and referenced her courage as a person of Asian heritage. President Joe Biden and Harris condemned the shootings in a statement on Friday.

Chancellor Kent Syverud and Syracuse University’s Student Association also put out statements shortly after the attacks in Atlanta condemning anti-Asian racism.

After the speeches, the organizers led chants for justice before calling for a minute-long silence to represent the Asian community members who were murdered in the country they called home. The moment of silence was lit by candles handed out to attendees.

Tai Ngo Shaw moved to the U.S. from Vietnam in 1982 and now has a 12-year-old daughter. In his speech, Shaw reflected on the long history of prejudice against Asian Americans in the U.S and the sad resurgence of anti-Asian racism in the past year.

“I should not have to fear for the safety of my daughter as an Asian American woman,” Shaw said. “Our Asian heritage should be the source of great pride.”

Published on March 22, 2021 at 12:45 am

Contact Richard: rcperrin@syr.edu | @richardperrins2