>>> TONIGHT, RISING AGAINST

ASIAN HATE.

MORE THAN A YEAR AFTER THE

DEADLY ATLANTA SPA SHOOTINGS, A

REVEALING PBS DOCUMENTARY TAKES

US BEYOND THE HEADLINES TO MEET

THE PEOPLE IMPACTED BY THE

VIOLENCE AGAINST

ASIAN AMERICANS.

A PERSONAL STORY OF TRAGEDY,

FIGHT, AND RESILIENCE.

"METROFOCUS" STARTS RIGHT NOW.

♪♪

>>> THIS IS "METROFOCUS," WITH

RAFAEL PI ROMAN, JACK FORD AND

JENNA FLANAGAN.

>>> "METROFOCUS" IS MADE

POSSIBLE BY --

SUE AND EDGAR WACHENHEIM III,

SYLVIA A. AND SIMON B. POYTA

PROGRAMING ENDOWMENT TO FIGHT

ANTI-SEMITISM,

THE PETER G. PETERSON AND

JOAN GANZ COONEY FUND,

BERNARD AND DENISE SCHWARTZ,

BARBARA HOPE ZUCKERBERG,

THE AMBROSE MONELL FOUNDATION.

AND BY --

>>> GOOD EVENING, AND WELCOME TO

"METROFOCUS."

I'M JENNA FLANAGAN.

IN MARCH OF 2021, A 21-YEAR-OLD

MURDERED EIGHT PEOPLE AT THREE

SPAS IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

SIX OF THE EIGHT VICTIMS WERE

WOMEN OF ASIAN DESCENT.

THE SHOOTING SHOOK AN

ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY ALREADY

RATTLED BY A SPATE OF VICIOUS

ATTACKS FROM COAST TO COAST.

ATLANTA BECAME A GALVANIZING

MOMENT FOR THE AAPI COMMUNITY,

PURR SPURRING A NEW ERA OF

POLITICAL ACTIVISM AND ACTION.

NOW AS VIOLENCE AGAINST

ASIAN AMERICAN CONTINUES TO

SURGE IN CITIES ACROSS AMERICA,

INCLUDING TRAGICALLY HERE IN NEW

YORK, THE NEW PBS DOCUMENTARY,

"RISING AGAINST ASIAN HATE"

EXPLORES THE ATLANTA SPA

SHOOTINGS AND THEIR AFTERMATH.

HERE'S A PREVIEW.

>> THAT WAS WHEN I STARTED TO DO

MY HUNT IN SEARCH FOR MY MOTHER.

I REMEMBER CALLING THE SHERIFF'S

OFFICE, TRYING TO IDENTIFY THE

WOMEN.

I DON'T THINK SOME OF THEM

BELIEVED IT WAS MY MOTHER WHEN

THEY WERE CALLING.

THEY WERE LIKE, YEAH, THESE WERE

ASIAN WOMEN.

I'M LIKE, YES, MY MOTHER'S

ASIAN.

MY BROTHER CALLED MANY A TO GET

AN UPDATE.

HAD I HEARD ANYTHING?

WHO'S GOING ON?

AT THAT POINT I JUST GOT OFF THE

PHONE WITH THE MEDICAL EXAMINER,

AND SHE TOLD ME, YES, THEY DID

HAVE A BODY DOWNTOWN OF A WOMAN

NAMED YOUNG YU.

THAT WAS MY MOTHER.

♪♪

>> AND JOINING ME NOW TO TALK

ABOUT THE DOCUMENTARY AS PART OF

OUR EXPLORING HATE INITIATIVE,

EXAMINING THE ROOTS AND RISE OF

HATE IN AMERICA AND ACROSS THE

GLOBE, ARE EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

GINA KIM.

GINA WELCOME TO THE SHOW.

>> THANK YOU.

>> WE'D ALSO LIKE TO WELCOME THE

DIRECTOR OF THE DOCUMENTARY,

TITI YU.

WELCOME TO "METROFOCUS."

>> THANK YOU.

>> AND ALSO JOINING US IS ROBERT

PETERSON.

ROBERT LOST HIS MOTHERED IN

ATLANTA SHOOTINGS AND IS

FEATURED IN FILM.

ROBERT, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR

JOINING US.

>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

TITI, I WANT TO BEGIN WITH YOU.

WHAT SPURRED YOU THE PROCESS OF

MAKING THIS DOCUMENTARY, AND

INCLUDING ADIFFERENT POINT OF

VIEW FROM THE WAY THE STORY

PLAYED OUT IN SOCIAL MEDIA.

>> YEAH.

I THINK BACK IN LATE DECEMBER,

EARLY JANUARY, 2021, A LOT OF

USED IN ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY

BEGAN SEEING ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA

ALL THESE REALLY, REALLY

GRUESOME ATTACKS AGAINST THE

ELDERLY AND ASIAN WOMEN IN OUR

COMMUNITY.

SO AT THE SAME TIME THAT WE WERE

SEEING THESE VIDEOS, WE WERE

ALSO HEARING ELECTED OFFICIALS

REALLY BLAMING THIS PANDEMIC ON

THE ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY.

SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, FOR A LOT

OF USED IN ASIAN COMMUNITY WORK

SAW THIS STORY IN THOSE PARALLEL

TERMS.

SO WHEN MARCH 16th HAPPENED, A

LOT OF US WERE NOT SURPRISED.

WE WERE -- WE FELT THIS WAS

SOMETHING INEVITABLE, AND SO

WHEN THIS STORY HAPPENED, A FEW

MONTHS AFTER THIS STORY

HAPPENED, GINA APPROACHED PBS TO

DO A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE RISE

IN ANTI-ASIAN HATE.

AND I KNEW THAT -- GINA AND I

TALKED ABOUT THIS, AND WE KNEW

THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR US TO

TELL THE STORY OF THE COMMUNITY

IN GEORGIA, AND HOW THEY REALLY

DEALT WITH THE TRAGEDY.

SO THAT'S HOW REALLY -- THAT'S

THE STORY THAT WE WANTED TO TELL

WAS THE STORY OF THE

ATLANTA AND HOW THEY WERE ABLE

TO COME TOGETHER AFTER THIS

TRAGEDY.

>> ROBERT, I JUST WANT TO GO TO

YOU, BECAUSE YOU HAD THE TRAGIC

EXPERIENCE, YOU LOST YOUR

MOTHERED IN SHOOTINGS.

WATCHING YOUR STORY UNFOLDS

INCLUDES UNIQUE ASPECTS OF HOW

RACE AND RACISM AFFECTED YOU

PERSONALLY.

>> YES, ABSOLUTELY.

LIKE I SAID BEFORE, I DEFINITELY

REMEMBER WHEN IT HAPPENED, AND

YOU NEVER THINK IT'S GOING TO

HAPPEN TO YOU, AND THEN FOR THIS

TO HAPPEN TO MY MOTHER AND TO

SEE THE OUTPOURING OF SUPPORT

BUT ALSO KNOWING THAT THIS WAS A

CRIME OF HATE AND THIS WAS BASED

ON RACIAL BIAS AGAINST MY MOTHER

AND THEN ME BEING BLACK AND

KOREAN, AGAIN, AND CONTINUOUSLY

FIGHTING FOR OUR RIGHTS AS BLACK

PEOPLE BE ASIANS, IT WAS MORE

PERSONAL TO ME NOW IN AN

UNFORTUNATE WAY.

>> WITH THAT IN MIND THEN, GINA,

I WANT TO BRING YOU INTO THE

CONVERSATION AND ASK -- YOU

KNOW, I THINK FOR A LOT OF

PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY VIEWER OF

PBS, WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF

DOCUMENTARIES ABOUT VARIOUS

DIFFERENT ETHNIC GROUPS AND THE

STRUGGLES AND CHALLENGES THEY

HAVE HAD IN AMERICA, BUT PERHAPS

NOT AS MANY PEOPLE ARE FLUENT IN

UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE

ASIAN AMERICAN EXPERIENCE IS.

AND WAS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU

FELT WAS INCREDIBLY NECESSARY

WHEN IT CAME TO RETELLING THE

STORY?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

WHEN WE DECIDED TO TELL THE

STORY, WE REALLY FELT IT WAS

IMPORTANT AS ASIAN AMERICAN

FILMMAKERS TO BE THE ONES TO

TELL THIS STORY.

WE KNEW THIS WAS A UNIQUE MOMENT

IN OUR HISTORY.

THE VIOLENCE AGAINST

ASIAN AMERICANS IS NOTHING NEW.

WE ALL KNOW THAT.

IT'S BEEN A LONG, LONG HISTORY

OF VIOLENCE AND DISCRIMINATION

AGAINST THE ASIAN AMERICAN

COMMUNITY.

BUT WE DID FEEL THIS IS A VERY

UNIQUE MOMENT.

DEFINITELY A UNIQUE MOMENT IN MY

LIFETIME.

I'VE NEVER EXPERIENCED ANYTHING

LIKE THIS.

SO WE FELT COMPELLED TO TELL THE

STORY.

WE OFTEN TALK ABOUT RACE IN THIS

COUNTRY IN A VERY BINARY, BLACK

AND WHITE DISCUSSION, AND ASIANS

ARE OFTEN LEFT OUT OF THAT

CONVERSATION, AND

ASIAN AMERICANS HAVE OFTEN FELT

INVISIBLE, THAT OUR VOICES

AREN'T HEARD, WE AREN'T GETTING

YOUR ISSUES OUT THERE.

I DO THINK THIS WAS AN

INFLECTION POINT FOR THE

ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY AND A

TIME FOR US TO SORT OF RISE UP

AND SAY, YOU KNOW, HEY, WE ARE

PART OF THIS CONVERSATION.

THIS IS HAPPENING TO US, AND WE

NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO STOP

IT.

>> OF COURSE.

TITI, WHEN YOU BEGAN RESEARCHING

OR REVISITING THIS STORY, WAS

THERE SOMETHING SPECIFICALLY

THAT STOOD OUT TO YOU THAT YOU

WERE JUST LIKE, THIS NEEDS TO BE

CORRECTED?

OR PERHAPS WAS IT SOMETHING

WHERE A CLEARER NARRATIVE OR

DIFFERENT NARRATIVE WHEN YOU

WENT BACK TO EXAMINE THAT EVENT?

>> YEAH.

I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT

HAPPENED AFTER THE SHOOTING WAS

A LOT OF THE MEDIA NARRATIVES

REALLY, REALLY PORTRAY THESE

WOMEN AS, YOU KNOW, TRAFFICKED,

THAT THEY WERE SEX WORKERS.

MEANWHILE, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE

MOMS AND GRANDMAS, AND THEY WERE

HARD WORKING PEOPLE WHO WERE

JUST TRYING TO MAKE A LIVING,

YOU KNOW, SUPPORT THEIR

FAMILIES.

SO I THINK WHEN IT COMES TO THE

MEDIA, THERE WAS JUST A LOT OF

MISINFORMATION ABOUT WHO -- WHO

A LOT OF THE VICTIMS WERE.

AND I THINK THE OTHER THING IS

THE WAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THE

POLICE HANDLED NOT JUST THIS

PARTICULAR CASE, BUT ALSO OTHER

CASES WHEN IT COMES TO HATE

CRIMES AGAINST ASIAN AMERICANS.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S A SENSE OF

CALLOUSNESS AND INSENSITIVITY.

AND THAT GOES BEYOND, YOU KNOW,

PARTY LINES.

AND I THINK THAT THOSE THINGS,

YOU KNOW, WE REALLY WANTED TO

MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S

DOCUMENTED.

>> ROBERT, GINA MENTIONED IN HER

ANSWER THAT SO MUCH OF AMERICA

IS UNDERSTOOD IN A VERY BINARY,

AS SHE MENTIONED, BLACK AND

WHITE MANNER.

I WONDER FOR SOMEONE WHO

EXISTS -- YOU POINT OUTED IN

FILM YOU'RE A BLACK MAN, BUT

PROUDLY KOREAN AMERICAN.

HOW DID YOU COME TO, I GUESS,

UNDERSTAND OR EXPERIENCE THE

RISE IN ANTI-ASIAN SENTIMENT AND

INFLAMMATORY LANGUAGE THAT WAS

REALLY STARTING TO PICK UP AFTER

THE PANDEMIC EXPLODED?

>> AGAIN, I HAVE BEEN BLACK AND

KOREAN ALL MY LIFE, AND SO AS A

BLACK AND KOREAN MAN, I'VE

EXPERIENCED RACISM ON -- BECAUSE

OF MY RACIAL BACKGROUND, BEING

BLACK AS WELL AS BEING KOREAN.

SO THIS IS NOT NEW TO ME.

BUT IN THIS INSTANCE AND OF MY

MOTHER, AGAIN, IT WAS THE FIRST

TIME OTHERS WERE RECOGNIZING AND

RECEIVING ME AS KOREAN.

AND SO THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT

TO ME TO MAKE SURE THAT I MADE

SURE THAT I PRESENTED MYSELF AS

KOREAN AND THAT I WAS

UNAPOLOGETICALLY WHO I AM.

MY MOTHER WOULD WANT TO BE

SILENT, QUIET, BUT SHE KNEW THIS

WAS HAPPENING IN OUR LARGER

WORLD, ESPECIALLY SINCE COVID.

SO I'M THE VOICE THAT SHE WANTS

ME TO BE.

>> ROBERT, AS HER VOICE, EVEN

THOUGH THERE WERE EIGHT VICTIMS

IN TOTAL, I WOULD LIKE TO YOU

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR

MOTHER AND WHO SHE WAS.

>> MY MOTHER IS LIKE YOUR

MOTHER, MANY KOREAN MOTHERS OUT

THERE.

SHE LOVED HER FAMILY, WANTED TO

WORK.

SHE WAS A WIFE TO MY FATHER, WHO

WAS ALSO A MILITARY MAN, AND SHE

RAISED TWO BEAUTIFUL BOYS, AND

WE TURNED OUT TO BE PRETTY GOOD.

AND SHE JUST ALWAYS TAUGHT US TO

BE RESPECTFUL.

SHE NEVER PUT US IN A POSITION

WHERE WE HAD TO CHOOSE OR FEEL

LIKE WE WERE MORE BLACK OR MORE

KOREAN THAN OTHERS.

BUT WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT OUR

EXPERIENCES OF NAVIGATING THIS

WORLD AS A KOREAN MOTHER WITH A

BLACK SON.

AND SO A LOT OF TIMES SHE

COMMUNICATED WITH ME THROUGH

FOOD, SO THAT'S WHY I HAVE A

LOVE OF FOOD NOW, AND THAT'S ONE

OF MY MISSIONS TO LOVE AND SHARE

AND BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER

THROUGH FOOD.

WHILE SHE DIDN'T HUG AND SAY I

LOVE YOU MUCH, SHE WOULD OFTEN

FEED ME AND SPEND QUALITY TIME

WITH ME, SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS

THAT I THINK I MISS THE MOST.

AND AGAIN, WHAT I SAY TO OTHERS,

THOSE ARE THE THINGS I WANT TO

YOU CONNECT WITH HER.

SHE WAS JUST A REGULAR MOTHER.

SHE LOVED HER CHILDREN.

SHE THOUGHT SHE WOULD BE SAFE AT

WORK, AND THAT'S WHAT EVERYBODY

DESERVES.

>> CAN YOU SHARE YOUR MOM'S NAME

WITH US?

>> MY MOTHER IS YOUNG YU.

MY MOTHER WAS THE EIGHT AND LAST

VICTIM FROM THAT DAY.

>> OKAY.

THE REASON I ASK YOU TO SHARE

YOUR MOTHER'S NAME, I LEARN FROM

COVERING WHEN THE STORY TOOK

PLACE, SO MUCH OF THE MEDIA

DIDN'T TRY TO ENGAGE WITH THE

VICTIM'S NAMES OR STUMBLED

THROUGH THEM BECAUSE MANY NATIVE

ESTABLISH SPEAKERS AREN'T

BILINGUAL.

THEY STRUGGLE WITH NAMES THAT

AREN'T IN ENGLISH.

SO I WANT TO ASK YOU, GINA, WHEN

IT COMES TO TELLING A FULLER

RICHER STORY, I REMEMBER THAT

BEING SOMETHING THAT WAS CLEARLY

POINTED OUTED IN FILM.

THE CORRECT PRONUNCIATIONS OF

THE VICTIM'S NAMES.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT I THINK

WAS VERY PROBLEMATIC AND

DISTURBING TO THE KOREAN

COMMUNITY AND TO THE CHINESE

COMMUNITY.

THE NAMES WERE SORT OF HORRIBLY

PROANNOUNCED AND PEOPLE WERE

CONFUSED ABOUT THE VICTIMS AND

WHO DIED THAT DAY.

THEY HAD SOME DIFFICULTY FINDING

THE FAMILY MAYBES AND BEING ABLE

TO LOCATE THE FAMILY MEMBER.

AND THERE WAS ONE PERSON WHOSE

FAMILY IS IN CHINA, AND IT TOOK

A LONG TIME TO IDENTIFY THAT

INDIVIDUAL AND REACH HER FAMILY.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF ISSUES THAT

OTHER PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO FACE.

WHEN YOU HAVE A NAME THAT IS

MORE FAMILIAR.

AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I

THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T

RECOGNIZE.

THESE WOMEN WERE LIVING IN

AMERICA AS AMERICANS, WHO LOVED

THIS COUNTRY, THERE TO SUPPORT

THEIR FAMILY, GOING TO WORK

EVERY DAY AND WORKING VERY, VERY

HARD, AND I THINK THIS SENSE OF

BEING OTHER, PERPETUAL

FOREIGNER, THEY'RE NOT AMERICAN.

BOBBY'S MOTHER, HER SONS ARE --

SHE MARRIED A G.I., AN AMERICAN

SOLDIER.

SHE HAS TWO SONS WHO ARE

AMERICAN, BLACK AMERICAN,

ASIAN AMERICAN, AND YET WE SORT

OF SAW THEM AS SOMETHING THAT'S

NOT PART OF THIS COUNTRY AND

FOREIGN.

AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING

THAT ASIAN AMERICANS HAD TO DEAL

WITH FOR GENERATIONS AND

CENTURIES.

WE'RE ALWAYS SEEN AS THE

PERPETUAL FOREIGNER.

NEVER REALLY PART OF THE FABRIC

OF THE SOCIETY, WHEN WE HELPED

BUILD IST SOCIETY, AND

ASIAN AMERICANS HAVE BEEN HERE

FOR DECADES, CENTURIES,

GENERATIONS.

>> OF COURSE, YEAH.

>> IF I COULD, THAT'S WHAT LED

TO THE DESERVING, UNDESERVING,

THAT THESE WOMEN WERE

UNDESERVING OF JUSTICE.

I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT AS THEY

SAID, WE AS ASIANS TELL OUR OWN

STORIES SO WE CAN CREATE AND

SHAPE THAT NARRATIVE AND MAKE

SURE IT'S TOLD RIGHT.

I REMEMBER WHEN THIS HAPPENED,

WE TALKED ABOUT THE DIFFERENT

NARRATIVES FROM THE KOREAN

NEWSPAPERS, OR THE KOREAN

COMMUNITY, HOW WE WERE TALK

AMONGST OURSELVES, HOW IT'S

DIFFERENT, AND HOW THERE ARE

DISCREPANCIES BETWEEN THE MAIN

MEDIA AND -- WHEN WE TALK ABOUT

REPRESENTATION WITH THE POLICE

FORCE, I OFTEN THINK, IF MY

MOTHER SURVIVED, WOULD THERE

HAVE BEEN SOMEONE WHO SPOKE

KOREAN AND COMFORTED HER IN HER

TIME OF TRAUMA?

I THINK THINGS LIKE THAT MATTER.

AS A DOMINANT GROUP PERSON YOU

MAY NOT CONSIDER THOSE TYPES OF

THINGS, BUT I THINK THIS STORY

HIGHLIGHTS THAT, AND THE

IMPORTANCE OF SHARING MY MOM'S

STORY ALONG WITH THE OTHER

VICTIMS AND CONTINUE PUSH,

TELLING OUR NARRATIVE SO THEY

DON'T GET IT WRONG.

>> OF COURSE.

AND IN ADDITION TO TELLING -- I

WANT TO EMPHASIZE TELLING -- ONE

OF THE THINGS THE FILM BRINGS

FORWARD IS EVERYONE EVEN THOUGH

WE KNOW

THE NUMBERS, THE INSTANCES OF

ANTI-ASIAN HATE IS RISING, IT'S

UNDERREPORTED.

TITI, I WANT TO ASK YOU, WHY IS

THAT AN UNDERREPORTED NUMBER?

WHY IS IT PEOPLE DON'T FEEL

COMFORTABLE GOING TO THE POLICE

WHEN THEY HAVE BEEN ASSAULTED,

HARASSED, WHEN THEY HAVE BEEN

MISTREATED?

>> I THINK ASIAN AMERICANS

UNDERREPORT HATE CRIMES.

I THINK ONE OF THE REASONS IS

WHEN THEY DO REPORT SOMETIMES,

THEY DON'T ALWAYS GET THE KIND

OF REACTION FROM THE POLICE THAT

THEY'RE -- YOU KNOW, WHAT

HAPPENED TO THEM IS IMPORTANT.

YOU KNOW, AS BOBBY SAID EARLIER,

SO ELOQUENTLY.

I THINK ASIAN AMERICANS ARE

OFTEN, YOU KNOW, SEEN AS

UNDESERVING OF THAT KIND OF

JUSTICE, SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, A

LOT OF TIMES, YOU KNOW,

ASIAN AMERICANS ARE TAUGHT ALSO

THAT -- DON'T MAKE WAVES.

YOU KNOW, KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN,

WORK HARD.

YOU KNOW, THIS IS HOW WE BECOME

AMERICAN.

THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TAUGHT.

SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK -- YOU

KNOW, I THINK THAT'S CHANGING.

I THINK MARCH 16th, IF THERE'S

ANYTHING TO COME OUT OF THIS

TRAGEDY, I THINK IT'S THIS IDEA

THAT THE ASIAN AMERICANS --

THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE

SPEAKING UP WHEN SOMETHING LIKE

THIS HAPPENS.

>> ROBERT, I SAW YOU NODDING

YOUR HEAD.

CAN YOU EXPAND ON WHAT YOU WERE

THINKING?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

I THINK THIS IS DEFINITELY

CULTURAL.

AGAIN, THE MINORITY BE THE

ASSIMILATION INTO MAINSTREAM

CULTURE, WHETHER THAT LOOKS LIKE

ADOPTING AN AMERICAN NAME OR

TRYING TO ASSOCIATE OR

ASSIMILATE WITH THE WHITE

CULTURE, RIGHT, TO JUST EASE ON

BY.

AND AGAIN, I THINK ALSO THIS IS

PARALLEL TO THE BLACK COMMUNITY

IN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH LAW

ENFORCEMENT.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO GO TO LAW

ENFORCEMENT IF THEY DON'T SPEAK

IN OUR LANGUAGE OR BELIEVE US

WHEN WE DO FINALLY SPEAK UP?

AGAIN, WITHIN MY FAMILY WE HAVE

HAD THIS DEBATE ON THIS PURSUIT

OF A HATE CRIME AGAINST THIS,

AND MANY ARE FEARFUL THAT WE MAY

LOSE, AND WHY PUT OUR FAMILY

THROUGH THE TRA MA IF WE WON'T

BE HEARD?

AGAIN, IT'S THE FIGHT.

MY MOTHER'S NOT COMING BACK, BUT

THIS WILL BE FOR THE FIGHT

COMING FORWARD, FOR THE ASIAN

COMMUNITY TO SHOW, THIS IS WHAT

WE HAVE TO DO.

WE CAN NO LONGER BE SILENT.

AS WE SEE MARGINALIZED GROUPS

FACING THIS VIOLENCE WORK KNOW

WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER, THAT WE

ARE ALL BEING ATTACKED BY

VIOLENCE, PARTICULARLY GUN

VIOLENCE, AND PARTICULARLY HERE

IN GEORGIA.

SO AGAIN, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT

THAT WE TELL THIS INTERSECTION

OF A STORY.

>> GINA, I ALSO WANTED TO GET

YOUR THOUGHTS ON -- BECAUSE THE

FILM DOESN'T -- IT DEALS WITH OF

COURSE THE PRICE CRISIS AND

TRAUMA OF WHAT HAPPENS BUT IT

ENDS ON A POSITIVE NOTE, AND

THAT'S HIGHLIGHTING THE ACTIVISM

AND POLITICAL ACTIVISM, PEOPLE

RUNNING FOR OFFICE AND WINNING

SEATS.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME JUST LIKE

ANY OTHER GROUP -- AND I ALWAYS

TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE BRING

IT UP -- DESPITE WHAT PEOPLE

MIGHT GENERALLY VOTE AS,

ASIAN AMERICANS ARE NOT A

MONOLITH.

>> NO, YOU'RE RIGHT,

ASIAN AMERICANS ARE NOT A

MONOLITH.

AND I DO THINK THAT THIS

STEREOTYPE THAT ASIAN AMERICANS

ARE THE MODEL MINORITY -- YOU

KNOW, WHEN ASIAN AMERICANS HAVE

THE LARGEST INCOME GAP DISPARITY

OUT OF ANY OTHER ETHNIC GROUP IN

THIS COUNTRY.

AND SO CERTAINLY THERE ARE

PEOPLED IN ASIAN AMERICAN

COMMUNITY WHO DO EXTREMELY WELL

AND ARE LEADERS IN THEIR

INDUSTRY, AND THERE ARE PEOPLE

WHO LIVE IN ABJECT POVERTY.

THERE IS A HUGE GAP.

WE'RE NOT A MONOLITH.

WE'RE NOT ALL ALIKE AND WE DON'T

THINK ALIKE.

WE DEFINITELY WANT TO SHOWCASE

THE PEOPLE ON THE GROUND DOING

THE WORK.

WHEN WE WENT TO ATLANTA, WE KNEW

THAT PEOPLE WHO HAD BEEN WORKING

IN THESE COMMUNITIES HAD BEEN

WORKING ON THE GROUND, DOING THE

HARD WORK FOR DECADES, FOR A

VERY LONG TIME.

WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT

PEOPLE UNDERSTOOD THIS HAS BEEN

TAKING PLACE, THAT ALL OF A

SUDDEN THESE ATTACK AGAINST

ASIAN AMERICANS -- IT'S NOT LIKE

ASIAN AMERICANS ALL OF A SUDDEN

STARTED TO RISE UP AND SPEAK

OUT.

IT'S BEEN HAPPENING FOR A WHILE.

BUT IT IS A MOMENT THAT IS

UNITING, I THINK, THE

ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY, MORE

SO THAN, YOU KNOW, OTHER TIMES.

AND IT REALLY IS GOING TO BE

INTERESTING THE SEE WHAT HAPPENS

NEXT.

BECAUSE I THINK THIS IS JUST THE

BEGINNING OF THE CONVERSATION,

AND IT REALLY WILL BE, YOU KNOW,

A MOMENT FOR PEOPLE TO SORT OF

REFLECT AND SAY, WHAT IS NEXT

FOR THE ASIAN AMERICAN

COMMUNITY?

>> THAT SEEMS LIKE A NATURAL

QUESTION FOR ESPECIALLY A

DOCUMENTARY LIKE THIS TO END ON,

BUT TITI, WAS THAT SORT OF THE

INTENT IS TO SHOW OUT OF TRAGEDY

CAN COME A TRIUMPH OF ACTIVISM

AND PEOPLE MAKING SURE THAT

DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN?

OR IF IT DOES, GOD FORBID, IT'S

NOT HANDLED THE SAME WAY?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

I THINK, YOU KNOW, THAT EVERY

GENERATION -- I THINK GOING BACK

TO WHAT GINA WAS SAYING THAT

ASIAN AMERICANS, WE HAVE BEEN

HERE IN THIS COUNTRY SINCE THE

BEGINNING, AND WE BUILT THIS

COUNTRY, YOU KNOW, AND EVERY

TIME SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS TO

AMERICA ON THE INTERNATIONAL

STAGE, YOU KNOW, ASIAN AMERICANS

IN THIS COUNTRY GET BLAMED,

WHETHER THAT'S, YOU KNOW, WORLD

WAR II OR CERTAINLY AFTER 911.

SO, AND AFTER EVERY ONE OF THOSE

INCIDENTS, ASIAN AMERICANS HAVE

BEEN HERE REBUILDING OUR

COMMUNITIES AND PUTTING IN THE

WORK.

SO ABSOLUTELY, I THINK, YOU

KNOW -- THE ASIAN AMERICAN

FOUNDATION EARLIER CAME OUT WITH

A STUDY THAT SAYS MORE AMERICANS

NOW BLAME ASIAN AMERICANS FOR

THE PANDEMIC THAN DURING THE

HEIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC.

SO, YOU KNOW, WHAT THAT SAYS TO

ME, THAT VIOLENCE AGAINST

ASIAN AMERICANS IS NOT GOING TO

GO AWAY, BUT NEITHER ARE WE.

WE'RE HERE TO STAY.

>> AND HOW -- THIS QUESTION

REALLY IS FOR THE ENTIRE PANEL,

BUT ROBERT, I'LL START WITH YOU.

HOW DO YOU SEE -- WHAT IS THE

MOST IMPORTANT STEP YOU NEED TO

SEE TAKING PLACE SO THAT THERE'S

BETTER UNDERSTANDING, BETTER

COMMUNITY, BETTER VISIBILITY

AMONGST THE ASIAN AMERICAN

COMMUNITY AS PART OF THE

AMERICAN FABRIC?

>> SO, I DEFINITELY LIKE THE

STEP THAT WE'RE MOING TOWARDS

NOW, STORY TELLING, RAISING

AWARENESS AND INCREASING

EDUCATION.

THIS IS PARALLEL TO MY

EXPERIENCE AS A BLACK MAN WHEN

WE TALK ABOUT THE HISTORY OF OUR

PEOPLE AND HOW IT'S BEING SHARED

AND TAUGHT.

I WENT TO AN HBCU, AND THAT'S

HOW I FOUND OUT A LOT ABOUT MY

AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY I WAS

NOT TAUGHT IN K THROUGH 12.

AS WE CONTINUE TO SHARE STORIES,

I THINK THAT'S A FORWARD MOVING

STEP.

HOWEVER, WE ALSO NEED TO MAKE

SURE WE INVEST IN OUR OWN

COMMUNITIES AND HOLD OUR LEADERS

ACCOUNTABLE.

AGAIN, ANTI-HATE BILLS ARE GOOD,

BUT THAT'S REACTIONARY TO

SOMETHING, DAMAGE THAT HAS

ALREADY BEEN CAUSED.

SO WHAT ARE WE DOING TO MAKE

SURE WOMEN ARE EMPOWERED IN THE

WORK FORCE, SAFE GOING TO THE

GROCERY STORE.

HOW ARE WE HELPING TO UPLIFT

THESE COMMUNITIES?

AND I BELIEVE SOLIDARITY BETWEEN

COMMUNITIES WILL GET US THERE.

THIS FIGHT WILL BE A CONTINUOUS

FIGHT.

IT WILL BE ONE I'LL BE GLAD TO

BE A PART OF, BUT AAM CAUTIOUSLY

OPTIMISTIC, BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN

HERE BEFORE.

>> GINA, ARE YOU ALSO CAUTIOUSLY

OPTIMISTIC?

>> AS A JOURNALIST -- JUST

WATCHING WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING,

I DO THINK, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE

REASONS WE MADE THIS FILM IS TO

KEEP THIS ISSUED IN PUBLIC EYE.

I THINK A LOT OF TIMES WITH A

LOT OF NEWS STORIES THEY SORT OF

FALL AWAY, BUT, YOU KNOW,

ATTACKS AGAINST ASIAN AMERICANS

HAVEN'T STOPPED, AND IT'S NOT

STOPPING ANY TIME SOON.

ASIAN AMERICANS ARE THE ---ED IN

FILM WE TALK ABOUT HOW

ASIAN AMERICANS ARE THE LARGEST

GROWING DEMOGRAPHIC IN THIS

COUNTRY, ETHNIC GROUP IN THIS

COUNTRY.

SO I'M ACTUALLY CURIOUS TO SEE

HOW -- HOW THE SOCIETY RESPONDS

TO THAT.

YOU KNOW?

LIKE, AS ASIAN AMERICANS, YOU

KNOW, GRAB MORE POWER, AS THEY

COME OUT MORE, AS THEY ARE, YOU

KNOW, MORE SIGNIFICANT MEMBERS

OF SOCIETY AND LEADERS IN

SOCIETY, AS MANY ALREADY ARE, IT

WILL BE VERY INTERESTING TO SEE

HOW WE NAVIGATE THIS COUNTRY AND

HOW -- WHAT THE RESPONSE IS.

>> ALL RIGHT.

>> WELL, TITI, WE HAVE ABOUT A

MINUTE LEFT, BUT I'D LOVE TO GET

YOUR THOUGHTS, AGAIN, ON WHAT I

GUESS YOU SEE AS A POSITIVE STEP

THAT COULD BE COMING OUT OF

THIS.

>> I THINK, YOU KNOW, TO ME, ONE

OF THE REALLY TOUCHING THINGS

ABOUT SPEAKING TO THE COMMUNITY

DOWN IN ATLANTA IS AFTER THE

TRAGEDY, A LOT OF -- SOME OF THE

COMMUNITY GROUPS WERE GOING

LISTENING TOURS AMONGST

IMMIGRANT GROUPS.

AND WE SAW A LOT OF TIMES, FOR

THE FIRST TIME, FIRST GENERATION

ASIAN AMERICANS COMING OUT TO

EXPRESS SOME OF THE THINGS

THEY'VE EXPERIENCED.

THIS IDEA THAT ASIAN AMERICANS,

WE DON'T SPEAK OUT, FOR A LOT OF

OUR PARENTS, THEY'VE EXPERIENCED

A LOT OF THIS RACISM THEIR

ENTIRE LIFE, BUT FOR THE FIRST

TIME THEY'RE STARTING TO SPEAK

OUT ABOUT IT.

SO I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A

LOT MORE OF THESE CONVERSATIONS

HAPPEN GENERATIONALLY BUT ALSO

WITHIN THE LARGER ASIAN AMERICAN

COMMUNITY.

>> ALL RIGHT.

WELL, WITH THAT WE'RE GOING TO

LEAVE IT THERE.

BUT I'D LIKE TO THANK ALL THREE

OF MY GUESTS, GINA KIM PRODUCER,

TITU YU, PRODUCER.

A STORY THAT NEEDS TO BE MORE

SPOKEN ABOUT, THE RISE IN

ASIAN AMERICAN HATE, BUT ALSO

THE RESILIENCE OF THE AAPI

COMMUNITY.

>> THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU, JENNA.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

>>> "METROFOCUS" IS MADE

POSSIBLE BY --

SUE AND EDGAR WACHENHEIM III,

SYLVIA A. AND SIMON B. POYTA

PROGRAMING ENDOWMENT TO FIGHT

ANTI-SEMITISM,

THE PETER G. PETERSON AND

JOAN GANZ COONEY FUND,

BERNARD AND DENISE SCHWARTZ,

BARBARA HOPE ZUCKERBERG,

THE AMBROSE MONELL FOUNDATION.