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One month after the Atlanta shooting that targeted Asian-owned businesses, up to a thousand Austinites gathered on the lawn of Huston-Tillotson University on Saturday, April 17, to speak out against this past year’s surge in anti-Asian racism. Arranged by a team of grassroots organizers, the Stop Asian Hate Rally and Vigil not only sought to condemn the uptick in racist violence against Asian Americans but also to fortify bonds of unity and solidarity within the various Asian American communities and between other communities of color. – Lilli Hime -
The Asian American and Pacific Islander community and allies gathered at Huston-Tillotson University for the Stop Asian Hate rally and vigil on Saturday, April 17. -
Wielding a “Not Your Model Minority” sign adorned with a few flags of Asian countries, Eddie Choi was unapologetically proud to celebrate being Asian and to stand against racism. “Asians have always been labeled as this model minority, and it’s meant to construe this positive image, but it’s just a tool to further divide different ethnic groups, different immigrant groups. It’s important for Asian Americans to rally against that message, that we’re not a model minority.” -
The Asian American and Pacific Islander community and allies gathered at Huston-Tillotson University for the Stop Asian Hate rally and vigil on Saturday, April 17. -
The Asian American and Pacific Islander community and allies gathered at Huston-Tillotson University for the Stop Asian Hate rally and vigil on Saturday, April 17. -
The Asian American and Pacific Islander community and allies gathered at Huston-Tillotson University for the Stop Asian Hate rally and vigil on Saturday, April 17. -
Former Councilmember Jimmy Flannigan (left) and Mayor Steve Adler -
Mayor Steve Adler -
The Asian American and Pacific Islander community and allies gathered at Huston-Tillotson University for the Stop Asian Hate rally and vigil on Saturday, April 17. -
The Asian American and Pacific Islander community and allies gathered at Huston-Tillotson University for the Stop Asian Hate rally and vigil on Saturday, April 17. -
The Asian American and Pacific Islander community and allies gathered at Huston-Tillotson University for the Stop Asian Hate rally and vigil on Saturday, April 17. -
The Asian American and Pacific Islander community and allies gathered at Huston-Tillotson University for the Stop Asian Hate rally and vigil on Saturday, April 17. -
The Asian American and Pacific Islander community and allies gathered at Huston-Tillotson University for the Stop Asian Hate rally and vigil on Saturday, April 17. -
The Asian American and Pacific Islander community and allies gathered at Huston-Tillotson University for the Stop Asian Hate rally and vigil on Saturday, April 17. -
At the onslaught of the pandemic, Sam Lee (not pictured) didn’t have a chance to warn his kids of the anti-Asian racism spreading. His son had already been called a Chinese virus at school. “That’s just gut-wrenching for a parent to feel and know that this is still persisting.” Lee brought his kids and some of their friends to the rally to show them that they had a community that supports them and to tell them that their voices matter. “I hope [this rally] gives them imagination that they can do something about it and that they’re not alone.” -
Councilmember Greg Casar (at lectern) -
“Invisibility is something I have lived with and struggled with all my life,” Jane Wu, 62, said, emotions welling up in her voice. Wu recounted a number of racist incidents she’s experienced in Austin, including being called a racial slur in a Randalls parking lot. Standing in the crowd that day, though, Wu said she was moved by the sight of the community standing up. “The invisibility is something we’ve had to live with in order to get along in society, but it has worked greatly against us. Seeing Asian Americans rise up and not taking this anymore gives me much hope.” -
The Asian American and Pacific Islander community and allies gathered at Huston-Tillotson University for the Stop Asian Hate rally and vigil on Saturday, April 17. -
The Asian American and Pacific Islander community and allies gathered at Huston-Tillotson University for the Stop Asian Hate rally and vigil on Saturday, April 17. -
Texas State Rep. Eddie Rodriguez (left) and Travis County Tax Assessor Bruce Elfant -
Councilmember Paige Ellis -
The Asian American and Pacific Islander community and allies gathered at Huston-Tillotson University for the Stop Asian Hate rally and vigil on Saturday, April 17. -
The Asian American and Pacific Islander community and allies gathered at Huston-Tillotson University for the Stop Asian Hate rally and vigil on Saturday, April 17. -
“We have a shared goal, Asian Americans and Black Americans,” said Colette Pierce Burnette, President and CEO of Huston-Tillotson. “That goal is to rally together, in solidarity.” Pierce Burnette recognized their shared opponent as white supremacy, which sows division in its attempts to conquer. “The reality is Black Americans and Asian Americans have been bonded together in this movement and fight for civil rights for centuries. We are here together today to affirm and strengthen that solidarity. We live in a once-in-a-generation time of opportunity to promote unity, not division.” -
With Austin’s Asian American Quality of Life Advisory Commission at her side, member and rally organizer Pooja Sethi led the crowd in chanting, “We’re proud to be Asian and we belong here.” She affirmed that this was the belief underlying all of the commission’s work, from fighting for translation services in Asian languages during the winter storm to pushing for more mental health services for Asian residents after a Nepalese man was shot by Austin police. “Because we’re proud to be Asian, we belong here, we’re part of the community, and we don’t deserve to die.” -
The Asian American and Pacific Islander community and allies gathered at Huston-Tillotson University for the Stop Asian Hate rally and vigil on Saturday, April 17. -
Mayor Steve Adler -
The Asian American and Pacific Islander community and allies gathered at Huston-Tillotson University for the Stop Asian Hate rally and vigil on Saturday, April 17. -
AISD Trustee Arati Singh -
The Asian American and Pacific Islander community and allies gathered at Huston-Tillotson University for the Stop Asian Hate rally and vigil on Saturday, April 17. -
CM Greg Casar -
Sabrina Sha -
Myra Dumaplas -
The Asian American and Pacific Islander community and allies gathered at Huston-Tillotson University for the Stop Asian Hate rally and vigil on Saturday, April 17. -
KVUE anchor Jenni Lee -
The Asian American and Pacific Islander community and allies gathered at Huston-Tillotson University for the Stop Asian Hate rally and vigil on Saturday, April 17. -
The Asian American and Pacific Islander community and allies gathered at Huston-Tillotson University for the Stop Asian Hate rally and vigil on Saturday, April 17. -
The Asian American and Pacific Islander community and allies gathered at Huston-Tillotson University for the Stop Asian Hate rally and vigil on Saturday, April 17. -
Awais Azhar -
Anna Nguyen, trans activist and PFLAG staffer -
The Asian American and Pacific Islander community and allies gathered at Huston-Tillotson University for the Stop Asian Hate rally and vigil on Saturday, April 17. -
The Asian American and Pacific Islander community and allies gathered at Huston-Tillotson University for the Stop Asian Hate rally and vigil on Saturday, April 17. -
Rally organizer Muna Hussaini listed the barrage of anti-Asian attacks she experienced after 9/11, including being run off the road, spit on, and nearly stabbed. She cut the list off at five incidents. “There’s more, but let me tell you, I never reported any of them. So you want to talk about a 200% increase [in anti-Asian attacks]? That’s just what’s reported. We all know the racism and incidents are more than that. This is our home. We cannot be silenced anymore.” -
Ashley Cheng -
Virginia Cumberbatch, Co-Founder of Rosa Rebellion -
Nelson Lender, President of Austin NAACP -
Hugh Li of Austin Chinese-American Network (ACAN) -
The Asian American and Pacific Islander community and allies gathered at Huston-Tillotson University for the Stop Asian Hate rally and vigil on Saturday, April 17. -
The Asian American and Pacific Islander community and allies gathered at Huston-Tillotson University for the Stop Asian Hate rally and vigil on Saturday, April 17. -
Darlene Latham, Executive Director of Asian Family Support Services of Austin -
(left to right) Texas State Reps. Sheryl Cole, James Talarico, and Vikki Goodwin -
“Today, we condemn a long history of anti-Asian violence across the U.S. – the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, the war in Vietnam, the occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq, and what’s happening today in our communities.” Rally organizer Saatvik Ahluwalia will have a daughter soon. As he worries whether he’ll live to see his daughter grow up, he thinks about Delaina Yaun and Daunte Wright, who didn’t have this chance. “Like me, they both had kids. They wanted to be there for their kids. That’s the real crux of what’s happening. People’s lives, their loves, their aspirations are being snuffed out. Their communities are being left hollow because of hate.” -
The Asian American and Pacific Islander community and allies gathered at Huston-Tillotson University for the Stop Asian Hate rally and vigil on Saturday, April 17. -
The Asian American and Pacific Islander community and allies gathered at Huston-Tillotson University for the Stop Asian Hate rally and vigil on Saturday, April 17. -
The Asian American and Pacific Islander community and allies gathered at Huston-Tillotson University for the Stop Asian Hate rally and vigil on Saturday, April 17.
Stop Asian Hate Rally and Vigil
