African Americans have suffered from racism for too many years. Race and skin color should not be a source of hatred. Once again, racism has come to the fore following the tragic murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Police brutality and racism have been considered as the reason for his eternal death. There is a lot of turmoil as thousands of people protest against racism.

Asian Americans have also been victims of racism over the years, though they are now considered the “model minority” by much of the population. They are considered passive and accept their fate without complaint. Due to their past actions and overcoming the racism they faced, they are known as quiet Americans. They still face racism, but typically not as often or as severely as blacks, though some Asian Americans have encountered racism recently by being blamed for the coronavirus.

The first Asians to arrive in the United States were Filipino sailors who arrived around 1750 in what is now Louisiana. Asians came to the US in greater numbers in 1848 when gold was discovered in California. The Chinese came to try their luck at the fortune that seemed to be available. They had planned to return to their homes as rich people. Other Chinese went to Hawaii to work on the sugar cane plantations. They also worked as gardeners, domestics, laundry workers, and in agriculture. Some became merchants. There were between 9,000 and 12,000 Chinese working on the railway in the most dangerous jobs, but they were paid less than their European counterparts.

Immigrant Chinese men were a major force in the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad. These were workers who helped build the infrastructure of America. However, they faced racism and were essentially excluded from the ceremony held near Promontory Point in Utah when the railroad joined more than 150 years ago. His significant efforts remained out of the history books until more recent times.

There was a Chinese Exclusion Act against the Chinese in 1882 to stop further immigration. Japanese immigrants began arriving in the United States in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Then, in 1924, there was a law to prevent further immigration from Japan. These were acts of racism and hatred towards people who were different from the general population of the United States.

Possibly the most pervasive example of racism against Asian Americans occurred during World War II, when Japanese Americans and their immigrant parents were forcibly removed from their West Coast homes. These people were innocent of any wrongdoing and lost almost everything they owned because of racism and hate. It was mass racial profiling at its worst.

There have also been individual cases of racism against Asian Americans. Vincent Chin, a young Chinese American, is a good example. Vincent was a young man who was about to get married. He and some of his friends were celebrating with a bachelor party in Detroit. This was during the time when Japanese import cars were beginning to gain favor with Americans after a severe gasoline shortage. Vincent and his friends were confronted by two white autoworkers. The man and his stepson, who had been fired from his job at an auto plant, were angry at Japan and anyone perceived to be Japanese. After an initial dispute, the groups parted ways. The white men wandered around for twenty minutes looking for Vincent and his friends. They were found at a McDonald’s where the confrontation continued and escalated. In the end, Vincent died from being mercilessly beaten with a baseball bat. The two men pleaded guilty to the crime but were not given any jail time. Asian Americans were understandably outraged.

Many Asian Americans have been called racial slurs. They have been told to go back to where they came from even though they were born in the United States. They are often considered “perpetual aliens” simply because of their physical characteristics.

Although many African Americans and Asian Americans (as well as other ethnic groups) have been able to succeed in life despite racism in this country, racism remains a significant problem. Asian Americans have generally not faced racism as frequently and severely as many African Americans and continue to do so. Asian Americans and other minorities basically stand in solidarity with blacks by condemning racism and working for reform to ease racial tensions. Everyone deserves to be treated fairly and equitably without racism clouding the picture.