[Bread-Baking Typewriter] Dirty, Fearful, Exemplary... The Unstoppable 'Anti-Asian Hate'

Western 'Scapegoating' in Every Crisis Like Economic Downturns and Wars
Over 170 Years of Asian Hate History Thoroughly Analyzed
Racial Hate Repeated in Korea as Well

[Asia Economy Reporter Minwoo Lee] In 1899, a type of plague called sunpest spread in Hawaii. The U.S. government identified Chinatown as the epicenter and incinerated buildings where infections occurred. The fire that broke out at this time virtually destroyed Chinatown. The U.S. government also gathered Asians in public places for fumigation disinfection. Regardless of age or gender, they were forced to bathe naked in public. Anti-Asian sentiment and crimes continue to this day. In March, a gunman opened fire at a Korean beauty salon in Dallas, Texas, injuring three Korean women. Professor Hoeok Jeong of Myongji University’s Department of Political Science and Diplomacy thoroughly analyzes the deep-rooted history of hatred in her book, "Because They Are Asian."

Repeated 'Scapegoating' in Times of Crisis

Societies facing crises such as economic recessions, wars, and epidemics resort to violence by finding scapegoats. This is to dispel anxiety and fear. When the Black Death ravaged Europe in the 14th century, witches, homosexuals, foreigners, and Jews lost their lives, property, and honor. During the 1876 smallpox outbreak in the U.S., Chinese immigrants were highlighted as the culprits and suffered greatly. Even recently, during the COVID-19 pandemic, minority hatred has repeated like a decalcomania.

Racial hatred also appears during economic crises. This is true now as the COVID-19 pandemic causes a recession. Every time the economy declines, many Americans view immigrants as competitors for jobs. Far-right politicians exploit hateful sentiments for political gain. Professor Jeong diagnoses, "Economic recessions are due to structural problems formed over a long period, not immigrants," and adds, "In dark times and uncertain situations, the switch that activates people's racial prejudices is turned on."

From Dirtiness → Fear → Model Minority: Changes in Anti-Asian Hate

Professor Jeong analyzes that the history of anti-Asian hate over the past 170 years has changed in three stages. In the mid-19th century, Asian immigrants to the U.S. were blamed as the source of various infectious diseases. They were literally labeled as "dirty." In the late 19th century, "fear" was added. The Russo-Japanese War in 1904 was a significant turning point. Professor Jeong interprets, "Japan's victory was the first time in modern history that white powers were defeated by non-white powers," and "The mass immigration of Chinese and Japan's military expansion transformed the perception of Asians, once thought barbaric and uncivilized, into fear."

The next stage appeared from the 1960s when highly educated and professional Asians immigrated. This created the myth of the diligent and sincere "model minority." Professor Jeong criticizes this as a mechanism by the white mainstream to tame and dominate Asians. She argues that in the dichotomy between model and non-model minorities, an atmosphere was created suggesting that Black people are poor because they do not work as hard as Asians. She analyzes, "Ignoring the large influx of highly educated, professional Asian immigrants after the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act, successful Asians were distorted as symbols of the American Dream, causing conflicts between Black and Asian communities."

‘Anti-Asian Hate’ Also Present in Korea

This book emphasizes that anti-Asian hate is not exclusive to Western societies. A representative example is the domestic sentiment of disliking foreigners from poor countries with darker skin. It points out that elites during the enlightenment period uncritically accepted Western racial hierarchies, and Korean-language media such as Doknip Sinmun and Maeil Sinmun contributed to spreading this ideology. Professor Jeong points out, "About 760,000 people agreed to the Blue House petition to ban Chinese entry, the third highest in history," and criticizes, "As China's economic scale grows, the Western gaze toward Asians?seeing them as 'dirty or fearful'?is being reproduced."

The author advises that resolving hatred requires changes at both individual and collective levels. The former involves acknowledging that everyone has biases. The latter involves properly educating about the 170-year history of anti-Asian hate and establishing systems to publicize hate crimes.

Because They Are Asian | Hoeok Jeong | Humanitas | 264 pages | 16,000 KRW