Stop Asian Hate
Last Saturday was an inspiring display of solidarity outside of Town Hall, as our community rallied behind a group of brave Asian-Americans who shared their personal experiences with hate. I commend everyone who attended this important event, but above all else I congratulate the courage of these speakers and organizers. The responsibility of making Wallingford a more welcoming and accepting community for all should never fall squarely on the shoulders of our youth, and yet they carried this weight with the utmost dignity and grace; the least the rest of us can do is dedicate ourselves to joining them in building the better future they demand and deserve.
By Faith Williams
WALLINGFORD — About 100 people, including the mayor and a U.S. senator, attended a rally at Town Hall in response to the fatal shootings of six Asian women and two others in Atlanta-area spas earlier this month.
Mayor William W. Dickinson Jr., Sen. Richard Blumenthal and state Attorney General William Tong, who were in attendance, condemned racism and discrimination and praised the teens who organized the event for bringing awareness to the issue.
“Kindness is important,” Dickinson said. “If we all treated everyone with kindness, none of this would be. People needed to be reminded of that.”
Amy Bui, a Vietnamese-American Sheehan High School student, organized the Stop Asian American and Pacific Islanders Hate and Black Lives Matter protest Saturday that featured teenage speakers.
Robert Aaron Long, a 21-year-old white man, is accused of killing eight people. Four of them were inside two Atlanta spas and the other four were inside a massage business. According to police, Long has confessed to the shootings but say they weren’t racially motivated.
People in the crowd carried signs with messages like “Stop Asian Hate”, “End Violence against Asians” and “Black Lives Matter”.
Bui, along with classmates and other high school students, lined up on the steps in front of town hall to talk about their experiences as Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
“I am not happy to be here. I am scared,” Bui said. “Scared for my parents who own their own small business. I am scared for my little sister who broke my heart when she came home from elementary school telling me about the jokes her classmates made against her.”
Bui gave everyone in attendance a burning incense stick to hold in remembrance of the victims in the Atlanta-area shooting.
Heather Rae Gaydowen, 16, fought back tears as she talked about the jokes and taunting she has experienced.
“We were told to brush it off, to treat it like it just harmless jokes,” Gaydowen said, “But these jokes created an environment that allowed xenophobia and racism to become normalized in this pandemic.
“We must remember that we are stronger than any of the hate thrown at us,” Gaydowen added. “Our love, unity and respect for one another will always overpower the hate and fear that has surrounded us for too long.”
