Last week, a white gunman killed eight people, six of whom were women of Asian descent, in three separate spas in and around Atlanta, Ga. This act of domestic terrorism is part of ongoing racism and sexism against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI). The eight who were killed are identified as: Soon Chung Park, Suncha Kim, Yong Ae Yue, Hyun Jung Grant, Xiaojie Tan, Delaina Yaun, Daoyou Feng, and Paul Andre Michels. While the attacker and media may deny these actions were not “racially motivated,” it is undeniable that this is part of ongoing racism and misogyny in this country.
Anti-Asian hate crimes have spiked over 150 percent since the start of the pandemic, according to a recent study from the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University at San Bernardino. Such spikes correlate with the many racist ways people describe the virus. Stop AAPI Hate Reporting Center recorded 3,795 hate incidents aimed at AAPI in the last year and such incidents disproportionately impact women 2.3 times the rate of men. And these acts are not necessarily far from home — in fact, just last week Kansas Representative, Rui Xu, noted acts of anti-Asian racism while visiting Russell County. Rep. Xu reported targeted racism while visiting a restaurant in Russell, according to his account on his Twitter page.
These are not isolated events but part of long-standing traditions in the United States. Since the 1800s, Asian Americans immigrated to the U.S. — their skilled labor contributes to the infrastructure of mining, agriculture, industrial, railroad, and more that we take for granted today. The mounting racism and white supremacy during that time led to widespread mistreatment and violence and culminated in racist and exclusionary legislation. For example, the 1875 Page Act banned Chinese women from entering the United States, and the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 barred all Chinese people from immigrating to the U.S. These laws endured until 1943 and the attitudes driving their passage live on today through anti-Asian xenophobia, racism, and sexism, which are long overdue for change.
There is much work for us (especially those of us who are white) to do to address racism and misogyny. There are many resources for allies available here: https://anti-asianviolenceresources.carrd.co/. Among these resources are tools to educate oneself about the history of racism and white supremacy in this country and help facilitate discussions with family and community members to try to better understand such legacies.
Another local recourse is the county’s very own “Courageous Conversations,” facilitated by K-State Extension and hosted by Ellsworth County Economic Development, which is one of many spaces to locally connect and better understand racism.
The recent incidents toward Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are part of ongoing legacies of racism, misogyny, and white supremacy that we must all do our part to stop.

Sophia Ford is a former resident of Wilson who now is a PhD student at the University of Oregon in environmental studies and geography.