Story at a glance
- Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, anti-Asian hate crimes have spiked in the United States.
- Racism against Asians and Pacific Islanders has a long and violent history in America that continues to this day.
- Director Bao Nguyen partnered with GoFundMe to produce a short film about the history of anti-Asian hate in the U.S.
While hate crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) spiked at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic and again in recent months, anti-Asian racism and violence has a long history in the United States.
In an effort to combat the ignorance behind hate, independent film director Bao Nguyen partnered with GoFundMe to chronicle this history in a short film released on YouTube, starring prominent AAPI actors and actresses, including Olivia Munn, Ken Jeong, Lisa Ling and others.
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“Asian Americans have felt unseen and unheard for a long time but we’ve been standing up against racism and speaking out for our communities for decades — it’s just no one was listening,” Nguyen said in a statement. “This film is a forceful yet poignant reminder that these incidents are part of our American identity and we must act together to stop these incidents from happening in our communities.”
“Together, it is our responsibility to condemn anti-Asian acts and create lasting social change. We must amplify AAPI voices and find ways to uplift, empower, and protect the AAPI community. The AAPI Community Fund aims to do just that, addressing the urgent issues that face the AAPI community as well as broader, systemic problems,” said GoFundMe on YouTube, where the three-minute long film was published.
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The for-profit crowdfunding platform has raised more than $5.5 million through the AAPI Community Fund and issued grants to several organizations, including AAPI Women Lead, Adhikaar, Center for Anti-Violence Education and Empowering Pacific Islander Communities, although it’s unclear how much of the money raised went directly to these organizations and how much each received. The company is continuing the effort, now with a goal of $8 million, and said it would expand to include additional charities.
Many of the top contributors are major companies, including YouTube, which donated $500,000 to the fund. The short film debuted on the online video platform on April 14 and had more than 6,000 views by Friday.
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