Jamie Chung, Lana Condor, and More Celebrities Call for Change: Stop Asian Hate

On March 16, three massage parlors near Atlanta were targeted by a 21-year-old white man. Eight people–six of whom were Asian women—were killed. Although the motive for the shootings hasn't been confirmed, it seems clear: This is a hate crime.

The attacks on Young’s Asian Massage, Gold Spa, and Aromatherapy Spa are part of a bigger pattern of increased violence people of AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) descent are facing because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On March 25, Chrissy Teigen, whose mother is Thai, appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show and called out past comments by public figures who unfairly and inaccurately placed the blame for the pandemic on Asians, saying, “I think we just came out of a long line of politicians that put a target on Asian people's backs by calling it ‘the China virus.’”

Teigen continued, “A lot of mothers and fathers are being targeted around the country and it's so obvious to me what the motive is. It doesn't seem to be obvious to the politicians out there that are saying, ‘We're not quite sure of the motive.’ But I think we know what it is.”

Lost and Hawaii Five-0 star Daniel Dae Kim spoke (virtually) before Congress on Thursday, March 18, after the legislative body failed to pass a resolution condemning anti-Asian violence. “I was disheartened to find that for a bill that required no money or resources, just a simple condemnation of acts of hate against people of Asian descent, 164 members of Congress—all Republican–voted against it,” he said.

“Now, I’m not naive enough to think I’m going to convince all of you to stand up for us—trust me, I’ve seen your voting records—but I am speaking to those [for whom] humanity still matters,” he added, per Just Jared.

Kim recently revealed on CNN that in 2015 his sister was intentionally hit by a car in what he believes was a racially motivated attack: “This man had a history of violence toward other Asian women, but when it got time to prosecute him, the D.A. was telling my sister that ‘we'll never get a hate crime’…. He ended up getting convicted of reckless driving when he used his car as a weapon to [try to] kill my sister.”

Other Asian American celebrities have taken to social media to speak out and call for change. They're sharing their experiences, offering important resources for how to help, and telling the world: Stop AAPI hate.

Read their stories, below—and to learn more ways you can take action, here's a guide.

Olivia Munn

Jamie Chung

Lana Condor

Daniel Dae Kim

Eva Chen

Mindy Kaling

Jeremy Lin

Simu Liu

George Takei

Awkwafina

Lulu Wang

Jimmy Wong

Padma Lakshmi

Eugene Lee Yang

Ross Butler

Naomi Osaka

Originally Appeared on Glamour