From colonialism to Covid: Viet Thanh Nguyen on the rise of anti-Asian violence
Anti-Asian racism is on the rise around the world. The Pulitzer-winning author reflects on his own experiences as a Vietnamese American – and the dark history that continues to fuel the current hate
Viet Thanh Nguyen won a Pulitzer prize for his 2015 debut novel The Sympathizer. Photograph: AP
Viet Thanh Nguyen won a Pulitzer prize for his 2015 debut novel The Sympathizer. Photograph: AP
Sat 3 Apr 2021 04.00 EDT
On 16 March eight people were killed in Atlanta, Georgia, by a 21-year-old white man: all but one were women, and six were Asian. The shootings take their place in a much longer story of anti-Asian violence. The Covid pandemic has given us a particular insight into this phenomenon: verbal and physical assaults against Asians have accelerated in the US over the last year, with 3,800 documented incidents involving spitting, knifings, beatings, acid attacks – and murder. The majority of the victims have been women.