DC Comics recently released a statement condemning anti-Asian racism. This happened following a surge in violent attacks against Asian and Asian-American communities in the US in the past several months.
The company has also posted an official statement across its official social media accounts stating, “We’re joining our WarnerMedia family to stand with the AAPI community in condemning the recent rise in anti-Asian hate crimes, as well as all racist acts. For more resources, visit Stop AAPI Hate.”
Posted as an image, the statement began, “Hate has no home here. Our stories wouldn’t exist without diverse voices and perspectives. We condemn racism and xenophobia in all its forms, including the rise of anti-Asian hate crimes in recent weeks and since the Covid-19 pandemic began.”
Only a few hours ago from this post by DC, WarnerMedia had also weighed in and took its social media accounts to express their condemnation. Their post read, “The violent attacks on Asian-Americans are something none of us should tolerate.”
DC went on to explain that it stands “in solidarity with the Asian community, as well as our family of Asian American and Pacific Islander colleagues, fans, and storytellers.” DC ended the statement by once again directing fans to StopAAPIHate.org for further resources on the feud.
Marvel also took to their Instagram account to contribute to the initiative stating, “The celebration of the Lunar New Year has been marred by the continued wave of violence against Asian-American Pacific Islanders across the United States. We have spent the last week learning and listening to our friends, colleagues, and partners who are most affected. We stand with our AAPI family and want to amplify the voices of organizations that fight for civil rights and stand against hate: Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC and Stop AAPI Hate.”
They concluded by requesting, “Please join us in supporting the important work they’re doing in fighting racism.”
Pixar also joined the initiative releasing two videos on their YouTube channel titled Float and Wind. Pixar Animation Studios and the SparkShorts filmmakers have shared the shorts to stand in solidarity with the Asian and Asian American communities against Anti-Asian hate in all its forms.
Float and Wind were released on Disney+ on 12 November and 13 December 2019 respectively. While Float is about a kid’s ability to fly and what his father chooses to do about it, Wind focuses on a grandmother and grandson longing to escape an endless chasm.
Pixar Animation Studios and the SparkShorts filmmakers have stated that they are proud of the onscreen representation in their short and have decided to make it widely available, in celebration of stories that feature Asian characters that can help promote inclusion all around the globe.
The statements have emerged in the wake of a video going viral in January that showed a 91-year-old Asian man who was being violently pushed to the ground in Chinatown in Oakland, California. That incident was one of many similar attacks that involved Asian victims in the Bay Area and New York City over the past few weeks.
While there have been numerous similar instances, there was another incident that involved a 52-year-old Chinese-American woman, who was attacked outside a bakery in Flushing, Queens, on 16 February 2021. Two Asian seniors were also recently attacked on the subway in separate assaults.
In response to the violence, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Chairperson Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif., along with a handful of other lawmakers, participated in a virtual press conference last week about the rise in anti-Asian American bias and xenophobia.
During the press conference, Chu noted that “what started as dirty looks and verbal assaults” at the beginning of the pandemic “escalated to physical attacks and violence against innocent Asian Americans.” She added, “Just as many Asian Americans were preparing for the Lunar New Year over the past few weeks, we saw a surge in anti-Asian violence.”
Asian entertainers including Jeannie Mai (The Talk), Daniel Dae Kim (Raya and the Last Dragon) and Daniel Wu (Into the Badlands) have also raised their voice against the issue and shown support for the Asian community by using their platforms and raising money to combat Anti-Asian racism amongst people.