In recent years, harassment and racism towards Asians in the United States have continued to increase. Stop AAPI Hate, an organization that prosecutes violence against the community, recorded more than 3,795 incidents since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic – with a new wave of violence This year, racism is highlighted in this country.
During a Twitch stream this week, Dallas Fuel player Lee “Fearless” Eui-seok spoke about the racism he and his teammates experienced while training in Dallas. Lee, who is South Korean, discussed life in the US during the pandemic in a state that has lifted pandemic restrictions – including a mask mandate – as COVID-19 continues to spread. with new waves of disease variants appear across the country.
I don’t know if I’m “stepping out of line” to translate something about what another team’s player is experiencing
But here is the full translation of that Fearless clip.
Please see some of the problems OWL players and staff face as Asians in America. pic.twitter.com/LZWvnRkuAx
– Swingchip (@ Swingchip930) April 6, 2021
“Being Asian here is terrifying,” said Lee. after a translation by Florida Mayhem manager Jade Kim. “I think Koreans living abroad should be careful. The racism here is not a joke. “
He described certain incidents where Dallas Fuel players who wore masks were approached by people without a mask or who had their masks removed to cough on the players. Lee said the player harassment was “basically every day”.
Lee continued, “It’s pretty hard. And they try to scare us. “He added that he often wears his Dallas Fuel jersey in public rather than normal clothes to show that he is part of a team. He said people are less pestering the players when they are wearing their uniforms.
Overwatch LeagueKim Kyoung Ey, General Manager of Paris Eternal posted on Reddit that she had similar experiences in Dallas. “In general, I have stopped shopping in local supermarkets and just buying groceries online,” she wrote.
Although anti-Asian racism increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is not new. “Anti-Asian racism may have increased during the pandemic, but it has been happening for years, fueled by the notion that Asian Americans are ‘eternal aliens’ or people who are not perceived as fully American.” Vox writer Li Zhou wrote March. The recent rise in violence has brought anti-Asian racism to the fore. triggered by a series of attacks even among older Asians in the US the Georgia shootings Eight people, six of whom were Asian women, died in three spas in the Atlanta area.
Reports of anti-Asian hate crimes rose nearly 150 percent in 2020. according to the center for hate and extremism research at the CSU San Bernardino and reported by Vox. In response, several organizations have begun fundraising for victims and their families, as well as for Asian American communities around the world. A list of some of these organizations is available on Vox.
Neither the Overwatch League nor the Dallas Fuel responded to Polygon’s request for comment.
