Asian Americans and Latin Americans have certain similarities in their experience with racism. Both groups face discrimination based on their looks, cultures, and social background. People of Asian and Latin origin often get asked where they were born. This question makes them feel like a foreigner, even though many of those people were born in America, giving them the constant feeling that white Americans will never fully accept them. Asian and Hispanic women frequently encounter sexualization and objectivization, as white men often perceive them as “exotic.” Objectivization affects the mental health of these women and puts their physical safety in danger. Asian and Latin groups are stereotypically expected not to have sufficient education levels to be hired to higher positions. Western social media lacks representation of people of color and primarily promotes beauty standards typical for white people, like light skin, blue eyes, or a little upturned nose. Teenagers of these ethnic groups can often be bullied at school for not fitting into beauty standards.
Asian and Latin Americans often hear racist stereotypes about themselves, but the prejudice against these two ethnic groups differs. The most widespread stereotypes about Asians in America are that they are all good at maths and generally academically intelligent, polite, quiet, and shy. Asian Americans were exposed to severe discrimination at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic (Hwang, 2021). The virus was first found in China, so many Americans perceived it as an Asian virus. Hate crimes against the Asian community were occurring across America, and Asians were verbally bullied and attacked in the streets (Hwang, 2021). Latin Americans, in turn, are stereotypically described as dangerous and violent and are portrayed as dealers or members of crime groups in movies. Such representation contributes to the discrimination of Latins by the police and law enforcement system. People of Latin origin can be mocked for their accents. Most of them are native Spanish speakers and have accents in English, which can serve as a cause for bullying.
Asian and Latin Americans have been fighting for their rights and raising awareness about discrimination through social media. Numerous people of Asian and Latin origin speak up about their experience with discrimination, showing how significant this problem is in America. Social media does not allow discriminatory behavior, so Asians, Latins, and other ethnic groups have been fighting against cultural appropriation with the assistance of strict rules on social media. Photos, videos, and posts disrespecting Asian and Latin cultures or mocking these ethnic groups get deleted, and the users get blocked. Asian Americans and Latin Americans are actively addressing the issue of racism through social media.
Latin activists had many cases of successfully fighting discrimination in the housing industry. Activists Latinos United won vouchers for housing after suing Chicago Housing Authority for racism (Reina & Aiken, 2021). Asian Americans are also often denied in providing housing because of racial prejudice. However, they “have not made the same demands for fair housing assistance” (Reina & Aiken, 2021). After Asian hate crimes at the beginning of the pandemic, Asian American activists started different hashtags to bring justice to anti-Asian hate crimes victims (Cho, 2020). The Asian community used social media to fight racial prejudice and raise awareness about anti-Asian hate crimes. Asian American and Latin American communities use various measures to handle discrimination issues.
References
Cho, K. (2020). Those Asian American woke kids: Asian American hashtag activism, identity, and Interracial Solidarity. OAKTrust Home.
Hwang, R. (2021). COVID-19 through an Asian American Lens: Scapegoating, Harassment, and the Limits of the Asian American Response. In K. A. Hass (Ed.), Being Human during COVID (pp. 329–335). University of Michigan Press.
Reina, V., & Aiken, C. (2021). Fair Housing: Asian and Latino/a Experiences, Perceptions, and Strategies. RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences, 7(2), 201–223.