FILIPINO American celebrities have joined in calling for an end to the hate and violence being directed at various Asian communities in the United States.
The hashtag #StopAsianHate has trended on Twitter following a series of attacks in Atlanta that killed eight people, including six of whom were Asians.
Rapper Ruby Ibarra condemned the shootings, stressing that anti-Asian racism and xenophobia need to end.
“I am at a loss for words about the hateful murders that happened in Atlanta. All of this Anti-Asian racism, xenophobia come from a place of pure ignorance and hate and it really needs to end,” she said in a tweet. “Let’s continue to protect those that are most vulnerable in our communities.”
Meanwhile, singer Apl.de.ap extended his condolences to the families of the victims and reminded everyone that “we’re all in this together.”
“Now seems as important a time as any to remind ourselves that we’re all in this together. I’m truly sorry for the families of those involved,” he said on Twitter.
Actor Darren Criss, for his part, called the suspects “monsters,” saying they are a “byproduct of the absolute worst of our history.”
“I just want to say to my friends out in Atlanta: y’all know as well as I do that the horrible people responsible for these acts do not speak for the city’s true beating heart. You’ve managed to do some inspiring things this past year. I know these monsters don’t represent you,” he said.
“And moreover I truly believe to my core that these monsters throughout our nation certainly do NOT represent America. They are a tragic byproduct of the absolute worst of our history, but small in comparison to the overwhelming majority of decent, compassionate, rational people,” he added.
Criss also called for the majority to show their “defiance and resilience” against the people he called “monsters.”
“And it is up to that very majority to show our strength, defiance, and resilience against these monsters. They are a dying breed of scarred, confused, and angry people. And we have to make them understand there is no place for hatred in any world that seeks peace,” he said.
Filipina Canadian actress Shay Mitchell took to Instagram to express her anger, saying people who commit hate crimes should be called terrorists.
“How many times do we need to have this conversation before it changes?” she wrote. “Hate is hate is hate is hate. And it is wrong.”
She added, “Time to start calling this what it is – a hate crime. Time to start calling the people who commit these hate crimes what they are – who the people are that do this – terrorists.”
Actress Vanessa Hudgens, meanwhile, shared on her Instagram story a screenshot of a tweet that said: “Anti-Asian hate crimes are up 150% since January last year – the result of years of vitriolic racism. Eight people were killed last night. Humans with stories and aspirations. Our hearts go out to their loved ones. We need to put an end to this hate.”
International singer Lea Salonga also joined in supporting the #StopAsianHate campaign.
“Stop with the dehumanization. Stop with the violence. Stop with the hate. We are human beings. Enough!,” she wrote on Twitter.
