Faced with historic injustices that often spilled into violence, Asian-American students at UC Berkeley–buoyed by the support of other student groups–went on strike in May 1968, demanding more diverse curricular representation. Later, leaders like Grace Lee Boggs and Larry Itliong would force a greater reckoning with the country’s past in order to extract social, economic, and legal change for their communities. Join MTV News correspondent Yoonj Kim and National Museum of American History Curator Theodore S. Gonzalves as they pick out lessons for the equally fraught landscape we face today.
John Oliver discusses the large and diverse group of people who fall under the term “Asian American”, the history of the model minority stereotype, and why our conversations on the subject need to be better-informed.
A Serbian volleyball player has been suspended for two matches after she was caught on camera stretching her eyelids — a racist gesture used to mock people with Asian heritage — during an international competition between Serbia and Thailand.
Sanja Djurdjevic violated the sport’s disciplinary rules on June 1 while competing in the match in Italy, according to a statement given Tuesday from the FIVB Disciplinary Panel Sub-Committee.
In addition to the suspension, the independent body, which is responsible for imposing disciplinary sanctions within FIVB competitions, fined Serbia’s volleyball federation the equivalent of $22,000. According to the panel, the FIVB will donate the money to a cause dedicated to tackling discriminatory behavior and/or to fund educational programs on cultural sensitivity.
Greater accountability
Posting on her since deactivated account, Djurdjevic apologized for her actions. “I am aware of my mistake and I immediately after the match apologized to the whole Thailand team.”
“I only wanted to address my teammates with the message: ‘Now, we will start playing defense like them,’ I didn’t mean to disrespect anyone,” she added.
The Volleyball Federation of Serbia also posted a conciliatory message on Facebook saying they “apologize sincerely” to the Thailand team, but asked people, “don’t blow this out of proportion! Sanja is aware of her mistake and she immediately apologized to the whole Thailand team.”
“She didn’t mean any disrespect. Of course, it was unfortunate. It all ended up as a simple misunderstanding, in a friendly atmosphere between the players of the two teams,” continued the team statement.
Attached to the written apology was a video shared by one of the Thai players, and an image of teammates from both sides standing together.As screenshots of the incident were widely shared on social media, thousands signed a petition calling for greater accountability.
“An apology is the bare minimum as a human being. But Djurdjevic and the National Volleyball Team represent their country in an official sport with official FIVB rules and those rules need to be upheld to maintain credibility and set the standard for the world,” the petition said.
A global reckoning
Djurdjevic’s actions come as the world reckons with a global spike in anti-Asian racism. From the UK to Australia, reports of anti-East and anti-Southeast Asian hate crimes have increased in Western countries as the pandemic took hold over the last year.
Athletes continue to speak out about violence towards Asian people, highlighting the role that social media plays in illuminating these incidents. Earlier this year, former NBA star Jeremy Lin encouraged spectators to “watch these videos to see this is actually happening.”
The FIVB confirmed that Djurdjevic’s sanction is “final,” adding that they are “committed to fostering understanding, solidarity and unity against all forms of discriminatory behavior.”
“The FIVB will continue to work tirelessly with all of its National Federations to ensure that these values are reflected across the whole community,” they added.
Linsanity meets ALL THE SMOKE. Former Knick, Jeremy Lin, joins the boys on episode 85 to discuss his NBA career, including his infamous 25-game stretch in New York. Plus, he opens up about the recent rise of Asian hate & details his own G-League experience with it. Lin also discusses winning the 2019 NBA title with the Raptors.
In the latest clip, Adam22 reacted to Michael Jai White calling out the lack of rejection the “Stop Asian Hate” movement received in comparison to “Black Lives Matter.” The No Jumper host said he understood where people were coming from when they said “All Lives Matter” before pointing out the ways people of color are praised based on their “victim class.” He expressed his belief that the rise in White nationalism is tied to the praise people of color receive in popular media. Adam also wondered if “sloganeering” racial injustice is the best long-term solution for all races to interact harmoniously. To hear the discussion, check out the above clip.
A fundraiser created for Shane Nguyen, a 55-year-old Indiana man who was found brutally murdered on Sunday, has raised more than $90,000 in less than 24 hours.
Nguyen’s body was found dismembered in the back of his own van in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on April 25, two days after he was reported missing by family and friends. According to a police affidavit, Nguyen died of blunt force to the head. His body was then dismembered and placed in plastic trash bags, as suspects involved in his murder attempted to hide the evidence and flee in his vehicle, the Associated Press reported.
Fort Wayne Police have since identified three suspects as 21-year-old Matthew Cramer, 20-year-old Jacob D. Carreon-Hamilton, and 20-year-old Cody Clements, who are each in custody.
On Tuesday, Nguyen’s cousin, Tran Hoang, created a GoFundMe page to support his wife and two children.
“Shane was a loving father, husband, and a beloved member of every community he touched. His work days were spent serving food to the public, working long hours out of a roaming food truck while waving and smiling to those he passed on the road. His spare time was dedicated to his family and to volunteering activities, where he was an active member of the local church, choir, and Bishop Dwenger band. He’ll always be remembered for being kind, welcoming, and available to help anyone in need,” Hoang wrote on the page.
“Shane was a small business owner and the primary source of income for his family. His family is devastated by this tragedy and are struggling to piece their lives together amidst the investigations and preparations for the funeral.”
By Wednesday afternoon, the page had raised $90,907 in just 20 hours.
Nguyen’s body was discovered on Sunday inside of a crashed vehicle, after police issued a missing persons report for him on Friday. Cramer told police that he encountered Nguyen when he asked him for a ride from Elkhart, Indiana, back to Fort Wayne, according to the police affidavit, the Associated Press reported.
Cramer said he had planned to kill Nguyen before they reached Fort Wayne, and told investigators that they went to a storage unit where he choked Nguyen until he fell unconscious. Cramer said he then slammed Nguyen’s head on the pavement, left his body in the storage unit, and drove to nearby stores to purchase items with Carreon-Hamilton and Clements.
Receipts showed that the men purchased tarps, a hacksaw, and a large knife. Cramer and Carreon-Hamilton then dropped off Clements before returning to Fort Wayne, where Cramer told police he used a knife to cut Nguyen’s body while Carreon-Hamilton held him down.
The two men then then loaded Nguyen’s body into the back of the van to dispose of it when they were discovered by police, the affidavit said.
Cramer has since been charged with murder, resisting law enforcement, and abuse of a corpse. Carreon-Hamilton is charged with assisting a criminal, resisting law enforcement, and abuse of a corpse, the Associated Press reported. No charges have yet been announced for Clements.
In the wake of the mass shootings in Atlanta that killed eight people – including six Asian women – basketball pro Jeremy Lin tweeted “to my Asian American family” about his heartbreak and deep concern. While the shooting suspect’s motive has not been made public, Lin is no stranger to the anti-Asian sentiment that has been on the rise since the pandemic began. Lin is best known for generating “Linsanity” when he led a winning turnaround with the New York Knicks in 2012. Just before the deadly attack in Atlanta, he spoke with Michel Martin about racism in sports as part of Exploring Hate – our ongoing series on antisemitism, racism, and extremism.
Producer, director & personality Eddie Huang sat down with Ebro in the Morning for an honest conversation about racism against the Asian community following the shooting at massage parlors in Atlanta. He also discussed some of the experiences he has had himself, and its effects in the community.
He also spoke about the passing of Pop Smoke, solidarity among different races in Los Angeles, his decision to leave the show ‘Fresh off the Boat,’ and more.
He directs the film, ‘Boogie’ which is in theaters now.
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