Nearly a week after eight people were killed at spas in the Atlanta area, hundreds gathered to remember the victims and call for an end to hate towards Asians in a year that has seen an uptick in attacks against members of the community.
Six of the eight victims in Atlanta were Asian women. And while police are still working to determine the motive and whether hate crime charges will apply, the message from attendees at rallies this weekend said this act is one of hate and the community will need to come together in order to heal from this tragedy.
In Atlanta multiple Korean church congregations held a Korean language service outside the Gold Spa in honor of the victims, with some attendees holding signs reading, “Stop Asian hate.”
Pastor Byeong Cheol Han of the Korean Central Presbyterian Church called the killings an “awakening moment” for many Asian Americans. He stressed that this a time to become more involved in social justice on behalf of all communities of color in the United States.
“It’s an awakening moment for Asian Americans to stand strong. Stand up and raise our voice. And participate in social justice movement,” Han said. “Many Asian Americans tend to avoid those kind of things, it’s not our business, we’re just focusing on our survival, but this is an awakening for us.”
Source: Hundreds gathered across the US to support Asian communities after Atlanta-area spa killings
