Lana Condor says many people are “in denial” about Anti-Asian hate | Sunday Observer

Lana Condor says many people are “in denial” about Anti-Asian hate

29 August, 2021

In an interview with ’Shape’, the ’To All the Boys’ star expressed that she thinks many folks are “in denial” about the amount of violence and hate directed at Asian people. “Even some of my close friends weren’t aware of what was going on,” Lana shared. “I needed to let people know what was happening. Speaking up is important. It’s easy to be a bystander, but you could save a life if you stand up for someone.”

She also talked about how she’s stood in solidarity with others within the Asian community throughout this past year, which saw a devastating uptick in anti-Asian violence and hate crimes. “When I speak with other people [in the Asian community], we grieve together, then we pick each other up and tell each other to keep going because that’s the only thing to do,” Lana told ’Shape’. “You keep going or you stop. To me, stopping is not an option.”

According to a report from Stop AAPI Hate, there were 3,795 recorded incidents of anti-Asian hate between March 19, 2020 and February 28, 2021 — but the actual number is likely much higher. The organization noted that 68.1% of the tracked incidents were verbal harassment, and that women reported incidents of violence and hate 2.3 more times than men.

Lana has spoken out against anti-Asian hate before, along with many other celebrities. In a tweet in March of this year, she urged her fans and followers to “wake up,” adding, “Your Asian friends and family are deeply scared, horrified, sick to their stomachs and wildly angry. Please please please check in on us, please please please stand with us.”

In her interview with Shape, Lana also touched on the importance of representation to her when it comes to future projects, noting that To All the Boys felt like a blessing because it helped Asian people feel seen. “I’m very calculated about the projects I take on now,” she said.

“I want to continue to show people who look like me that they can do whatever they want to, regardless of what someone might have told them.”

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