On March 16th, 2021, a 21-year-old white man opened fire on three different spas in north Georgia, leaving 8 dead, 6 of whom were of Asian descent. Though the investigators are yet to deem it a hate crime, the Asian-American community pointed out that decades of racism and sexism towards Asian women have played a primary role in these shootings.

The shooter claimed to be a sex addict and to have committed these crimes to "eliminate temptation" which also points towards the objectification of Asian women. This event is also the latest in the violence against the Asian community that has been on the rise in the US in the past year. The incident triggered a larger movement that seeks to bring justice for the victims of these racially charged attacks as well as shedding awareness.

The violence inflicted on the Asian community has been aggravated by the anti-Asian rhetoric developed around the COVID-19 pandemic. This movement has also encouraged the Asian diaspora in other countries to speak up about the discrimination and racism they have been facing in the past year. The UN Secretary-General has issued a statement expressing profound concern over the rise in violence against Asian people during the course of the pandemic.

Photo credit: https://abcnews.go.com/US/atlanta-shooting-legacy-misogyny-racism-asian-women/story?id=76533776, Shannon Stapleton, Reuters