ANTI-CHINA RHETORIC
DON’T TAKE
THE BAIT
We are on the heels of three years of racist, anti-China rhetoric and violence against AAPI people throughout this pandemic.
And now, as the 2022 election cycle heats up, we are now increasingly hearing politicians, on both sides of the aisle, double down on anti-China rhetoric by scapegoating “China” as the cause of suppressed wages and the proliferation of low wage work.
We stand with AAPI communities and organizations in Wisconsin and nationwide, who have raised the alarm about these dangerous and misleading dog whistles.
Before we break it down, we want to uplift the voices of these organizations, and specifically, this article in NBC News, “Asian Americans call out Rep. Tim Ryan for airing an ad that's ‘rife with Sinophobia,” which we’ll be quoting throughout this newsletter.
Here’s why we should never take the bait on broad, anti-China rhetoric:
It fuels racialized rhetoric and puts AAPI communities in danger. We learned from COVID that anti-China rhetoric increases violence against Asians and Asian Americans. A national report and study done by the non-profit Stop AAPI Hate found that “of all hate incidents, 48.1% included at least one hateful statement regarding anti-China and/or anti-immigrant rhetoric.”
It shifts the blame away from where it belongs.
In the words of Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) these ads “essentially shifting blame away from American corporations’ anti-worker policies and putting a target on the backs of #AAPIs.” She called on us all to stop AAPI hate in both actions and words.
Meanwhile, Brad Jenkins, the president of the AAPI Victory Fund explains, this “rhetoric — which shifts blame to China, scapegoats Asians and creates a foreign “boogeyman” instead of proposing solutions — is similar to that of former President Donald Trump.”
Finally, as Anat Shenker-Osorio reminded us: “There are working people in every corner of the globe. Dividing us by race and place is how the 1% shield their culpability from view. The issue is billionaires, not everyday people–anywhere.”
We know that certain wealthy corporations and the politicians who carry their water are advancing anti-worker policies, and anti-union legislation, all while refusing to pay our country, our state and our communities what they owe. They’d rather put billions of profit in their own pockets than in the hands of the working people whose labor creates their wealth. We need to keep the focus where it belongs so that we can win the world we’re fighting for.
It backfires. “Tough on China” is a right-wing frame. Using it only moves persuadable voters to the right, no matter who or where it comes from. Repeating and reinforcing an opponent’s frame is never helpful.
As Anat Shenker-Osorio recently shared on Twitter: “Peddling anti-Asian hate is wrong and backfires. In 2020 we tested ads that blamed Trump for coddling China. Made conflicted voters blame China for COVID & move toward him. When you sell opponents' problem diagnosis - you make voters want their cure, not yours.”
ACT
(These have been either excerpted or inspired the Act Now page of Stop AAPI hate found here.)
Start where you can to make a difference within the spheres that you influence. Have authentic conversations about dog whistles with your friends, family, and inner network. Work with your workplace, school, and faith-based organization to issue a statement denouncing anti-AAPI racism and encourage everyone to work toward racial justice.
Support Hmong and other AAPI organizations In Wisconsin. Check out HAWA’s new website, sign up for their free newsletter and donate what you can.
Organize your community to speak out and publicly condemn AAPI hate– including and especially in our elections.
HONE YOUR MESSAGE
LEAD WITH VALUES, not problems. Focus on what we want, not just what we don’t want, using language that paints a picture of our desired outcomes– good wages, fully funded schools, great jobs, ability to go to the doctor. By keeping the conversation on our frame, we can make sure dog whistles about China don't derail us from holding politicians and corporations accountable to pay what they owe us.
SPEAK CLEARLY AND VIVIDLY about bad actors and their motivations, for example: Wealthy corporations refuse to pay people the true value of their work; a handful of politicians have rigged the rules to redirect resources from our communities to their corporate backers.
MAKE CLEAR CALLS TO ACTION. Join people from across Wisconsin by being an early voter, call this legislator, electing leaders who fight for all in Wisconsin, etc.
EXAMPLES
No matter our background, faith or color, most of us work hard for our families. But as our work has made Wisconsin prosper, a handful of politicians and their wealthy corporate backers have rigged the rules to redirect resources from our communities to their penthouses, from our classrooms to CEOs, and from our public parks to their private jets.
Now, these same politicians stir fears based on what we look like or where we come from, hoping we will blame China and Asian Americans for the hardships these wealthy few create. They’re hoping we’ll look the other way and we don't join together to demand that they deliver the quality schools, affordable healthcare and good-paying jobs our families deserve. It’s time to reject this division and demand our leaders make corporations pay what they owe our country through taxes and pay people a fair return on our work.
Just as we won safe workplaces and civil rights in our past, we are coming together to elect leaders who will rewrite the rules to deliver for all in Wisconsin, no exceptions.
Here’s how it could look in color and practice! Check out this #FundOurFuture video from our friends at We Make the Future.
Here are some helpful swaps to be more effective and less harmful when talking about the struggles of our workers and communities:
WHY WE LAUNCHED THIS SERIES
This year is a pivotal crossroads for our state and our nation. In 2020, we came out in record numbers. We marched, we voted, we volunteered and we elected new leaders to govern in our interests.
But now, our time is running out to ensure that every person in Wisconsin knows how much they made a difference. If we cut through the noise, we can ensure they know that they changed the direction of our state, improved our lives, and will do it again.
Here’s the challenge: our collective knee-jerk reaction to disinformation and incorrect statements is to provide “enough” facts to win the day, argument and voter. But contrary to our instincts, this doesn’t work and can even make our opponent’s narrative stronger!
When we try to bust a falsehood, what ends up happening is:
We deepen the audience’s belief in the lie
We repeat and reinforce our opponent’s frame
We expose the lie to folks that might not have heard it before
At the same time, we know we can’t stay silent. This monthly newsletter will help inform how to dispel lies and call out dog whistles without repeating them.
