WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — Local leaders are calling on the Marathon County area to speak out against anti-Asian hate.
With Anti Asian and Pacific Islander sentiments and crimes on the rise across the nation, local leaders in Central Wisconsin are urging the area to stop Asian Hate. Yee Leng Xiong is a Weston Village Trustee and Marathon County Board Supervisor who put out a statement with Wausau Mayor Katie Rosenberg calling on the community to stand firmly against all forms of hatred.
Xiong spoke with WSAU News and said when leaders speak up against things like race-based hatred there is a drastic decline in the behavior. Xiong has three main ways that community members can support the Asian community in Central Wisconsin.
“The number one thing to do for individuals is to educate themselves. To be able to go out and talk to individuals that are Asian American and get to know them and feel comfortable. Get out of your comfort zone. The number two-portion is obviously if they see any type of anti-Asian hate happening, whether it’s jokes, whether it’s intentional or non-intentional, whether it’s aggressive or non-aggressive or passive-aggressive, for them to speak out against them.
“And if they feel uncomfortable doing so, reporting it to proper individuals to condemn it. Whether it’s local law enforcement or anybody else that could definitely call it out. But most importantly the next one is listening and listening to the concerns and the voices of Asian American individuals. So those individuals whose voices are not being heard. Those are the three suggestions I would definitely without a doubt encourage citizens to do,”.
Over the past year, Xiong says he’s heard all sorts of different stories about local Asian community members experiencing different forms of anti-Asian sentiment. One that sticks out most in his mind is of a well-respected and distinguished Hmong veteran who experienced two separate incidents. “He was out biking, doing something very innocent because he enjoys biking.
“He was out biking and then all of a sudden on his way back home an individual drove by him and shouted racial slurs at him. And then the next incident we experienced although we can’t tie it to any hate incident, somebody threw a rock through his car window. That to me is very alarming because this is bringing back emotions, bringing back memories, bringing back trauma that many of these Hmong elders experienced when they came to the United States when they came to Wausau decades ago.
“And we thought this would never happen again in modern-day Wausau and modern-day Marathon County. But unfortunately, this is what they’re experiencing now. It’s bringing back memories that to me is infuriating,”.
Even with the recent rise in anti-Asian instances, Xiong is hopeful and optimistic for Marathon County in the fight against Asian Hate. While some have turned the issue into a political circus, Xiong is deeply appreciative of those who have spoken out like local law enforcement and government leaders.
“We appreciate every individual that has condemned anti-Asian hate incidents. That’s what means a lot. There are no words in Hmong or English that I can specifically use to express my deep appreciation,”.
Comments