My grandmother turns 102 years old today. Unfortunately, she suffers through dementia and is barely present in the mind. I am at least thankful she isn’t out getting punched in the face by white supremacists running rampant on the streets.

A 75 year old Asian woman was attacked yesterday in San Francisco. She was able to fight back and send her attacker to the hospital, but she is traumatized.

This comes days after an Atlanta spa shooting where a misogynist 21 year old ‘God and gun-loving’ pastor’s son suffering from ‘sex addiction’ lashed out and killed Asian women as he denied having racial motivations. This denial, also backed by the media and authorities, is deeply troubling and representative of how most hate crimes against the Asian community don’t stick. Adding salt to the wound, the sherif spokesman, Cpt, Jay Baker, dismissed the boy’s actions by saying the shooter had a “bad day”.

Of course it comes at no surprise that racist anti-Asian hashtags spiked after Trump first tweeted ‘Chinese virus’ and ‘Kung Flu’. It is my hope that Americans will learn and work through this. Unfortunately, there’s much work to be done since a recent congressional resolution condemning violence against Asian Americans was opposed by 164 Republican members! If that isn’t a vagrant display of white supremacy then I don’t know what is.

Yet, I choose to live in Hope. Let those that have suffered and died by this senseless hate be redeemed. Adding a twist on Friedrich Nietzsche, that which does kill us will make us stronger!

Maybe it is best my grandmother isn’t aware of the deep societal issues that plague the world today. She is safe at home surrounded by people who love her.

Happy Birthday, Inay, and Mahal kita!

#StopAsianHate