MP Nelly Shin Condemns the Atlanta Spa Shootings

"In the past year, we have seen a sharp spike in racially motivated incidents targeting visible minorities. Research shows there has been a significant increase in anti-Asian hate crimes since the onset of the pandemic, with major Canadian cities reporting six to seven times more incidents than the previous year. On March 16, the Atlanta spa shootings took the lives of eight people, six of whom were Asian women. The attack is currently being investigated for its potential racial motivations—contrary to the initial statement by police. The impetus to ignore the racial component of the incident is the kind of attitude that perpetuates and justifies bigoted acts of violence.
"I stand in solidarity with the racialized communities who have been doubly damaged: first, for the physical, mental, and financial burdens of the pandemic; and second, for the physical and emotional threat of racially motivated harassment and violence.
“Racism is an attack on an individual’s dignity and threatens one’s ability to navigate life with a healthy sense of freedom to prosper as a human being. Racism is a dangerous corrupting seed that has the potential to manifest into oppression if it isn’t held to account.
“As an Asian woman, I sympathize with communities enduring the double-damage of the pandemic. Racism is a problem I have experienced from the onset of my childhood all the way into adulthood. As a child, I saw my parents being treated less than by strangers in public; as a teacher, I witnessed colleagues engaging in disparaging commentary on racialized students in the teacher’s lounge; as an independent artist, I saw music industry executives judging me with their eyes instead of their ears. These types of incidents can damage one’s psyche—it takes years to undo the emotional trauma and the feeling of being an outsider.
“Those who experience racism shouldn’t have to question their value as a human being. We must do better to address these increasingly common incidents. We must take an approach that addresses these issues on all fronts—public awareness, punishment of perpetrators, accountability to those in authority who have the power to administer justice, and encouraging victims to speak up.
“I am committed to continue learning about the struggles of racialized communities experiencing discrimination and lending my support to the individuals and communities, so they are empowered to find their justice.”