[Global Issues+] 'Dongyangin' Caught Between White and Black Participants in US Racial Discrimination Protests

Asian Police Officer Present at George Floyd Incident Indicted
Hated by Black Community for Standing By Despite Being a Person of Color
East Asians Caught Between Whites and Blacks... Suffering Double Discrimination

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Anger among Black people is spreading to Asians as it has been revealed that an Asian American police officer was present at the scene of the death of Black man George Floyd during excessive police force in the United States. Despite being people of color themselves, Asians are being harshly criticized as accomplices who always turn a blind eye to racial discrimination issues and reinforce white dominance. There are concerns that Asians, caught between white and Black racial conflicts, will face even more severe double discrimination.

According to foreign media such as NBC, on the 4th (local time), Asian American officer Tou Tao, who was present at the George Floyd incident scene, was charged with second-degree murder conspiracy and aiding and abetting along with other colleagues who were at the scene. He was criticized for blocking civilians from approaching the scene and for not restraining white officer Derek Chauvin, who was choking George Floyd. Black people are fiercely condemning Officer Tao’s aiding behavior as a common trait among Asian Americans. Despite being people of color, they are accused of always siding with whites, remaining passive during protests, and acting as accomplices who follow the white dominance system.

As a result, concerns are growing that discrimination against Asians, which has already worsened due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will intensify further. During these protests, violent incidents against Asian Americans, including in Koreatowns across the United States, continue to occur. Asians are facing double discrimination from both white and Black communities. On the surface, it appears to be an issue caused by Black people’s lack of education about racial discrimination, leading them to inherit and repeat the past racial prejudices of whites, but there are much more complex social problems hidden beneath.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, racial issues in the United States have become matters directly related to life and death. The New York Times (NYT) reported that when considering economic and social disparities by race, whites have about five times higher survival rates than Blacks when infected with COVID-19. Asians are calculated to have about twice the survival rate of Blacks. Although Asians are far fewer in number than Blacks and have a shorter immigration history, many Asians have begun to enter the leadership strata of American society.

This fact fuels Black people’s anger. Asian immigration to the United States began in the late 19th to early 20th century, much later than Blacks who were forcibly brought to America as early as the 17th century. The first generation of Asian immigrants, like Blacks, worked menial jobs or labored on farms, with economic power and social status not much different from Blacks, but now significant differences have emerged. Asians, with high educational enthusiasm and quick conformity to the system, adapted to white society much faster than Blacks.

Ultimately, conflicts between Blacks and Asians are deepening alongside Black-white racial conflicts. This is not only a problem in the United States but a common issue in regions with many Black and Asian immigrants, including Europe. Conversely, just as the issue of Black assaults in Guangzhou, China, shows, Blacks who have entered Asia face thorough social discrimination, further intensifying conflicts between the two groups.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.