Asians Hold Vigil in Berlin to Remember Victims of Atlanta Shootings

 (Korea Bizwire) — Second-generation Asian immigrants in Germany held a vigil in front of the Statue of Peace in Berlin on Tuesday (local time) to remember the victims of the recent deadly shootings in Atlanta and urge the public to put a stop to hate crimes against Asians.

Hosted by local civic group Korea Verband and five other organizations run by second-generation Asians, the rally was attended by more than 300 people.

Participants each carried a candlelight, paying a minute’s silent tribute to the Atlanta victims, before the rally took place.

“We gather here today as Asian minorities in Germany, remembering the eight victims of the racial shootings that happened in Atlanta on March 16, and to stand up against racism,” said Thu Nguyen, a Vietnamese activist for Korea Verband and co-host of the vigil.

“Six of the victims were Asian women. We believe that this tragedy is a product of white supremacy, hatred towards women, and capitalism,” Nguyen said.

“This isn’t a one-time act of crime. This is the result of extreme sexual objectification of Asian women that has persisted throughout centuries, especially in wartime.”

“We gather here today in front of the Statue of Peace to tell the world about the unjust acts that women in both the past and present had to suffer,” Nguyen added.

The vigil was accompanied by songs and rap performances by second-generation Asians. People lined up to lay flowers for the victims of the Atlanta shootings.

“What happened in Atlanta is a shocking tragedy and should never be repeated,” said Khai Bui, a second-generation Vietnamese who took to the podium during an open mic session.

“My friends were too scared to go outside. They had enough of violence and pain.”

“We should now break our silence,” Bui said. “We’re not ‘silent Asians’ anymore. Let us rise up and fight racism.”

Source:http://koreabizwire.com/asians-hold-vigil-in-berlin-to-remember-victims-of-atlanta-shootings/185739

Comprehension

Who hosted a vigil front of the Statue of Peace in Berlin?
Why did they do this?
How many people attended this rally?
How many are the victims of this Atlanta shootings?
What said to be the reason behind this tragedy?
What do they do during the vigil?
According to Khai Bui, what Asians should do regarding this incident?

Discussion

What do you think about this article?
Name three feelings that come up when you hear the word "hate crime"?
Have you heard about this Atlanta shooting? What do you feel about it?
Do you this incident is due to discriminations against Asians?
Have you been discriminated against because of your race?
Do you think that racism will ever go away?
You see someone yelling racial slurs and acting aggressive towards someone. What would you do?
What do you think about " white supremacy"?
How can we stand up against racism?

Vocabulary

hate crime - is a prejudice-motivated crime which occurs when a perpetrator targets a victim because of their membership (or perceived membership) of a certain social group or race.
white supremacy - belief that white people constitute a superior race and should therefore dominate society
objectification - the action of degrading someone to the status of a mere object.
stand up against - To actively defy, confront, or oppose someone or something