The anti-Asian racism and hate crimes have increased at alarming rates in recent months, some allege because of early reports of COVID-19 deriving from China. However, racism against Asian populations has been prevalent long before COVID-19 through harmful stereotypes and dismissal of experiences. We have with us today two women, Aryani Ong and Janelle Wong, who are bringing awareness to this issue  through academia and activism.

Aryani Ong is a civil rights attorney, activist and consultant who has worked on Asian American issues for 30 years.  She is founder and co-director of the Montgomery County Progressive Asian American Network (MoCoPAAN). Aryani also is co-founder and Senior Advisor to Communities United Against Hate (CUAH) in Montgomery County.  Working with national Asian American civil rights organizations like AAAJ-Asian American Justice Center and OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates, she has tracked hate crime data for national reports, written a community response guide, lobbied for stronger federal law and spoken before audiences nationally and before the UN Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

Janelle Wong is a co-director of the Montgomery County Progressive Asian American Network in Maryland.  In her day job, she is a professor of Asian American Studies at the Univerisity of Maryland, College Park.

For more information on the Montgomery County Progressive Asian American Network in Maryland visit https://www.facebook.com/MoCoPAAN/ or https://twitter.com/MoCoPAAN1.