UCF students help local Asian community heal after rise in violent attacks in US

ORLANDO, Fla. — Additional attacks against Asian Americans in the wake of the Atlanta shootings have the community on edge.

Some University of Central Florida students are working on ways to help Asians in Central Florida work through the collective grief.

They are also focusing on what has to happen next to move forward.

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After days of rallies and memorial services across the nation, UCF’s Asian student community is trying to help those grieving after the violence.

Members said it’s difficult knowing it took eight people being murdered, six of them Asian, to highlight an issue some Asian communities have long been worried about.

From March 19 of last year to February 28 this year, Stop AAPI Hate reported there have been almost 3,800 anti-Asian hate incidents reported nationwide, a 50% increase from the year before.

Read: Rallies in Atlanta, nation against hate after spa shootings

“There is such little education about what Asian Americans already have to go through,” said UCF student Adrian Lee. “The younger generations have really taken it upon themselves to be angry, to be mad, to demand more, to really vocalize that.”

Lee said a memorial service on Tuesday night, along with roundtable discussions and educational events in the future, should just be the start of making the challenges Asian Americans face more visible.

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Several organizations are holding in-person and virtual events this week.

They’re aimed at memorializing the victims and educating supporters of the Asian community.

Ascend Pan-Asian Leadership Forum:

When: Monday, March 22, from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Where: Virtual.

What: Join us for the #AscendTogether Forum: A safe space for our network and allies to work together in the workplace and communities to stop the surge of hate crimes.

More Details: https://www.ascendleadership.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1502289.

Asian Pacific American Coalition @ UCF:

When: Tuesday, March 23, at 6:30 p.m.

Where: UCF Reflecting Pond.

What: Moving mountains: A vigil for victims of anti-Asian hate crimes.

Guests may park at Parking Lot B for free after 5:45 p.m. | Day passes may be purchased through the parking machines for $1/hour or all day for $5.

Check-in begins at 5:30 p.m.

Watch Online: https://www.facebook.com/apacucf.