OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) - Across the country, there are calls to stop Asian hate. The Stop AAPI Hate Reporting Center reveals there were nearly 3,800 anti-Asian hate incidents during the pandemic.
"I know that there has been some discrimination and hate towards our community. Even with my mom telling me the things she has experienced as a child, it's always been there," said Okina Tran, an Asian-American woman in Omaha.
Eliana Crabb is a student at Iowa State University who also admits she's faced obstacles as a woman of color.
"There's bullying that comes out throughout your K-12 years, which is very normal for people of color, especially in a predominantly white area," Crabb said.
Crabb and Tran are both from the Midwest, openly embrace their backgrounds, and what they can bring to the table.
"I love my skin tone. I love the way I look and I love the way I am able to make influences and talk about certain things other people can't really talk [about] as someone who is able to bring another voice to the table," Crabb said.
Tran is also grateful for her family's sacrifices.
"I'm eternally grateful for my grandparents and how they took nine of their kids from Laos to San Francisco, so I'm just so grateful for them," Tran said.
Crabb and Tran both hope the public can make a conscious effort to better lift the AAPI community's voices.
"It's an incredible history and there's still more I need to learn," Crabb said. "Educating yourself is really exciting and really important. That's why we dedicate months to things. Taking your time to educate and learn this community because there's a lot of beauty in it."
Below are links to AAPI resources:
