Stopping Asian hate and discrimination — coalition offers webinar

By Katherine Turner-Pearson

With racism on the rise across America, I often hear people in our community say, “But that doesn’t happen here.” So, it dawns on me that we do not realize the amount of racism and actions of hate that occur within our own city. 

I have spent years on the board of the Community Race Relations Coalition (CRRC) combating racism and trying to bring understanding between ethnic and cultural groups in our community, and this is one of the biggest obstacles we face — people not believing that racism occurs so close to home. 

So often we are not even aware of our own cultural biases, much less aware of the biases and racism of others, or the daily experiences of those around us. But helping people recognize that yes, hate and racism does exist within our neighborhood, and yes, these things do happen in our town, is the first step in addressing racism and hate, and stopping it from spreading. 

That is why I encourage everyone in our community to attend an upcoming webinar event presented by the CRRC in connection to recent Asian hate crimes and harassment in the Waco area, and consider joining the CRRC.

The McLennan County Community Race Relations Coalition is presenting a Zoom webinar, “A History of Discrimination and Hate in Asian Americans,” in connection to Asian American Pacific Heritage Month, Thursday, May 27, at 6:30 p.m. 

The format will be a panel discussion concerning Asian racism in the Waco area. The panelists include: Jaja Chen, Licensed Clinical Social Worker and co-owner of Waco Cha; Jonathan Tran, Ph.D., associate professor of philosophical theology and George W. Baines Chair of Religion at Baylor University; Prof. Sharyl Loeung, coordinator Baylor University Office of Multicultural Affairs; and Kathy Cheng, lawyer at Cheng & Associates and former candidate for the Texas Supreme Court. 

The audience will be able to ask questions. To sign up for this live event go to tinyurl.com/5uxjmunr and to ask questions call (254) 717-7903.

Katherine Turner-Pearson is a Registered Professional Archaeologist and owner of Central Texas Archaeological Resources. She is a native Wacoan and serves on the Board of Directors of the Community Race Relations Coalition and the Waco Vietnam Memorial. Previously, she served as president of the Central Texas Archaeological Society, vice-president of the Waco Cultural Arts Festival, board member of both the Waco American Heart Association and the Texas Archaeological Society, and member of the McLennan County History Coalition.

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