Reconsidering Narratives: An Abolitionist Response to Anti-Asian Violence

As abolitionists, what does it mean to #StopAsianHate and enact “justice” in response to the ongoing spate of attacks against our elders and peers? How do we materially address the root causes of anti-Asian violence—without re-entrenching the carceral entities that harass, evict, brutalize, and traumatize our communities?

NYC-DSA Racial Justice Working Group
Momentum

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A collaborative effort, by Asian comrades from NYC-DSA’s Racial Justice Working Group (RJWG)

Masked protesters carry an image of Vichar Ratanapakdee, a Thai immigrant killed in an unprovoked attack by a 19-year-old man in San Francisco on January 28, 2021
Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash

*Content warning: Descriptions of violence*

On January 15th, Simon Martial, a homeless man with schizophrenia, shoved 40-year-old Michelle Alyssa Go onto the path of an oncoming subway train and to her death. In a public statement, Michelle’s family mourned their loss of a woman described by loved ones as “smart, funny, big hearted and a real role model.”

“Her life was taken too soon in a senseless act of violence,” Michelle’s family stated. “We pray that she gets the justice she deserves.”

As Asian members of a socialist organization with a political commitment to abolition, we have often discussed…

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