During COVID-19, the world was not only hurt by a detrimental pandemic but many social and economic issues began to increase. Small businesses took a hit and shocking hate crimes rose, specifically in terms of Asian-Americans. Acts of torture, assault, abuse, and much more have been consistently reported in which AAPI’s (Asian American Pacific Islanders) have had to endure solely for the reason of what race they identify as. The National Public Radio has studied and disclosed that more than 9,000 Anti-Asian hate crimes have occurred since the pandemic began. Due to this, many “Stop AAPI Hate” activist groups along with celebrities and influencers have taken charge through the involvement of social media campaigns and rallies. In particular, one that stood out to me earlier this year was Alexander Wang’s campaign project, “Chinatown Forever”, in which he used his fashion designer platform to spread awareness.
Widely known for his everyday model-off-duty streetwear, Alexander Wang wanted to incorporate his roots into a project where he brought to light the increase of hate crimes toward Asian-Americans and the small businesses in Chinatown that were economically affected during the epidemic, hence the title of his project “Chinatown Forever”. Within this project, Wang highlighted six Asian-American small businesses that suffered during COVID-19. He allowed them to share their experiences and stories of how much they cherish their work and the environment they grew up in. Each store owner described feeling at home working in Chinatown as they have been in business for years until COVID came around. As Wang used his platform to provide exposure to the “vibrant community”, he continued to help by donating 100% of his proceeds from his exclusive Chinatown Forever t-shirt by means of supporting local Chinatown businesses. To further support these businesses, Wang also contributed supplemental financial support throughout the entire community to show Asia-Americans a public figure who stands by them.
Here, I think it is important to notice how American Fashion Designers, like Alexander Wang, used his platform to recognize and spread awareness of social issues. By raising awareness, he was able to contribute to the discussion of the increase in hate crimes against Asian Americans along with the racial slurs the community has and continues to face. With the acknowledgment of issues of racism, conversations can be started and we can live in a world beyond the discrimination and injustices that reside.
I think it is really useful when artists use their platform to spread awareness about an issue. I had never heard about Alexander Wang's campaign, but I like the way he really tried to help on the ground, by donating to specific small businesses while still uplifting the entire message.
I thought this post was really interesting because I did not know about Alexander Wang’s campaign. The issues Asian Americans face are so important to learn about and understand and I think your post does a good job of highlighting the issues this group faces as well as discussing how fashion is playing a role in spreading awareness. Hopefully if more designers and celebrities continue to spread awareness these issues will become less prominent in our society.