In this episode of the "Mindful Headlines" podcast, KING 5 anchor Jessica Janner Castro has a conversation with Rahul Gupta, education and tours director at the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience. The museum is located in the heart of Seattle’s Chinatown-International District.
There has been a rise in anti-Asian hate crimes in Washington state and across the country since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A recent report showed a 169% surge in hate crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) in the first quarter of 2021 compared to the same time last year. The report looked at 15 of the most populous cities in the U.S. and was compiled by the Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino.
“It makes people very cautious,” said Gupta. “You hear someone on the street even use the word[s], ‘Go back,’ and we're running out of the building, and we're not the only ones. People are coming out of the buildings to see, not just to gawk, but to stop it.”
Gupta talked about how the museum’s staff reacted to a mass shooting in Atlanta, Georgia at several massage spas. The shooting left eight people dead, six of whom were Asian women.
Gupta also shared how the museum creates educational content for schools in the Pacific Northwest and across the nation. He also discussed the museum’s mission to change the minds of its visitors: to make them more open, interested and willing to learn.
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"Mindful Headlines" is a news podcast about the Pacific Northwest that explores how our psychology intersects with current events.
The way we interact with our world is influenced by the way we perceive the world. In turn, our collective minds shape the issues that make headlines in our local communities and nationwide.