The Year of the Rat

By Ben Fong-Torres

Being an older Chinese American, I am no longer, as Roy Orbison sang, “Running Scared.” I am walking scared, constantly looking around and behind me.

Stop AAPI Hate, the advocacy group, knows of nearly 4,000 cases of violence against Asian Americans since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It’s time to stop the beatings and shootings, the blaming and finger-pointing.

For me, it’s also time to think back just over a year ago.