KUNR Youth Media

Youth Commentary: Reflecting On A Year Of Increased Violence Toward Asian Americans

KUNR Public Radio | By Nick Stewart

Published June 4, 2021 at 6:40 AM PDT

A photo outdoors of three protesters holding signs. Two signs that are legible say, “Racism is a virus,” and “When I have a bad day, I go to bed early.” The composition is framed by two out-of-focus figures on each side of the image. — Community members gather for a “Stop Asian Hate” protest at Reno City Plaza in Reno, Nev., on March 27, 2021.";s:

The pandemic exacerbated violence and discrimination against people of Asian descent. The group Stop AAPI Hate reported there were more than 6,600 hate incidents across the U.S. from mid-March of 2020 through the end of March this year. That number is likely higher due to underreporting, and this alarming trend has taken a toll on high school students.

In this commentary, KUNR Youth Media reporter Nick Stewart shares his concerns as a white ally to the Asian community and the concrete steps he takes to be supportive.

I’m constantly hearing about violent attacks on Asian Americans.

The one that really stuck with me occurred in March and involved an elderly woman in San Francisco. Asian hate crimes have skyrocketed within the past year. I don’t understand how someone could be filled with so much hate towards an innocent group of people.

I hear about how racism is fueled by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and that infuriates me. What control do Asian Americans have on that? I can only imagine how terrified Asian Americans are feeling right now because it seems like every day I’m hearing about another attack on them.

It makes me feel terrible because I myself will never fully understand their pain or experience something like that because I’m white. One of my best friends is also Asian American, and so she must be living in fear constantly.

America is supposed to be a country where everyone is treated equally, but that just isn’t the case. While we have come a long way with equality here in the United States, there’s still much work that needs to be done.

I actively donate to organizations and support Asian businesses, hoping that I can assist in making change. We should all be supporting the Asian American community through those organizations and businesses. I just hope that change will come soon.

Nick Stewart is a junior at the Academy of Arts, Careers and Technology in Reno. KUNR’s Youth Media program partners with the Washoe County School District to train the next generation of journalists.

Learn more about the KUNR Youth Media program

Each fall and spring semester, our dedicated program coordinator partners with the WCSD educator to mentor a select group of high school interns. The internship classes are typically from 2:15 to 4:15 p.m. at the high school, providing a structured environment where students receive comprehensive instruction.

The students are taught radio journalism, broadcast journalism, and media production, gaining real-world professional experience that helps them develop career skills. Students work with media professionals to produce creative audio stories and elevate voices from our region.

As part of the program, students are offered the opportunity to tour KUNR’s facilities and the Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada, Reno, where they will have the chance to record their broadcasts under the guidance of the WCSD educator and the program coordinator.

This semester-long project is designed to facilitate the airing of the students' stories on KUNR and the publication of their work on KUNR.org. Through this experiential learning approach, students gain valuable insights into public media and develop practical skills using industry-standard equipment.

The KUNR Youth Media Coordinator plays a crucial role in ensuring that students receive scholarly guidance on the standards and practices associated with audio journalism production.

Our program is committed to fostering a safe and constructive learning environment for all participants. KUNR is dedicated to nurturing the creative ideas of students in the program and, prior to publication, KUNR’s Managing Editor reviews all submitted work to ensure that it aligns with KUNR’s established media standards and expectations.

This program was formerly known as Reno Youth Radio.