Community Setbacks and Response: Unity in the Midst of Hardship

This depicts 2020 in a nutshell: Several people, including children and pets, come together in unison to protest the many problems.

The impact of the pandemic has changed several facets of the community, from individual lives to the operation of local businesses. Because the COVID-19 outbreak emerged in Wuhan, China, Asian-American students suffered first-hand discrimination, or observed racism in their neighborhoods, resulting in mixed emotions and responses. At the start of the summer of 2020, extreme acts of racism and discrimination became more prevalent, along with the issues of police brutality, and net funding of police. Notable deaths (i.e. Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd) went viral, igniting local, national, and even international uproar across several communities. Despite statewide quarantine, Cal State LA student organizations like the Black Student Union (BSU) continued to find ways to protest important issues. Even though some students chose not to be directly involved in such activity on behalf of the risk of being infected or attacked, all bore witness to these events (usually via social media). In addition, students and their households employed in retail, service, and other local industries, experienced drastic changes, complex workloads, and loss of employment due to COVID-19 regulations. These examples reflect how the pandemic has affected various businesses, how they have adapted, and how people try to support them. Somehow, each in their own way, people have found ways to unite (even if physically distant) in an attempt to raise awareness and address such problems.

COVID-19 Serves as a Catalyst to Confront Racial and Social Inequality

"Being Asian at this time is terrifying because there has been multiple news that Asians are being attacked because we are to blame for this. Just because we are Asian, we are automatically associated with the virus. It also doesn’t help that our President publicly said that COVID-19 was the Chinese virus. I have a lot of anxiety leaving my house. I get scared that someone will make a comment or try to attack me."

- Name withheld for privacy considerations, Pandemic Diaries Project, 2020

This student speaks on the fears of being Asian in the city of Alhambra, California, during the pandemic, due to national and local racist slurs against the Asian community.

Crisdel Aguila, Pandemic Diaries Project, 2020

Another student discusses topics such as racism and
xenophobia, support from people of color, and the
pandemic’s effects on Pacific Islander communities.

Richard Hu, Pandemic Diaries Project, 2020

This student discusses seeing students at Cal State LA
resort to racist slurs targeting the Asian community,
and reacts to a news report about physical abuse
and deaths of Asians during the pandemic.

**Former Pan-African Studies Chair Threatened at Gunpoint, University Times, March 9, 2020**

A cofounder of Black Lives Matter LA, Professor Melina Abdullah was met with gunpoint while protesting against police brutality at the L.A. District Attorney’s residence.

David Baltazar, Pandemic Diaries Project, 2020

This student discusses details about the George Floyd
protests, specifically regarding peaceful protesters,
rioters, and police brutality.

Gallery of 2020 Local Protests:

This picture is one of many BLM protest art pieces on the planked walls of a local business.

In reference to the final outcome of the police that murdered George Floyd, some protestors stand atop a canopy of a bus stop, demanding prosecution and justice.

A phone screenshot of an app displaying the news in the wake of the George Floyd protests.

A phone screenshot of a Public Safety Alert warning LA residents of an enforced curfew due to the Floyd protests.

After the Floyd protests overcame the LAPD, the National Guard was called in by the mayor to end the citywide violence. This picture shows some of them in Koreatown.

A crowd confronts police in Hollywood, as part of the George Floyd protests.

This is a picture of a Black woman in a BLM Protest holding a controversial sign which reads, “If you think it’s hard to breathe in your masks, imagine being Black in AmeriKKKa”.

During the 2020 BLM Protests, one person holds a sign saying “Racism is still a global pandemic”.

One of numerous occasions, on this gloomy day protestors march supporting the BLM movement.

Three Black women show their support, having signs with popular slogans used during the 2020 BLM Protests.

At one of the 2020 BLM Protests are several people with different signs.

This depicts 2020 in a nutshell: Numerous people, including children and pets, came together in unison to protest many American problems.

**ASI and BSU Bring Peaceful Protest to Cal State LA, Univeristy Times, June 7, 2020**

Collaborative effort to bring peaceful George Floyd protest to campus.

**Scholar Strike Speakers Highlight Racism in Society and Campus Disparities, University Times, September 10, 2020**

Despite a significant rise in Black students on campus, speakers join a statewide Scholar Strike that emphasized the demand of funds to be redistributed from investing in campus police to student fees and/or ethnic studies programs.

Afflicted Local Businesses

One example of many, this restaurant, either as a result of financial loss due to the pandemic or out of safety due to the Floyd protests, is forced to remain locked, specifically in padlock and chains.

In Koreatown, this jewelry store takes active measure to protect their assets, including diamonds, rings, and other products. As seen, they blockaded the entrance of their business with wooden planks.

“I'm a poor small business owner, and you know that that was my American dream was to open up a martial art studio... And I opened up seven almost eight years ago... I went from teaching 15 to 20 kids in a class… 10 to 12 adults... and having two after school programs... between 60 and 70 people... And then all of a sudden... seven, eight kids on Zoom and teaching maybe six seven people... I have to realize that maybe, maybe my business is gonna die because of COVID-19... I've tried to apply for so many things business grants, and you have no idea how many denials I got. So, I've tried, I really have. I've tried to be [a] good person with it all.”

- Michelle Fanara, Pandemic Diaries Project, 2020

This student had multiple jobs, including working at the LACC and even as a TA at Cal State LA. They contemplate the potential loss of their martial arts studio as they teach significantly fewer people virtually.

Crisdel Aguila, Pandemic Diaries Project, 2020

One student discusses the problem and risks of choosing
safety over reopening a business during the pandemic.

Abigail Calderon Garcia, Pandemic Diaries Project, 2020

This student discusses the issues undocumented business
owners have during the pandemic, as well as the impact
of stimulus checks (a total of $1,200, for the first check).

Cherlene Loyola, Pandemic Diaries Project, 2020

A student discusses how a local boba shop
created incentives involving face masks
donations towards healthcare workers.

Norma R., Pandemic Diaries Project, 2020

Another student discusses frustration with the lack of safety
in their retail work environment, including interactions with
customers that are reluctant to comply with face mask
regulations, usually referred to as “anti-maskers”.