A fist colored red in front of a blue screen.

A February 25th Sand Francisco Chronicle article opens with:

“There’s been a surge of attacks against Asian Americans.

Asians in the Bay Area say the hostility isn’t new.”(Janelle Bitker, paragraph 1)

There is a long history of attacks on Asian people in America. As the COVID-19 pandemic arose, violence against Asian Americans in the US increased. This is something all people in America have to reckon with. This prompt will cover writing activities you can do to cope with the fear.

Write a poem that captures the morning you heard of an attack. Poetry can help structure complex thoughts about racism in America. You could write a free verse poem or a haiku, whatever works for the ideas you are trying to grasp.

Write a letter. Take some time to think about what you would want to say to someone affected by these attacks. Write this letter but don’t send it. Use this as an opportunity to offer support and ask questions.

We would love to hear from you; please submit your writing below.

This prompt was written by Marcus Weber , a Words Alive volunteer.