Lakshmi also, like so many others, has urged people following the story on social media to share the names of the Atlanta shooting victims.

“Say their names: Delaina Ashley Yaun, Paul Andre Michels, Xiaojie Tan, Daoyou Feng, Julie Park, Hyeon Jeong Park,” she said, noting that the identities of the other two victims have not yet been released.

How you can support the AAPI community

1) Donate

Many organisations are working to fight against AAPI violence and provide resources to the community’s most vulnerable members, including:

2) Educate yourself

Start by reading books like Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hong, Minority Invisibility: An Asian American Experience by Wei Sun, The Making Of Asian America: A History by Erika Lee, and Between The World And Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates.

There are also a number of anti-Asian violence resources available online to help educate and assist those who wish to become better allies.

3) Stay informed

Read the news, interrogate the headlines, and please don’t ignore what’s happening. It’s also worth following accounts like Hate Is A Virus, AAPI Women Lead, Rise Now founder Amanda Nguyễn, and They Can’t Burn Us All on Instagram, too.

4) Read up on how to safely intervene if you witness racist abuse

There are guides that suggest helpful behaviours in these situations, focusing on diverting attention from the situation (sitting next to someone and talking to them about a random, unrelated topic, rather than “standing up for them” or confronting the aggressor).

5) Report hate crimes

If you or anyone you know has witnessed or experienced a hate crime, please report it to the police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

In an emergency, always dial 999

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