#StopAsianHate in Australia: possibilities and paradoxes for local and global antiracism

#StopAsianHate in Australia: possibilities and paradoxes for local and global antiracism

The #StopAsianHate movement arose as a critical community-led response to the (re)surge(nce) of transnational anti-Asian racism during the COVID-19 pandemic. While there is growing North American scholarship on this antiracist movement through the lens of online activism, little is known about its in-person mobilization, and even less is known beyond the North American context. This paper thus focuses on #StopAsianHate's Australian iteration through methodologically foregrounding activist research principles with a particular focus on participatory meetings. It explores historical and ongoing manifestations of anti-Asian racism in Australia, rooted in the White Australia Policy and “Yellow Peril” anxieties, and highlights the Asian Australian Alliance’s efforts in raising awareness, advocating for systemic change, and fostering (transnational) solidarities across diverse communities. The paper also captures #StopAsianHate’s complexities, including mobilization considerations and ingroup internalized racism. It concludes with the importance of recognizing activist’s unique experiences, along with sustained advocacy and intersectional solidarity, when enacting antiracism.