Sandra Oh made a surprise appearance during a “Stop Asian Hate” protest in Pittsburgh on Saturday, days after eight people, including six Asian women, were killed in the deadly spree shooting at three Atlanta-area spas.
The Korean Canadian actress, who is currently in Pittsburgh filming the Netflix series, The Chair, spoke to a crowd of people at the rally organized by Thrash the State declaring her support for the Asian American community, particularly during the rise of anti-Asian hate crimes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Pittsburgh, I am so happy and proud to be here with you, and thank you to all the organizers for organizing this just to give us an opportunity to be together and to stand together and to feel each other,” said the Killing Eve star, according to CBS Pittsburgh. “For many of us in our community, this is the first time we are even able to voice our fear and our anger, and I really am so grateful to everyone willing to listen.”
“I’m going to be very brief, but I know many of us in our community are very scared and I understand that,” Oh continued. “And one way to get through our fear is to reach out to our communities. I will challenge everyone here, if you see something will you help me?”
She went on to lead the crowd in chants saying, “I am proud to be Asian!”, adding “I belong here!”
“Many of us don’t get a chance to be able to say that, so I just wanted to give us an opportunity to be able to shout that,” Oh said as she finished her speech.
Following the deadly attacks in Atlanta, the Grey’s Anatomy alum made a statement on Instagram, including links to support and donate towards causes helping the Asian community.
“I send loving kindness and support to the families of the eight souls murdered in Georgia on March 16,” she wrote. “And to all the victims of racist violence. I am devastated and profoundly angry. I know many of you are scared but let us not be afraid. Remember #itsanhonorjusttobeasian.”
Supports and Resources:
To Report Anti-Asian Hate Crimes in Canada:
Mental Health Resources
- Asian Canadian Therapist Directory
- APISAA Therapist Directory
- Asian Mental Health Collective
- The Colour Project — anonymous text-based peer support for mental health with trained volunteers
- Subtle Asian Mental Health — private online community for peer support
Donate
- #StopAsianHate GoFundMe
- Red Canary Song — grassroots collective of Asian and migrant sex workers, organizing transnationally
- Butterfly Asian and Migrant Sex Workers Network (Toronto-based)
- SWAN Vancouver — culturally-specialized supports and advocacy for im/migrant women engaged in indoor sex work
- Hyun Jun Kim GoFundMe to support the victim of the Atlanta shooting’s sons
Additional Tools and Resources
- Alternatives to Calling Police
- Amplify Asian Voices | Readings + Resources created by Jezz Chung
- Anti-Asian Violence Resources
- Bystander Intervention Training
- Project 1907 — Vancouver-based grassroots organization helmed by Asian women and dedicated to elevating marginalized voices.
- Responding to Hate Toolkit (Ryerson)
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