On Tuesday, there was a string of shootings at three massage parlors in the Atlanta area. Eight people died and it is being reported that six of those victims were Asian women, which is causing speculation that the shootings were racially motivated. This news comes in the midst of reports of anti-Asian violence during the coronavirus pandemic.
This is all upsetting news, and now Japanese Breakfast’s Michelle Zauner, who was born in South Korea and identifies as Korean, has offered a reaction. Taking to Twitter, she wrote, “We are white adjacent until we are not. Til someone calls us a chink, or mocks an accent, claims we started this virus from eating dogs and bats, attacks our elders, targets and kills us. Dunno wtf it does to say stop AAPI [Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders] hate but it is important to acknowledge this is very real.”
She also re-shared a small collection of insensitive jokes people on Twitter made about the shootings and added, “Like literally f*ck this f*ck you if you have ever made this joke.”
We are white adjacent until we are not. Til someone calls us a chink, or mocks an accent, claims we started this virus from eating dogs and bats, attacks our elders, targets and kills us. Dunno wtf it does to say stop AAPI hate but it is important to acknowledge this is very real
— Japanese Breakfast (@Jbrekkie) March 17, 2021
Like literally fuck this fuck you if you have ever made this joke https://t.co/rFsAOPVV8W
— Japanese Breakfast (@Jbrekkie) March 17, 2021
This comes just days after Zauner had one of the biggest experiences of her professional career: Japanese Breakfast made their debut appearance on The Tonight Show on Monday, during which they performed “Be Sweet” and “Jimmy Fallon Big!.”