Faculty member interviewed by NPR about how Asian adoptees struggle with anti-Asian racism

Kimberly McKee, associate professor of integrative, religious, and intercultural studies, was interviewed by National Public Radio for a story about Asian adoptees struggling to process the mass shootings and murders of eight people in Atlanta.

Six of the eight victims from the March 16 shootings were women of Asian descent. McKee said the murders continue an uptick in violent acts, microaggressions and racism against Asian Americans that Asians who were adopted into white American families struggle to talk about with friends and family members.

"Asian adoptees report that their family members did not check in on them to see how they’re doing following the Atlanta tragedy," said McKee, who is a research expert in Asian American and critical adoption studies. "These adoptees also experience anti-Asian racism and it’s difficult when families and friends fail to acknowledge them as Asian American." 

Read and listen to the NPR article and audio excerpt that aired on the March 29 "Morning Edition" show.

For campus community members who want to support Asian Americans, McKee encouraged learning more about Asian American history and supporting Asian American Studies curriculums in schools and colleges. McKee also listed these websites as resources: Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Hollaback (bystander intervention training) and Stop AAPI Hate.