“Last Year Asians Were Beaten Up Because of the Shape of their Eyes”: Public Service Announcement in Times Square

“Last Year Asians Were Beaten Up Because of the Shape of their Eyes”: Public Service Announcement in Times Square

On June 26, 1993, a public service announcement of a young Asian girl reciting the pledge of allegiance as words flash on the screen was displayed on a Sony Board in Times Square. Photo 107 captures the words “Last Year Asians Were Beaten Up Because of the Shape of their Eyes” and a crowd of people is gathered around with some looking at the billboard, their backs to the camera. In photo 108, we see the eyes of the young Asian girl.

The PSA was sponsored by the National Network Against Anti-Asian Violence, CAAAV, and the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF). The rest of the PSA video reads “Stabbed because of the language they spoke. Murdered because of the color of their skin.” A gun shot goes off and finishes with “The American Dream. It doesn’t have to be a nightmare” with contacts for CAAAV and AALDEF [1].

1. “National Network Premieres Video.” CAAAV Voice vol 5, no. 2 (Fall 1993): Newsletter of the Committee Against Anti-Asian Violence, page 3.

June 26, 1993

Digitized by: Frank Chiang and Van Anh Tran
Catalogued by: Sam Marsh

“Copyright is held by CAAAV Organizing Asian Communities.”

Photograph

Photo107
Photo108