Olivia Munn and other celebs were championing #StopAsianHate well before Atlanta shootings

CNN — Well before the shootings at three Atlanta-area spas which left eight people dead, some in Hollywood were sounding the alarm about violence in the US targeting Asians and Asian Americans. AAPI stands for “Asian American and Pacific Islander.” Last month “Crazy Rich Asians” star Awkwafina celebrated the Lunar New Year by supporting organizations working on the issue. “I am saddened, disturbed and devastated at the recent string of attacks against the Asian American community, and against our elders,” the actress wrote in the caption of a photo on her verified Instagram account. “So for the YEAR OF THE OX, I’m giving the proverbial red envelope to some organizations that have done amazing work for social and racial justice.” Actress Olivia Munn appeared on CNN in February to talk about helping to track down a man who allegedly assaulted her friend’s mother, who is Chinese, outside a bakery in Queens, New York. “These hate crimes have spiked since Covid and continue to increase even though we ask for help, even though we ask our fellow Americans to be outraged for us, even though we ask for more mainstream media coverage.” Other stars including George Takei, Bowen Yang, Olivia Cheng and director Jon M. Chu have also been vocal about the issue.