A deadly rampage at three Georgia massage businesses, where the employees were mostly of Asian descent, has prompted Asian American women to openly share stories of being sexually harassed or demeaned based on their race.
They say dealing with men who cling to a perpetual narrative that Asian women are exotic and submissive is a frequent occurrence they're forced to tolerate.
While the suspect, a 21-year-old white man, hasn't been charged with hate crimes, advocates and scholars say race is an inherent component in Tuesday's killings in the Atlanta area that points to a larger discussion on the deep history of fetishizing Asian women.
According to The Associated Press, in the past 10 years, two of the massage businesses in Georgia have repeatedly been targeted in prostitution investigations.
Police documents showed, according to The AP, that 10 people were arrested on prostitution charges, but none since 2013.
The suspect in the shootings, a 21-year-old white man, considered the women inside the spas “sources of temptation,” police said.
