On June 23, 2015, the New York Times reported that the body of a man believed to be responsible for a string of attacks on Asian women in New York City was discovered in an elevator shaft in Midtown, NY. The man’s blog details his anger over the rejection he felt he had faced from Asian women as well as his plans to end his own life. One post counts the number of times he saw Asian women holding hands with white man in one afternoon, and another discusses his attacks on the women, citing as reasons both revenge and “so that they could stop sniffing cocaine and give me a chance.”

The women attacked by this man are victims of rape culture and the entitlement some men feel towards women, as well as the fetishization of Asian women. Rejection is a part of life, and no one owes anyone else sex or attention simply because they are friendly or nice. And objectification of women based off of their race is indeed racist, despite what some may claim. These women are living testimony to this fact.

Despite the tragedy surrounding this revelation, we at Stand with Survivors hope that it leads to a broader discussion of the intersection of race, gender, and violence, as well as rape culture. We also stand in solidarity with the victims of this upsetting string of attacks.