© 2024 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY · WNPR
WPKT · WRLI-FM · WEDW-FM · Public Files Contact
ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Advocates Say Gun Marketing Tactics Target Asian Americans

FILE – In this March 15, 2020, file photo, people wait in line to enter a gun store in Culver City, Calif.
(AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu, File)
FILE – In this March 15, 2020, file photo, people wait in line to enter a gun store in Culver City, Calif.

Gun control advocates from Connecticut and across the country say the firearms industry is exploiting fear of hate crimes to sell more guns to Asian Americans.

Those are the findings of a study led by the Violence Policy Center

“Historically, Asian-Americans have owned very few guns, which is precisely the reason why we have experienced comparatively low rates of gun violence. That the gun industry is now targeting our community as a lucrative new market is incredibly troubling, because more guns means more gun-related injury and death," said Gloria Pan with advocacy group Moms Rising, another contributor to the study.

Advocates say groups like the NRA and the Newtown, Connecticut-based National Shooting Sports Foundation have targeted people of color since 2015.

But since the pandemic, they’ve started groups and social media campaigns to reach Asian-Americans.

Po Murray, who is Korean-American, is with the Newtown Action Alliance. The group was founded after the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

“I call on my fellow Asian-Americans to reject the corporate gun lobby’s attempt to exploit our fear and anxiety," Murray said. "Guns are manufactured to kill.”

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death for young Asian-Americans.

Advocates say more guns will lead to higher suicide rates.

Copyright 2021 WSHU. To see more, visit WSHU.

Davis Dunavin loves telling stories, whether on the radio or around the campfire. He fell in love with sound-rich radio storytelling while working as an assistant reporter at KBIA public radio in Columbia, Missouri. Before coming back to radio, he worked in digital journalism as the editor of Newtown Patch. As a freelance reporter, his work for WSHU aired nationally on NPR. Davis is a proud graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism; he started in Missouri and ended up in Connecticut, which, he'd like to point out, is the same geographic trajectory taken by Mark Twain.

Stand up for civility

This news story is funded in large part by Connecticut Public’s Members — listeners, viewers, and readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

We hope their support inspires you to donate so that we can continue telling stories that inform, educate, and inspire you and your neighbors. As a community-supported public media service, Connecticut Public has relied on donor support for more than 50 years.

Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are building a better—and more civil—Connecticut to live, work, and play.

Related Content