The Times podcast: Why we forget U.S. violence toward Chinatowns

This fall, a commemoration in downtown Los Angeles marked the 150th anniversary of when a mob lynched 18 Chinese men and boys — one of the biggest such killings in American history.

The recent memorial comes in a year when many similar remembrances have bloomed across the United States. Anti-Asian hate crimes have soared during the pandemic, but that has also spurred an interest in learning the long, and long-hidden, history of such bigotry.

Host: Gustavo Arellano

Guest: L.A. Times columnist Frank Shyong

More reading:

History forgot the 1871 Los Angeles Chinese massacre, but we’ve all been shaped by its violence

L.A.’s memorial for 1871 Chinese Massacre will mark a shift in how we honor history

The racist massacre that killed 10% of L.A.’s Chinese population and brought shame to the city

White residents burned this California Chinatown to the ground. An apology came 145 years later