Rally to Stop Asian Hate shows the power of Car Culture
A tremendous turnout to stand up for people who have given so much.
A weekly newsletter by Ryan K. ZumMallen | @zoomy575m
HAPPY RACE DAY, especially to Brendan McAleer, for my money the most culture-connected automotive journalist today, for a wonderful reflection on the places this passion has taken him.
IF YOU MISSED last week’s issue, the big news on the Carrara Media side is that we’ve launched movie trailers for our latest eBook, The Stainless Steel Carrot by Sylvia Wilkinson.
You can watch the first trailer voiced by John Morton right here, and the second voiced by Wilkinson herself over here. Hope you enjoy!
Now let’s get into this week’s main topic.
TO REGULAR READERS of this newsletter, it will come as no surprise to hear that one of the reasons I started Race Day is to highlight the diversity of enthusiasts from all races and backgrounds — particularly when the time comes for collective action.
Whether it was car fans coming together to show support for the Black Lives Matter movement or highlighting efforts to welcome members of the LGBTQ community, diversity is one of the single greatest strengths of automotive culture today. And when wielded it can make a big impact.
That happened over the weekend. Several prominent organizers joined forces to host a cruise-in car show to Stop Asian Hate, a response to the rise of bigoted threats and violence against Asian Americans since the beginning of the pandemic. It included dozens of rare and exclusive cars, drawing hundreds of fans in person and thousands of shares across social media. But more importantly it united the car community for a cause.
Asian Americans have done as much as anyone to grow and contribute to car culture in this country for decades. Often, it came with drawbacks, including dismissive slurs and stereotypes or outsized profiling from law enforcement. But through it all the love of cars endured, and countless Asian Americans have helped the modern car scene evolve into what it is today. The culture is unquestionably stronger today for their efforts.
So when this community comes under attack, especially in an unprovoked and unjust manner, it is the culture’s responsibility to stand up against hate and alongside those who are vulnerable. What’s striking about the Stop Asian Hate rally was that the community showed up en masse, attracting cars not just from Japan but of all makes, and enthusiasts not just of Asian heritage but from all backgrounds.
One of the great developments in recent years has been the destruction of certain barriers within the car world. For a long time “Asian cars” would have been relegated to a different status by car enthusiasts. Due to wider appreciation and understanding today, they’re more widely accepted for the important historical contributions they truly are. There is still a long way to go. But the current role of these cars and the success of the Stop Asian Hate cruise show this is a more open and accepting culture than ever before.
And it’s better for it.
Culture
JUST A FEW short thoughts on the week in car culture:
Fantastic to see The Drive focus on amplifying Asian American voices during May, which is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. The opening essay by editor Kristen Lee is an excellent kickoff.
The car customizer RWB made its name with widebody Porsche 911s from the 964 era. Recently they’ve started working on newer 997s and the results are… bulbous? It doesn’t feel quite the same.
Been a while since we had a good old-fashioned rally video here at Race Day. Enjoy a few minutes of action through the mountains of Rally Croatia in this clip:
Ask A Millennial! Rashod Bacon, 38
I’M ALWAYS ON THE HUNT for social media accounts that try to shine a light on different aspects of car culture. In recent months @MotoringWhileBlack has been impossible to ignore in the SoCal scene, and Rashod is the reason why. I had a blast chatting with him and look forward to seeing where he takes the feed next. Here is an edited version of our conversation:
I started off with a traditional Volkswagen account. Then I bought a Shelby GT350 so it morphed into a Shelby account. During the pandemic I watched The Social Dilemma and had an internal reckoning with social media and took a break. When I emerged, I didn’t want a bunch of accounts about me. But I still wanted to engage.
Simultaneously during all the unrest, as a Black American, I decided to use the account to shine the light on others with an emphasis on Black people and other minorities, and people who support minorities. If I want to support African-American businesses there’s no app for that. My vision is to use the platform to spotlight other enthusiasts in the area and make it easy for people to support those businesses.
I have been surprised at the amount of support and how it’s popped up on people’s radar. On the flip side I have a lot more respect for people earning a living producing content. It takes a lot of effort to take an idea and make it executable. It’s difficult to bring a vision to life. But I’m surprised every day at the people enjoying the direction of the page. And how many people like K5 Blazers.
All of a sudden I’m in a generation that can afford cool stuff. I look at my peer group and see the choices people are making with their cars, their watches — and figure out where I fit in. It’s an amazing time to be an enthusiast. People will look back on this as a golden era of car culture, similar to how people look to ‘90s hip-hop. You don’t always recognize when you’re in that moment. But I feel like we are right now.
And Finally…
HAPPY TEARS all around. Robert Wickens, who had to re-learn how to walk after a terrifying IndyCar wreck, climbed back inside a racecar during an IMSA test. An incredible story:
Drive hard and be safe. Black Lives Matter.
Want your event included? Shoot me a note with subject line “Race Day” at ryan@carrarabooks.com.
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