The subtle New Yorker cover on anti-Asian hate crimes bringing readers to tears

Since the pandemic, many Asian people have experienced racially targeted attacks and various hate crimes. From the recent spa shootings in Atlanta, Georgia, to an elderly woman in San Francisco, California, allegedly punched in the face while fighting off her attacker.

Due to all these instances of violence against a group of people, New Yorker Magazine’s latest cover is garnering attention on social media from onlookers for the latest harrowing cover image.

Titled “Delayed” by R. Kikuo Johnson, the painting depicts an Asian woman with her daughter in coats and sneakers as they wait for the next New York City subway to emerge on the tracks.

Here’s what some people are saying about the image:

This cover image is gut-wrenching because of the increased violence that’s been happening, even on public transportation. A woman in the Bronx, NY, was struck on the head with an umbrella as her assailants spewed anti-Asian rhetoric, and a 65-year-old woman was kicked and stomped on the ground by men who police said “anti-Asian statements.”

According The Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, violence against Asian Americans in 16 of America’s largest cities increased by 149 per cent in 2020. Researchers also blamed the negative stereotyping of Asians during last spring’s rise of Covid-19 cases.

“Immediately burst in tears when I saw this. It speaks volumes, and I’ve been there. I get it. We live in constant fear,”said a Twitter user.