Sandra Oh Delivered a Passionate Speech at a Stop Asian Hate Rally in Pittsburgh Saturday

"For many of us in our community, this is the first time we are even able to voice our fear and our anger..."

  • On Saturday, Grey's Anatomy and Killing Eve actress Sandra Oh joined demonstrators in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at a Stop Asian Hate rally. 
  • "For many of us in our community, this is the first time we are even able to voice our fear and our anger, and I really am so grateful to everyone willing to listen," Oh said, during her passionate speech to the crowd. "One thing that I know is that many in our community are very scared, and I understand that. And one way to go through our fear is to reach out to our community."
  • The rally came after a series of shootings in the Atlanta area this week that appeared to be racially-motivated. Six of the eight people killed in the attacks were of Asian descent.

Sandra Oh is speaking out for the Asian American community.

The 49-year-old actress attended a Stop Asian Hate rally in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Saturday, where she delivered a passionate speech to the crowd. The rally came after a series of shootings in the Atlanta area earlier this week that appeared to be racially-motivated (six of the eight people killed in the attacks were of Asian descent). Violent crimes against Asian Americans have been on the rise amid the coronavirus pandemic. According to a recent report from Stop AAPI Hate, the organization received 3,795 reports of hate incidents between March 2020 and February 2021.

Videos of Oh's speech to demonstrators in Pittsburgh was shared widely on social media.

"For many of us in our community, this is the first time we are even able to voice our fear and our anger, and I really am so grateful to everyone willing to listen," Oh said, according to ET Online. "One thing that I know is that many in our community are very scared, and I understand that. And one way to go through our fear is to reach out to our community."

"To everyone here… I will challenge everyone here, if you see something, will you help me? If you see one of our sisters and brothers in need, will you help us?" Oh continued. "We must understand, as Asian Americans, we just need to reach out our hand to our sisters and brothers and say, 'Help me and I'm here.' I am proud to be Asian! I belong here!"

Donate to Stop AAPI Hate here.

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Weekend Editor at Cosmopolitan

Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with over 10 years of professional experience covering entertainment of all genres, from new movie and TV releases to nostalgia, and celebrity news. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.