Notes

One of the most significant events in 2019 was the protests in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong and China always had a tense relationship. Hong Kong, an ex-British colony, has a separate legal system and freedoms in speech and assembly in contrast to mainland China. These laws called the Basic Law, expire in 2047, and many are fearful of what may happen afterward.
In April, an extradition bill was introduced, which stated that criminal suspects are allowed to be deported to mainland China. This evoked a tremendous response, where opposers insisted that this would give China more power and influence over Hong Kong, resulting in unfair trials and target activists. The citizens' response was immediate; people flooded the streets, making headlines across the globe.
Clashes between the protestors and the police increased. One of the most famous standoffs occurred at Hong Kong's Polytechnic University in November.
Not only did the protests occur in Hong Kong, but also in the US as well. I remember there was news after news about people getting escorted out of sports games because of their shirt or flags with "Free Hong Kong" written on them. Many spoke out on social media, and other protests occurred in Canada as well.
What I noticed was that although many were supportive of Hong Kong because they agreed the policy was unfair, some supported bashing the Chinese because of racist motivations. Scapegoating, some people in my school pointed at Chinese-American citizens and blamed their ethnicity for the power struggle that was happening across the globe. In the extreme regions, the hidden disdain for Asian-Americans slowly resurfaced again, just like during WWII.
China responded to the protests online as well, claiming that the all-black protestors are violent extremists and also blocked many posts containing Hong Kong. Celebrities were used to sway the opinions of the peoples, and even Chinese celebrities outside of China were asked about their views. Hong Kong's pro-democratic movements looked at America for help, yet the US did not provide anything. Trump's administration did not regard this as a high-level threat, as he was more focused on nuclear threats and trade. His inconsistency in picking a side fueled many debates at my school; Trump did mention he agrees with Hong Kong's freedom, yet called the protests "riots" numerous times, appearing to be on the side with China.