The #VeryAsian hashtag went viral on social media after a viewer made a racist comment toward a Korean American news anchor.

The #VeryAsian hashtag went viral on social media after a viewer made a racist comment toward a Korean American news anchor. At the beginning of the month, Korean American news anchor Michelle Li appeared in a segment in which she described eating dumplings in celebration of New Year’s Day. After airing, a racist viewer left the station a voicemail in which she called Li “very Asian” and told her to “keep her Korean to herself.” Now, the video Li posted on Twitter of her listening to the voicemail has received more than 3M views, 8K retweets, and thousands of likes. While the caller received backlash for her message, users on social media put a “positive spin” on the phrase and quickly showed their support for Li by making the #VeryAsian hashtag go viral, with Asian American users specifically using it to share what makes them proud to be Asian. YPulse’s Representation in Action trend research found that 82% of 13-39-year-old Asian consumers think racism is getting worse in America. But our Not Waiting for the World to Change trend data found that 45% of 13-39-year-old Asian consumers say they have used a hashtag to support a social movement (like, #VeryAsian and #StopAsianHate)—and in the last year, many young activists and brands have been showing their support for the AAPI community in light of the rise in anti-Asian discrimination and hate crimes. (NBC News)