Thread: In light of Simu Liu deleting his criticism of Mark Wahlberg after it was announced they'd be co-starring in a film, let’s discuss Wahlberg's anti-Asian hate crimes & how white men’s violent racism is treated as a “mistake” that can be erased without meaningful amends. 1/

In the 80s Wahlberg committed multiple hate crimes, first against Black children & then two Vietnamese men. He was issued an injunction for the first crime (i.e. a warning—no prison time) for violating the victims’ civil rights. The second he claimed wasn't racially motivated. 2/

For violently assaulting two Vietnamese men—blinding one & nearly killing the other—and repeatedly calling them "slant-eyed g**ks" and "Vietnam fucking shit," Wahlberg was sentenced to 2 years in jail. Not for a hate crime, but for violating the injunction. He served 45 days. 3/

Fast forward to 2014. Wahlberg wants to expand his burger chain Wahlburgers, but worries he'll "be denied a concessionaire's license on the basis of my prior record," so he requests a pardon. There is no acknowledgement of the racist nature of his crimes in his application. 4/

Wahlberg cites his charity work as proof he's a changed man, but none of that charity has benefited Asian (esp. Vietnamese) or Black communities. VietAid, a Vietnamese American org in his hometown of Dorchester requested aid from his Youth Foundation for years & never got it. 5/

If Wahlberg had truly learned from his past crimes, he would a) explicitly acknowledge the racist motivations for them & b) be one of the most outspoken allies about the racist anti-Asian COVID hate crimes happening right now, crimes that are remarkably similar to what he did. 6/

But that's the problem: Wahlberg is more concerned about his brand. He's publicly stated that to make sure all of his businesses are successful (film production company, burger chain, athleisure line, etc) he has to star in big movies to keep him & his Wahlberg name relevant. 7/

This is where Simu Liu comes in. As the star of Marvel's upcoming Shang-Chi film, the Asian Canadian is treated as the "face of Asian America." Liu will likely be used to create positive PR for Wahlberg, especially if Liu "forgives" him—even though that's not his call to make. 8/

Make no mistake, Wahlberg still wants a pardon. Just like how Liu deleted his tweet calling out Wahlberg, Wahlberg's Hate Crimes wiki section has been quietly edited to "Legal Issues." If Wahlberg truly felt remorse for his racist acts, he wouldn't want evidence of it erased. 9/

Some ways Wahlberg can show he's sorry: Donate to VietAid like they've asked. Donate to orgs preventing the deportation of Vietnamese and Southeast Asians. Hire Viet-Am actors for prominent roles in his movies (that aren't about the Vietnam War). Speak out about COVID racism. 10/

Most importantly, never ask for a pardon again. Co-starring with self-serving Asian actors means nothing. Until Wahlberg puts significant cash & opportunities directly in the hands of Viet-Ams, his actions boil down to one disgusting motivation: wanting to sell more burgers. 11/

Additional facts about Wahlberg: He committed a third hate crime against his Black neighbor that was settled in civil court. His dad was a Korean War vet (I wonder which one of them said g**k more?). He gets lots of money from Chinese co-productions but donates none to AsAms. 12/