Lucy Liu On 'Terrifying' Anti-Asian Hate Crimes: Attacks 'Created A Vulnerable Feeling'

Lucy Liu has spoken out on how the recent rise in racism and hate crimes against Asian Americans has affected her.

Liu, 52, who graces the cover of Women's Health magazine's May issue, said the attacks were "terrifying" and "outrageous" and admitted she no longer feels safe leaving the house with her child.

"I don’t feel relaxed enough to take my son out without having a plan," she told the magazine. "I don’t improvise and explore the city, which is the whole point of being in New York City. I was born and raised here. I chose to live in a cosmopolitan place because I feel safer in it. These attacks have really created a vulnerable feeling, not just for me but for so many other people."

Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, there has been an increasing rate of racial violence toward the Asian American community, with nonprofit Stop AAPI Hate stating that it has received 3,795 reports of incidents between March 2020 and February 2021. Last month, a string of shootings involving three Atlanta-area spas left eight people, six of whom were Asians, dead last month.

The "Elementary" star, who has been an ambassador for UNICEF since 2004, is determined to use her civic voice and wants to speak out more than ever due to the incidents involving her community.

"Sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone to go there. I’m willing to do that because I don’t want other people to feel unsafe. I want some of the people who think this is okay to know that this is not OK," she said.

"If I have a voice and I can use it for the better, and if it can help influence people to go out and vote…" she continued, adding that Asian Americans haven't voted at the same rate as white Americans. "We don’t think our voices matter, and they do."

In the same interview, the "Charlie's Angels" star, whose career has spanned three decades, shared that she was unaware of the world's perception of her when she started acting. She also experienced being objectified or exoticized.

Liu recalled being photographed by paparazzi taking out the garbage in a robe and being labeled "dragon lady" or "geisha." She admitted she'd been shocked because she felt that she grew up in the most multicultural place on Earth — Queens, New York — and didn't even know what those words meant and had to look them up.

For Liu, the conversation about racism is a reminder that "words matter."

"It clarifies that when violence happens, [it’s because] the seed has been planted through thoughts and words that give people permission to act out their frustrations and anger," she added. "People who use [racist] words, or who don't use their words to protect other people, are complicit—regardless of what side or color you represent in the political atmosphere."

Liu is joining other stars who have used their voice to raise awareness for the racial violence toward Asian Americans such as Sandra Oh, "Kung Fu" star Olivia Liang, "Saturday Night Live" cast member Bowen Yang, Lana Condor and more.