We are horrified and deeply saddened by the recent violence perpetrated against the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities. From the massacre in Atlanta at Asian American-owned and populated businesses, to the physical attacks on elders in San Francisco, Oakland, New York City and unfortunately, many more.
These racial attacks emerged in the wake of unconscionable declarations attempting to falsely ascribe blame to AAPI people for the spread of COVID-19 and we unequivocally stand alongside our AAPI neighbors, coworkers, friends, and family during this time of threat. We also call on our entire membership to condemn this violence and accompanying harassment while proactively addressing the culture of impunity and hate that puts our AAPI communities at risk.
As our Race Forward colleague Jeff Chang details in the Washington Post, these attacks — accompanied by endless instances of racial slurs, taunts about Covid-19, and other harassment — are deeply rooted in a long history of violence and injustice, and are an expression of the systemic racism in our country today. Long pegged the “model minority,” the AAPI community has suffered a stereotype built upon a foundation of racial hierarchy intended to perpetuate white supremacy.
We must directly confront how these stereotypes lead to the erasure of the lived reality of AAPI families and individuals in our country. Indeed, the AAPI community is a label that seeks to encompass many racial and ethnic groups as well as countries of ancestry and origin. And while we stand with the entire community, it is important to also celebrate the beautiful diversity of cultures, languages, religions, and nationalities of ancestral origin represented by the AAPI moniker.
We must not only stand by the APPI community today but commit to the long-term work of building an inclusive multiracial democracy where AAPI and other marginalized communities can thrive as an essential part of the American tapestry and relegate the horrors of anti-AAPI hate crimes to an incomprehensible past.
We are horrified and deeply saddened by the recent violence perpetrated against the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities. From the massacre in Atlanta at Asian American-owned and populated businesses, to the physical attacks on elders in San Francisco, Oakland, New York City and unfortunately, many more.
These racial attacks emerged in the wake of unconscionable declarations attempting to falsely ascribe blame to AAPI people for the spread of COVID-19 and we unequivocally stand alongside our AAPI neighbors, coworkers, friends, and family during this time of threat. We also call on our entire membership to condemn this violence and accompanying harassment while proactively addressing the culture of impunity and hate that puts our AAPI communities at risk.
As our Race Forward colleague Jeff Chang details in the Washington Post, these attacks — accompanied by endless instances of racial slurs, taunts about Covid-19, and other harassment — are deeply rooted in a long history of violence and injustice, and are an expression of the systemic racism in our country today. Long pegged the “model minority,” the AAPI community has suffered a stereotype built upon a foundation of racial hierarchy intended to perpetuate white supremacy.
We must directly confront how these stereotypes lead to the erasure of the lived reality of AAPI families and individuals in our country. Indeed, the AAPI community is a label that seeks to encompass many racial and ethnic groups as well as countries of ancestry and origin. And while we stand with the entire community, it is important to also celebrate the beautiful diversity of cultures, languages, religions, and nationalities of ancestral origin represented by the AAPI moniker.
We must not only stand by the APPI community today but commit to the long-term work of building an inclusive multiracial democracy where AAPI and other marginalized communities can thrive as an essential part of the American tapestry and relegate the horrors of anti-AAPI hate crimes to an incomprehensible past.
To read Race Forward’s statement on the massacre in Atlanta, click here.
For information on how to intervene if you see an act of violence or prejudice taking place, visit Stop AAPI Hate for recommendations.
In solidarity,