We at ALiEM wholeheartedly condemn the xenophobia, intolerance, and hate crimes directed towards Asians and the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities. Recent events spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic are hurtful, “othering,” and simply unacceptable.
Anti-Asian hate crimes across the country since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic have increased 833% in 2020, compared to 2019, in cities across the United States [1]. This heart-breaking trend of violent assaults against individuals in the AAPI community is misguided and counter to the healing and building that our country direly needs as a result of the global pandemic.
Last week’s shootings in the Atlanta area that claimed the lives of eight people, including six Asian women, have had devastating effects on the AAPI community. For some, it has sparked recollections of previous incidences of bias they themselves have experienced. For others, it has been a call to action, on how to be better advocates and allies for all people of color.
We stand in solidarity with our AAPI communities and allies. These hate crimes continue to highlight the ongoing and longstanding structural anti-Asian and anti-immigrant racism in our country. Each of us has the capacity to show kindness, compassion, and respect for one another. Each of us has the capacity to stand up for those tormented and racialized. Let us work together to overcome the hate and bigotry that plague our nation.
What can you do to be an ally?
- Sign the Georgia AAPI Community Statement
- Donate to the Georgia AAPI Community
- What to do when you witness harassment
- Be an Upstander against hate crimes
- Report a hate crime
References
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