We regret taking so long to speak publicly about the continued acts of violence and harassment targeting Asian people across the United States. We acknowledge that while a late response is better than none at all, silence and hesitation in speaking out only contribute to the invisibility of Asian Americans and their experiences—which exacerbates their marginalization and vulnerability.
We offer our solidarity to the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community who have faced increasing violence and harassment since 2020.
For many Asian Americans, these disturbing acts of violence come as no surprise, though that doesn't lessen the pain or horror. The U.S. has a long, painful history of anti-Asian discrimination—both within the U.S. and abroad: anti-immigration policies that targeted Asian migrant workers and women, the unjust internment of Japanese American citizens, violence towards women who were victims of U.S. wars overseas, the model minority myth that has excluded Asian Americans from receiving vital resources, and much more.
That history of racism and xenophobia that is still alive today intersects with the unjust treatment and murder of Black and African American people like George Floyd, the anti-immigration policies that cruelly separate families at the border, the ongoing violence against Indigenous communities—even the destruction of our planet.
We commit to always holding that at its core, that White supremacy keeps all of us—regardless of race, gender, sexuality, or cultural background—from seeing our shared interests and common longings for justice and liberation: a world that works for all.
Right now, we mourn with the Asian and Asian-American community, and grieve for the families facing the unspeakable losses of the recent Colorado shooting, for those whose lives were taken in Atlanta on March 19th, and the continued acts of violence and harassment facing the AAPI community across the United States.
Please consider donating to Asian Americans Advancing Justice Atlanta, whose donations have supported the families of the victims and that works to promote equity, fair treatment, and self determination for all.
