VAYLA: Letter from Jacqueline Thanh “Beyond Asian hate and the continual targeting of our elders across the country, the violence and murder of Asian women in Atlanta yesterday illuminates the complex intergenerational traumas of exploitation, sexual violence, poverty, colonialism, and erasure experienced by Asian women. Working-class Asian women are the backbone of families, communities, and our cultures. VAYLA is an Asian Womxn-led organization and we are grieving deeply with our diaspora. We must stop Asian hate. We must continue to speak up and keep each other safe in the face of terrorism.” Read the full statement here.
NAPAWF | Statement on Violence Against Asian American Women Condemn Hate and Violence Against Asian American Women “We are appalled, devastated, and angry at the violence in Georgia that has taken eight lives, six of whom were Asian American women. Many NAPAWF members and staff are especially shaken because they or their family members work in the service industry and have already been experiencing increased racism at work because of COVID-19. We mourn with the families of the victims, with our Georgia community, and with our broader community as the effects of anti-Asian racism are felt across the country by all of us. While officials now have announced the shooter’s motivations were based on a “sex addiction” and not racial bias, we know firsthand that sexual violence, sexism, and racism are intertwined for Asian American and Pacific Islander women. In the wake of COVID-19, racist scapegoating have fed this sexist fetishization as part of the spike in the incidents of hate. We must call this moment what it truly is: white supremacy, anti-Asian racism, sexism, and sexual violence against Asian American women. More than 68 percent of reported incidents of anti-Asian harassment and violence have been from women, and new polling commissioned by NAPAWF has revealed that nearly half of AAPI women have been affected by anti-Asian racism in the past two years. Racism intertwined with sexism has always been a part of our lives — this horrific mass shooting laid bare what we used to face unnoticed. We need a response to these attacks that centers Asian American women and elders. Intentional centering of women and elders must result in true aid, community support, government support, and an emphasis on our lived experiences, so that relief flows to those who need it most. We do not need more law enforcement – time and time again, more law enforcement did not lead to protection and safety. It instead leads to more violence aimed at and control of Black and Brown communities, including our own community members.” Send a message to your elected officials: The federal government, state, and local community responses to incidents of AAPI hate must be intersectional and responsive to the needs of Asian American women and elders.
Testimony to Congress on Anti-Asian Violence On March 18, the House Judiciary Committee – Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties held a hearing on Asian American Discrimination and Violence. The National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum submitted two testimonies. One was signed by 130 other organizations calling attention to this country’s long history with anti-Asian violence and its disproportionate impact on women. The second testimony calls on Congress to take action to provide holistic and interagency responses to the rise in harassment and violence targeting Asian Americans and make investments in communities of color to support true community safety. Download Testimony Download Sign-On Letter
Freedom, Inc. – Our Statement and Response to the Violent Murder of Our Asian Sisters in Georgia “All Asian women workers deserve respect, dignity, and protection. We know that many Asian women are underpaid, undervalued, and their safety is not prioritized. Join some of Freedom, Inc.’s Southeast Asian leaders as we put out our statement and response to the violent murder of our Asian Sisters in Georgia.” Yesterday, Tuesday, March 16, six Asian women were killed when Robert Aaron Long took the lives of eight people in… Posted by Freedom Inc on Wednesday, March 17, 2021
Center for Pan Asian Community Services We are devastated by yesterday’s horrific attacks and condemn the ongoing violence against Asian American communities… Posted by Center for Pan Asian Community Services on Wednesday, March 17, 2021
Cia Siab Inc in Solidarity with AAPI Cia Siab, Inc. stands in solidarity with our Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) community as we continue to fight… Posted by Cia Siab Inc on Wednesday, March 17, 2021 In the rise of anti-Asian violence, what can we do to protect ourselves and each other? Here are just a few steps to… Posted by Cia Siab Inc on Monday, March 29, 2021 ➡️Report hate incidents with Stop AAPI Hate: https://stopaapihate.org/ ➡️Report hate incidents with Cia Siab, Inc. at https://www.ciasiabinc.org/hateincidentreport
Love our People, Heal our Communities “The recent attacks in our community have left us heartbroken. As a coalition of direct service, advocacy, and grassroots organization organizations, we denounce violence against members of Asian American communities in San Francisco, Oakland, and the greater Bay Area. We stand in solidarity with victims, survivors, and families who have suffered loss and pain.” Over Valentine’s and Lunar New Year weekend, hundreds of Bay Area community members came together at the Love Our… Posted by Chinese Progressive Association on Friday, March 5, 2021 Here are ways you can take action in support of this work: Share this form with your friends, family, and communities through this link: bit.ly/loveourpeople Donate to the CCSJ victims and survivors fund, click here Donate to the Oakland Chinatown Community Ambassador and Victims Fund or Donate to Eastlake/Little Saigon’s Peace Ambassador Program Oakland specific: Learn about the long-time work in Oakland Chinatown and join us! – Follow up on social media, join our mailing list to stay informed about various opportunities by emailing [email protected], and/or contribute to our Chinatown Coalition Member organizations efforts. Come shop and eat in Chinatown and Little Saigon, wear yellow to show our support to our merchants and residents Follow the leadership of existing organizations and be ambassadors to the community with us — go beyond patrolling and join our Volunteer Strolling efforts to make our streets welcoming, safe, and clean. Share your ideas and experiences about Reimagining Public Safety. Fill out this community survey on reimagining public safety in Oakland (data collected by Oakland Rising) Follow and support the organizations on the ground Oakland orgs: OCC: @oakchinatowncoalition (IG) / @chinatowncoalition (FB) @apen4ej @aapiwomenlead @asians4blklives (IG & TW) @AsianHealth818 (TW), @AsianHealthServices (IG) @AYPAL (TW), @AYPALPower (IG) @EBALDC (TW) @oaklandvnchamber (FB & IG) @trybe (TW), @trybe1122(FB) @OCAeastbay (FB, IG, TW) SF orgs: CPA: @chineseprogressiveassociation (IG); @cpasf (TW); @cpasf (FB) CAA: @caasanfrancisco (IG); @caasanfrancisco (TW); @caasf (FB) CYC: @cyc_sf (IG); @cyc_sf (TW); @cycsf (FB) New Breath Foundation: @newbreathfdn (TW) / @newbreathfoundation (FB) It takes all of us to redefine safety for our communities.
Asian Minnesota Alliance for Justice: CAAL Response This event is hosted by the Asian Minnesotan Alliance for Justice (AMAJ), a collective of Asian American organizations dedicated to fighting for solidarity and justice in MN. The events in Georgia last week were devastating to our community. In the last year, and particularly the last few months, we have seen an increase in attacks and violence directed towards Asian American communities around the United States. This includes attacks targeting our elderly in Asian communities, it includes verbal and physical harassment in public and private spaces, includes 33 Vietnamese community members who were just deported by ICE, and it includes the deaths of Christian Hall and Angelo Quinto, who were recently killed by the police. This is all anti-Asian hate and violence. Our communities are in pain and looking for support. This moment demands all of us, as Minnesotans, to come together to think critically about the moment we are in and move us towards a place of healing and justice. Join us for a public community event to hear from leaders and community members about what has been occurring in Minnesota and nationwide, hear from victims of hate, and work together with us to take action against violence and hate. Speakers include U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, MDHR Commissioner Rebecca Lucero, CAAL Network & Executive Director Bo Thao-Urabe, and others Honoring the Lives Lost in Atlanta. To our non-Asian allies, we urge you to take action against anti-Asian violence and hate. #StopAsianHate… Posted by Coalition of Asian American Leaders – CAAL on Thursday, March 18, 2021 Dear CAAL Leaders, We are devastated by yesterday’s horrific mass shooting in Georgia, where a gunman shot and killed… Posted by Coalition of Asian American Leaders – CAAL on Wednesday, March 17, 2021
Communities Rally Against Anti-Asian Violence “Love Our People, Heal Our Communities” Cross-Cultural Healing Events took place in Oakland and San Francisco San Francisco & Oakland, CA — “In response to the recent surge in COVID-19 related violence against Asian American communities throughout the greater San Francisco Bay Area, the Coalition for Community Safety and Justice (CCSJ) in San Francisco joined forces with a coalition of organizations in Oakland to organize two parallel Days of Action this past weekend, both entitled “Love Our People, Heal Our Communities.” On the first weekend of the Lunar New Year, and a few days after more than 70 Asian American organizations issued a press statement condemning the violence, these two events brought together a multiracial and multigenerational coalition to stand against racism, xenophobia, and violence, and to offer space for healing the grief and pain that Asian communities feel in light of recent events. Together, they called for community-centered solutions to keep diverse communities safe. These include culturally-competent multilingual victim services, cross-racial education and dialogue, prevention-based programs (such as community patrols), and more.” Read the rest of the statement here. Resources: Asian Organizations Across the Bay Area Join Forces to Demand Action Against Violence: Click here for more information. Yamuna Hopwood, Communications Manager; 415-274-6760 x319 [email protected] (English); Jin Xia Niu, Chinese Language Media Specialist; 415-274-6760 x313 [email protected] (English, Mandarin) For those who wish to contribute to victims and survivors, please visit here. CAA Responds to the Attacks in Atlanta Area Both the Oakland and San Francisco events were also live-streamed to Facebook with ASL interpretation, where more than 300 people tuned in. The Oakland event can be viewed here and the San Francisco event here.
CAPI USA: Organizations Representing Asian American Communities Across the Nation and Allies Release Statement Rejecting Criminalization and Retribution, and Call for Responses Addressing the Root Causes of Racial Violence Organizations Representing Asian American Communities Across the Nation and Allies Release Statement Rejecting Criminalization and Retribution, and Call for Responses Addressing the Root Causes of Racial Violence: “SAN FRANCISCO, CA (February 17, 2021) — As a national network of local and national Asian American organizations and individuals that convened in the wake of the pandemic a year ago, we have been working together to share best practices and lessons learned from responding to anti-Asian violence. We are horrified by the continuing acts of violence against members of our Asian American communities across the country, from New York to Oakland’s Chinatown. We stand in solidarity with the survivors, victims, and their families during this challenging moment, when fear accompanies even the most basic daily experiences. We all deserve to live without the threat of violence and to feel safe in our neighborhoods. True safety for all must come in the form of investment and resources, not punitive measures that create division and reinforce our criminal justice system’s discriminatory structures. Many grassroots Asian American organizations, including some who are part of this network, have worked for decades as part of multiracial efforts to secure such resources for all of our communities…” Read more of the statement here. Resources: Statement from Asian American organizations in the Bay Area From @18million Rising, “Call on Me, Not the Cops” in Asian languages: https://18millionrising.org/2020/06/callonme.html From APANO: A Resource Guide for AAPI Anti-HateActivists,Victims and Survivors of Hate https://www.apano.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/PUAH-Resilience-to-Hate-Resource-Guide-3_23_20.docx.pdf From Advancing Justice – AAJC and Hollaback! Bystander Intervention Training: https://www.advancingjustice-aajc.org/events From Vision Change Win: Community Safety Toolkit https://www.visionchangewin.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/VCW-Safety-Toolkit-Final.pdf Hate Reporting Sites: Stopaapihate.org Standagainsthatred.org