Donating, Volunteering, Reporting Hate Incidents: Here’s How to Help Combat Anti-Asian Violence Eight people, including many women of Asian descent, were killed in shootings at Atlanta-area massage parlors on Tuesday, prompting a reckoning over rising rates of anti-Asian violence that have dramatically increased in the U.S. since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. A recent study from the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino, found that while overall rates of hate crimes in the country decreased by 7% in 2020, anti-Asian hate crimes surged by 149%. Nearly 3,800 anti-Asian hate incidents were reported between March 19, 2020 and Feb. 28, 2021, with women reporting hate incidents at 2.3 times the rate of men, according to a report published this week from Stop AAPI Hate. The Stop AAPI Hate reporting center was launched in March 2020 in response to xenophobic sentiments and to track attacks against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. A suspect in the shootings, Robert Aaron Long, has been charged with eight counts of murder after being taken into custody. While police say Long has denied the killings were racially motivated, the incident has sparked outcry for an end to anti-Asian violence. Since the shootings, the hashtag #StopAsianHate has trended on Twitter as individuals expressed solidarity with Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI). Here are some ways to support the AAPI community, from helping to report hate incidents to donating to nonprofits to volunteering. Click here for more information.
5 D’s of Bystander Intervention LOS ANGELES – In response to the alarming surge in hate incidents targeting the Asian American community, Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Los Angeles, a leading legal and civil rights organization, is launching its first-ever bystander intervention initiative. The effort includes the debut of a PSA narrated by actor Ken Jeong and an ongoing series of free training workshops both designed to promote awareness and usage of bystander intervention methods. Intended to prevent verbal harassment from escalating into physical violence, these techniques offer everyday people the chance to assist victims and play a role in keeping their communities safe. For more information, visit: www.AdvancingJustice-LA.org.
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month: May 2021 APRIL 19, 2021 “In 1978, a joint congressional resolution established Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week. The first 10 days of May were chosen to coincide with two important milestones in Asian/Pacific American history: the arrival in the United States of the first Japanese immigrants (May 7, 1843) and contributions of Chinese workers to the building of the transcontinental railroad, completed May 10, 1869. In 1992, Congress expanded the observance to a monthlong celebration that is now known as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Per a 1997 U.S. Office of Management and Budget directive, the Asian or Pacific Islander racial category was separated into two categories: one being Asian and the other Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander. Thus, this Facts for Features contains a section for each. The following facts are possible thanks to the invaluable responses to U.S. Census Bureau surveys. We appreciate the public’s cooperation as we continuously measure America’s people, places and economy.” Learn more about it here.
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.
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.
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
Asian Pacific Environmental Network If you live in the Bay Area and want to join our volunteer list just go to apen4ej.org/volunteer Share this form with your friends, family, and communities through this link Donate to the CCSJ victims and survivors fund. Donate to Little Saigon’s Peace Ambassador program
Culture Surge Art Content Hub Culture Surge’s Mission We believe that artists and culture makers are the visionary leaders needed to galvanize us towards a future rooted in justice, care, and connection. During this pivotal election year and unprecedented public health crisis, Culture Surge will provide the coordination, resources and direction to maximize the collective impact of cultural influencers, artists, strategists, and movement leaders. About Culture Surge With over two dozen members and organizations, Culture Surge is a broad coalition of change makers working together in this vital moment for the survival of our communities, our democracy, and our shared future. We are artists from every sector and strata. We are from historically marginalized communities, we are cultural influencers, Hollywood decision-makers, and electoral strategists. We are led and driven by the needs and voices of women of color, we center the vision of artists, and we work in close partnership with frontline social justice groups. The coronavirus pandemic is reshaping how we take civic engagement. There is palpable urgency and momentum toward transforming national narratives about how we vote, how we show up for each other in times of crisis, and how structural inequities must be addressed. The stakes are too high to work in silos. It’s crucial that we come together to align our values and our narrative approach. Culture Surge serves as a nexus for influencers, artists, and cultural strategists who can breathe life, hope, and representation into our civic efforts. We connect change makers to key narratives across issues and campaigns, including voting access campaigns, COVID-19 response work, and we coordinate resources and advising to maximize the impact of culture-driven initiatives to lead to concrete change. Culture Surge’s powerful coalition allows us to combine the skills to imagine a new future, broaden minds and inspire hearts, with on-the-ground partners in pivotal regions across the country. Learn more about Culture Surge
Safety Tips for Those Experiencing or Witnessing Hate In response to the alarming escalation in xenophobia and bigotry resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Asian Pacific Planning and Policy Council (A3PCON), Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA), and the Asian American Studies Department of San Francisco State University launched the Stop AAPI Hate reporting center on March 19, 2020. The center tracks and responds to incidents of hate, violence, harassment, discrimination, shunning, and child bullying against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in California and where possible throughout the United States. This resource provides safety tips for those in particular experiencing or witnessing hate. Their approach recognizes that in order to effectively address anti-Asian racism we must work to end all forms of structural racism leveled at Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color. Their 5-pronged approach is to: – Serve as the leading aggregator of anti-Asian hate incidents – Offer multilingual resources for impacted community members – Provide technical assistance from rapid response to preventative measures – Support community-based safety measures and restorative justice efforts – Advocate for local, state, and national policies that reinforces human rights and civil rights protections