Earlier this week, a white supremacist mass shooter targeted three spas in Atlanta, killing eight people, six of whom were Asian-American women. We condemn such actions and the dehumanizing rhetoric that fuels them, and stand in solidarity with the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community.
This tragedy was a reminder of how the epidemic of gun violence in this country is deeply intertwined with legacies of white supremacy and misogyny, and it is disturbing to see individuals already trying to deny the racist motivations behind the shooter’s actions.
Hate crimes against Asian-Americans have risen sharply over the past year, although such xenophobia is not a new phenomenon — as the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and the Japanese internment camps demonstrate. Charting a future that is different from the past requires us all to commit to fostering a culture of solidarity borne out not just in words but in laws that strengthen the rights and protections for immigrants and workers who are most at risk.
For resources about how to take action and be an effective ally, visit the Asian American Commission website.
