NAAPAC e-Newsletter No. 2021-03-18

  • FW: [AAJC] Supporting Atlanta
  • FW: [MoveOn] Atlanta
  • FW: [ADL] Standing United Against Anti-Asian Hate
  • FW: [NAKASEC] Our Response to the Murders of Asian American Women in Atlanta
  • FW: [CKA] PRESS RELEASE: Council of Korean Americans Mourns Victims of Atlanta Shooting
  • FW: NCAPA Mourns Over Mass Shooting in Atlanta, The Violence Must Stop
  • FW: THE GUARDIAN: Trevor Noah on the Atlanta shootings and anti-Asian racism: ‘We could see this coming’
  • FW: Daniel Dae Kim and Trevor Noah
  • FW: A Message from LEAP President & CEO: 8 lives cut short. Mourning the Unnecessary Loss of life in Atlanta
  • FW: APAPA Statement on Atlanta Shootings

From: Advancing Justice | AAJC
Subject: Supporting Atlanta

We mourn the eight lives taken due to senseless violence in Georgia, including six Asian American women. We are beyond heartbroken by these acts of violence, especially as they are compounded with the attacks Asian Americans have faced throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

We lift up the work of Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Atlanta, who has been working closely with AAPI community leaders and impacted folks in Georgia to learn what care is needed on the ground. Please support them in providing community care by taking part in the below action steps and following their social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) for updates on needs.

Three ways to support the Asian American community in Georgia:

From: Arvin, Mana, Bodhi, Lisa, and the rest of the team, MoveOn Civic Action
Subject: Atlanta

Yesterday, a 21-year-old white man opened fire on three massage parlors across the Atlanta metro area. He murdered eight people, including six Asian women.1

This comes as just the latest major incident of violence suffered by Asian American communities, especially women. According to a recent report, hate crimes targeting Asian Americans have surged over 150% in major cities in the last year.2 And unsurprisingly, it’s women and nonbinary people who are disproportionately harmed by this bigotry. In fact, Asian women have reported twice as many hate incidents over the past year.3

These events are shocking and upsetting to all, and we hope you will join us in taking the time to reflect on how you will support the Asian American community. And if you identify as AAPI, we hope that you are making the time and space to care for yourself and get the support you need during this difficult time.

A series of deliberate political decisions enabled yesterday’s tragedy, and we can absolutely point to specific policies, such as lax gun laws, which led to these murders.

But above all, the legacies of white supremacy and misogyny—which are still alive and well today—paved the way to yesterday’s events. Racist, xenophobic, and misogynistic politicians and political movements have thrived over the last five years—and anti-Asian policies and attitudes in the U.S. date back centuries. Donald Trump has repeatedly used the coronavirus as a Sinophobic slur in an effort to distract from his own failures and mishandling of the pandemic. Meanwhile, politicians across the country continue to peddle anti-Asian lies and misinformation for their own personal gain and use their positions to enshrine attacks against women, especially women of color, into law.

AAPI-led organizations, leaders, and community members repeatedly warned government officials and advocates about increased incidents of anti-Asian discrimination over the past year (including in Atlanta), but their warnings were largely ignored, leaving Atlanta’s AAPI community vulnerable to such an attack.4

Today, we’ll begin the process of mourning the losses to our community. We’ll start to grieve the tragedies of yesterday’s horrific killings, and we’ll be there to support our family, friends, and loved ones who are affected by it.

And in the days and weeks to come, we’ll channel this energy into confronting white supremacy head-on, building power and educating, engaging, and mobilizing our communities into action—so that we heed our AAPI community members’ warnings and ensure that we don’t leave anyone else vulnerable to white supremacist violence.

To start, here are some important organizations fighting for Asian American rights. Be sure to follow and engage with them as they begin planning next steps and actions following yesterday’s horrific attack.

And be sure to stay tuned for updates in the near future.

Sources:

  1. “8 People Killed in Atlanta-Area Massage Parlor Shootings,” The New York Times, March 16, 2021
    https://act.moveon.org/go/150412?t=31&akid=292690%2E1195276%2EjI8kKT
  2. “Asian American community battles surge in hate crimes stirred from COVID-19,” PBS Newshour, March 16, 2021
    https://act.moveon.org/go/150407?t=33&akid=292690%2E1195276%2EjI8kKT
  3. “Stop AAPI Hate National Report,” Stop AAPI Hate, accessed March 17, 2021
    https://act.moveon.org/go/150408?t=35&akid=292690%2E1195276%2EjI8kKT
  4. “Asian Americans in Atlanta stunned by shootings as advocates demand action: ‘Everyone has heard enough words,'” The Washington Post, March 17, 2021
    https://act.moveon.org/go/150413?t=37&akid=292690%2E1195276%2EjI8kKT

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From: Jonathan Greenblatt; CEO and National Director, ADL
Subject: Standing United Against Anti-Asian Hate

We are all deeply disturbed by the horrific attack in Atlanta.

While there is still much we don’t know, we do know this: alarm bells have been ringing and hate toward the Asian American and Pacific Islander community has been rising. It is our civic and moral duty to speak out to stop the hate.

The ADL community has a timeless mission to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all. We stand today with the Committee of 100, a non-profit U.S. leadership organization of prominent Chinese Americans, with the following joint statement in response to historic increases in anti-Chinese and anti-Asian American and Pacific Islander incidents and assaults.

“ADL is united with all of our Asian American brothers and sisters in standing up against hate, xenophobia and violence. Violence towards any minority group is not the answer. The anxiety and fear in the Asian American community is palpable, and we grieve with and support the millions of Chinese Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders across the U.S. who feel targeted. We commend Committee of 100 for their work in bringing this issue of anti-Asian hate to the forefront and we very much look forward to working with them hand in hand to help solve a crisis that many communities are facing.”

“We at the Committee of 100 are extremely saddened by the increased attacks against Chinese Americans and the Asian American and Pacific Islander community overall. Chinese Americans are Americans. Period. The violence and rhetoric that is happening now in these communities across the U.S. is horrific, sad, and unacceptable,” said Zheng Yu Huang, President of Committee of 100. “These acts of hate have no place in America, whether directed against Asian Americans or anyone else. We are extremely thankful to the Anti-Defamation League for standing with us as we collectively work towards concrete actions that will address the roots of the violence and xenophobia directed at the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. Hate has no place in our society.”

ADL and the Committee of 100 are calling on all our elected officials and law enforcement to urgently address racism, discrimination and violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders with actionable, concrete results.

With additional funding, education and action, there is a chance to put these horrific incidents in the past and move forward as a nation. Earlier this month, the Committee of 100 outlined seven calls to action that look to hold elected officials and law enforcement accountable for producing change for the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. On Thursday, March 18, the House Judiciary Committee is holding hearings on discrimination and violence against Asian Americans.

The fatal attack in Atlanta also underscores a terrible truth, that women all too often bear the brunt of men’s rage. It’s important to recognize that misogyny is an underestimated component of extremism. According to the organization Stop AAPI Hate, women made up a far higher share of the thousands of reports of anti-Asian incidents since the pandemic began, targeted 68 percent of the time, compared to men, who were targeted 29 percent of the time.

Since the start of the pandemic, ADL has been deeply concerned about the spread of anti-Asian and antisemitic conspiracy theories, and we need to show solidarity with the Asian American community, which has been the victim of violence and scapegoating.

We are closely monitoring the situation and investigation in Georgia. Regardless of whether this deadly attack was racist violence or was motivated by misogyny or some other cause, the Asian American community is living in fear.

HOW YOU CAN HELP TODAY

You can speak out against anti-Asian hate now. Call on Congress to take action by passing two House resolutions that condemn this rising tide of racist hatred and aim to curb the damaging effects of anti-Asian bias and violence.

Call for Action Now

From: The NAKASEC Network
Subject: Our Response to the Murders of Asian American Women in Atlanta

Last night, a terrible tragedy occurred in Atlanta, where a white man shot and killed 8 people, 6 of whom were Asian American and all but one were women.

These murders are affecting Asian American communities in painful ways. This past year, Asian Americans have had to protect ourselves and our loved ones from the spread of COVID-19 and the coinciding spread of violence fueled by xenophobia, white supremacy, and systemic racism. Both sides of the aisle are guilty of perpetuating this, from Trump’s consistent attributions of COVID-19 to China to then candidate and now President Biden’s racist and Orientalist posturing about China as a mythical techno-threat to the U.S. Earlier this month, it was revealed that the U.S. plans to spend $27.4 billion to establish a network of precision-strike missiles along the Asian coast from Japan to Vietnam and crossing China, the Philippines, and Taiwan. A recent Gallup poll reported that 45% of Americans now believe China is the greatest enemy to the U.S., which is more than double the percentage who said so in 2020. With a government that considers the entirety of Asia as an uniform threat, it is sadly unsurprising to see these manifestations of anti-Asian violence here in the U.S.

Sexual exploitation and misogyny, intertwined with racism, resulted in a white man dehumanizing Asian women as “temptations” and objects to eliminate. This harkens to a long history of fetishizing women of Asian heritage as submissive, feminine, and sexually compliant, and the proliferation of sex industries around U.S. military bases in Asian countries. Southeast Asian communities have long highlighted the incredible violence against children, women, and gender-nonconforming folx forced into the global sex industry.

This mass shooting is also part of a larger story of marginalized communities terrorized by hate-fueled violence. We grieve these deaths as we do the ongoing police murders of Black people like Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, the 23 Latinx community members in El Paso, Texas, the 9 Black community members in Charleston, South Carolina, the 11 Jewish American community members in Pittsburgh, PA and the mostly Latinx and LGBTQ community members in Orlando, Florida.

These individual attacks are not the only violence that Asian Americans are facing. This past Monday, 33 Vietnamese Americans were deported. There are 11 million undocumented immigrants, including 1.7 million Asian Americans, who are forced to live in the shadows. Thousands of intercountry adoptees, over half of which are of Asian heritage, are undocumented despite being adopted by U.S. citizens. This is state violence, in the form of deportations and refusal to recognize one’s belonging to a country.

We call on Congress to immediately legislate a pathway to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants and permanently end detentions and deportations. We also call on the Biden administration to stop all the ways it perpetuates anti-Asian hatred, from its billion dollar anti-Asia missile network to its racist foreign policy rhetoric. We demand that our federal, state, and local governments invest in sustained programming for mental health, legal, employment, and immigration services to immigrants, women, and communities of color. It is critical that programming be led and provided by linguistically and culturally competent members of the communities served to ensure that vulnerable communities are met where their needs are.

In the spirit of unity, the NAKASEC network will be convening a cross-community dialogue this Friday evening, March 19th with our partners at the UndocuBlack Network and United We Dream to discuss anti-Asian violence and the impact of racism and xenophobia on all communities, and our call to action. RSVP HERE.

Lastly, we say this to Asian Americans — we see you.

We would like to share the following powerful statements:
AAAJ-Atlanta’s statement
NAPAWF’s statement

RSVP to our Cross-Community Dialogue

From: Council of Korean Americans
Subject: PRESS RELEASE: Council of Korean Americans Mourns Victims of Atlanta Shooting

Council of Korean Americans Mourns Victims of Atlanta Shootings

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE on Wednesday, March 17, 2021
Contact: Ruth Song; 202-660-0900, media@councilka.org

Washington, D.C. – The Council of Korean Americans (CKA) extends its deepest sympathies to the victims and families of those involved in last night’s shootings at spas in the greater Atlanta, Georgia region. We mourn the eight individuals who lost their lives and offer our support and prayers to those injured. According to media reports, six of those who lost their lives were of Asian descent, and of them, four were Korean women.

At this time, prosecutors and law enforcement have not released full information about the motive behind the crimes and an investigation is ongoing. A suspect is in custody.

“We are devastated by the terrible violence in Atlanta and mourn with the families of these victims,” stated CKA Executive Director Abraham Kim. “Regardless of the motive, the effect of this shooting on our communities is clear. Our hearts go out to all those who are experiencing deep feelings of grief and anger.”

This horrific tragedy occurs in the context of an escalation of violence against the Asian American community and a year-long wave of anti-Asian hate and bias. We encourage members of the community to express and acknowledge the feelings and trauma they may be experiencing right now.

CKA stands with the Atlanta community and calls upon all Americans to protect and support one another during this time of tragedy. We strongly condemn all acts of violence and discrimination against our Asian communities. CKA is in touch with local community leaders and officials and will continue to monitor this situation.

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About the Council of Korean Americans: The Council of Korean Americans is a national nonprofit organization. Our mission is to advance the national voice, interest, and influence of the Korean American community through education, collaboration, and leadership development.

From: National Council of Asian Pacific Americans
Subject: NCAPA Mourns Over Mass Shooting in Atlanta, The Violence Must Stop

NCAPA Mourns Over Mass Shooting in Atlanta, The Violence Must Stop

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE on March 17th, 2021
CONTACT: Emma Shainwald, emma@ncapaonline.org

Washington, DC— National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA) National Director, Gregg Orton issued the following statement following the mass shootings in Atlanta, Georgia where it was reported that at least 8 people were murdered; and 6 of the victims were of Asian descent.

“On behalf of the entire coalition and our member organizations, our hearts go out to our community members in Atlanta.

“Given the appearance that these murders were racially-motivated, there are few words that can describe the grief many of us feel at this moment—grief that is matched only by the outrage of seeing the consequences of weaponized xenophobia. Make no mistake: this is as much a tragic culmination, as it is a foreseeable outcome of hate and misogyny left unchecked.

“Since the pandemic began, we have warned that the threats to our community were real. Today, there should be no question.

“Despite our anger, we call on everyone to focus on community-focused responses. There are 8 victims, families and an entire community that are grappling with devastating loss. We must not respond to violence with violence. This pandemic has already cost too many lives; we must not allow our response to it cost even more

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Based in Washington, D.C., the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans is a coalition of 37 national Asian Pacific American organizations that serves to represent the interests of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities and to provide a national voice for our communities’ concerns. Our communities are the fastest growing racial/ethnic group in the United States, currently making up approximately six percent of the population.

From: Juanita Wehrle-Einhorn
Subject: THE GUARDIAN: Trevor Noah on the Atlanta shootings and anti-Asian racism: ‘We could see this coming’

Trevor Noah on the Atlanta shootings and anti-Asian racism: ‘We could see this coming’

Late-night hosts react to the attack, and discuss the terrible predictability of anti-Asian rhetoric leading to violence
Read in The Guardian: https://apple.news/AbiOy7zNbSfmTIHUCa3wdaA

From: Cheng Liao
Subject: Daniel Dae Kim and Trevor Noah

From: Linda Akutagawa, President & CEO, LEAP (Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics)
Subject: A Message from LEAP President & CEO: 8 lives cut short. Mourning the Unnecessary Loss of life in Atlanta

8 lives cut short. Mourning the unnecessary loss of life in Atlanta.

Oak Creek, WI, Charleston, SC, Orlando, FL, Pittsburgh, PA and now Atlanta, GA.

Last night eight people were senselessly murdered over the space of a few hours at three different Asian businesses in the greater Atlanta region in another mass shooting perpetrated by a lone gunman. Six of the eight victims were Asian women.

Our hearts and deepest condolences go out to the families of the victims as we join them and Atlanta’s Asian American community in collective grief, sadness and anger for their loss.

Sadly, these deaths follow a year-long series of escalating, xenophobic, hate-filled actions directed at Asian American communities across the U.S. and now Atlanta is added to a shameful list of cities known for hate-driven mass shootings.

Anti-Asian hate crimes tracker, Stop AAPI Hate shared that nearly 3,800 incidents of harassment, discrimination and racism were reported over this past year through their reporting center. More disturbing, as we commemorate Women’s History month, 68% of the hate incidents were directed at Asian women. A report by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism released last week shows that hate crimes against Asian Americans grew nationally by an alarming 149% in 2020 from 2019 while overall hate crimes declined by 7%.

We know our community is hurting. We’re hurting too. Check in with each other and with your Asian American friends, family, team members and colleagues. Share mental health resources like the Crisis Text Line and Heartmob. Donate to organizations like Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Atlanta and Center for Pacific Asian Community Services so they can help with healing in the Atlanta Asian American community.

We will be heard! The Congressional House Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties will be holding a hearing tomorrow morning, Thursday, March 18 at 10am EDT on “Discrimination and Violence Against Asian Americans”. This is an opportunity to hold Congress accountable to us. Words matter, but actions speak louder. Share your story about anti-Asian hate with Chairman Steven Cohen and Ranking Member Mike Johnson.

Going forward the drive for justice includes Asian Americans and unity across all our communities. LEAP stands together with our Asian American community partners and allies from the Black, Latinx, Native American, Pacific Islander, and White communities to advocate for action, solutions and healing. No longer will our screaming go unheard. No longer will our outrage be minimized. We will NOT be invisible. #StopAsianHate

From: Joel Wong
Subject: APAPA Statement on Atlanta Shootings

APAPA
Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association
Community Education Foundation (APAPA-CEF)
Empowering and Engaging Asian Pacific Islander Americans

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE onThursday, March 18, 2021
Contact: Joel Wong; (510) 999-5763, joelwong@comcast.net

APAPA Expresses Condolences for the Lives Lost in Georgia Shootings

Sacramento, CA – The Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association (APAPA) is deeply saddened and hurt by the recent tragedy that took place in Georgia on March 16, 2021. It is with a grave heart that we offer our condolences to the families of Daoyou Feng, 44; Delaina Yaun, 33; Paul Michels, 54; Xiaojie Tan, 49; and the four unnamed victims in the Atlanta Spa Shootings. Our hearts also go out to Elcias Hernandez-Ortiz, 30, who was injured in the attack and remains in critical condition. Eight individuals lost their lives and one was left in critical condition after a man opened fire at three locally-owned spas in two different cities in the state of Georgia. These shootings are a senseless act of violence, one of many that are perpetuating Asian and Pacific Islander Americans, making it a heartbreaking time for the API community. APAPA stands in solidarity with those who lost their lives to such a heinous act of violence and vows to continue to stand against racism, sexism and hate crimes.

At this moment, the exact motive of the shooting has not been confirmed although NBCNews opines that in addition to racism, sexism cannot be ruled out as part of the shooter’s motivation. The shootings appear to be at the “intersection of gender-based violence, misogyny, and xenophobia,” said Georgia State Rep. Bee Nguyen. This incident has also captured our nation’s attention and deeply shocked the entire Asian community.

Many AAPI organizations, including AAAJ-Atlanta, SEARAC, OCA, UCA, and a C-100-ADL cohort have issued statements condemning the recent Georgia shootings. Once again, we thank ADL, our Jewish brothers, for their unyielding support and partnership to condemn hate-crimes against Asians and all Americans.

On March 17, 2021, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement, “These shootings are a vicious and vile act that compounds the fear and pain that Asian-Americans face each day. […] Our entire nation must come together to speak out to Stop Asian Hate. President Biden is to be commended on his executive actions to condemn these attacks and to empower the Justice Department to combat the violence. And, led by the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, we will continue our work to end violence and bigotry in America.”

Following the incidents from March 16, 2021, President Joe Biden issued a proclamation for the U.S. flag to be lowered at half-staff in all public grounds, government, and military stations. Biden said he was ordering the flags lowered “as a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of violence.”

APAPA appreciates the above organizations and political leaders for speaking out against these hate-crimes and anti-AAPI sentiments. The perpetuation of these crimes must be immediately stopped, and the perpetrators must not go unpunished.

Once again, APAPA emphasizes that America is strongest when we are diverse and united and that the American Dream is for ALL Americans. We are deeply saddened by these tragic events and will continue to stand against racism, sexism and hate crimes in honor of those who cannot.

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APAPA is a non-profit, non-partisan and grassroots organization. Its mission is to empower Asian and Pacific Islander (API) Americans through education, leadership, and active participation in civic and public affairs.