“Our hearts are with the Asian American community as we mourn the loss of life from the deadly shooting in Georgia on Tuesday night. Sadly, these violent crimes in Georgia hit close to home for many Asian Americans who have witnessed increasing attacks on their community since the start of the pandemic. There is no doubt that xenophobia, scapegoating and misogynistic rhetoric perpetrated by the previous president has put Asian women specifically at risk over the past year.
“This tragedy happened to befall the community on the same day a report from Stop AAPI Hate was released showing that there were nearly 3,800 self-reported, hate-related incidents against Asian Americans from March 19th of last year to February 28th of this year. Nearly 70 percent of those attacks were against women, underscoring just how entrenched misogyny and gendered violence is within white supremacy.
“As we attempt to heal and go forward with accountability, we stand in solidarity with the families who lost loved ones and recognize our duty to center the needs of the Asian American community during this time.
“We denounce the misogyny, systemic racism and white supremacy that clearly leads to violence against communities of color and marginalized groups in this country. We challenge ourselves and others to be mindful of the language we use and how it may contribute to dangerous, racist stereotypes that put these communities at dire risk.
“We join together with all groups willing to do the work necessary to call out and eliminate hate and gender- and race-based violence in this nation. Eradicating white supremacy to protect the safety of communities of color, particularly women of color, must be our top priority.”
If you are looking to support local groups in Georgia committed to doing this work, consider NAPAWF’s Georgia Chapter and Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Atlanta.
