By Soraya Alcala
In the aftermath of last week’s massacre in Atlanta where eight people were murdered, including six women of Asian descent, 207 civil and human rights organizations released the following statement:
“White supremacist violence against communities of color continues to escalate, especially in recent years. The deadly shootings in the Atlanta area on March 16 follow an alarming 150 percent increase in violence and harassment against Asians and Asian Americans, with women reporting incidents at twice the rate as men, since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is no coincidence that the horrific attack targeted women of color working low-wage jobs, as women of color are the most likely to suffer the consequences of racism, misogyny, and white supremacy.
“The civil and human rights community condemns these misogynistic and racist attacks and is united with our local allies in demanding community-centered responses to better support Asian women and elders, who have been disproportionately impacted by the increase in violence. These responses must include increased culturally informed support for survivors and the broader community; meaningful physical and mental health care access, including for all immigrants; and economic assistance that focuses on those who need it most.
“Our leaders must take steps to acknowledge and address the impact of hateful rhetoric, violence, and vitriol that have been directed at Asian Americans, especially over the past year. They must ensure that Asian American communities, including local organizations, have the resources to effectively support people targeted for hate. When political leaders who seek to deepen divisions and their enablers dehumanize communities of color and sow hatred through rhetoric and policy, they embolden white supremacists to commit horrific violence. This is unacceptable. We must all unite to demand accountability. Hate has no place in our country, and we cannot allow this bigotry to continue unaddressed.”
Background
- The Office of the Director of National Intelligence issued a report on March 1 warning Congress about the rising threat of white supremacists, and in particular, lone offenders.
- Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas testified on March 17 that domestic extremism “poses the most lethal and persistent terrorism-related threat to the homeland today.”
- Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta and Georgia NAACP issued a collective statement: A Community-Centered Response to Violence Against Asian American Communities.
- National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum issued a call to President Biden for Emergency Safety and Relief for Asian American and Pacific Islander Communities.
The Leadership Conference Education Fund The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights AACI ACCESS (Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services) Advancing Justice | AAJC African Communities Together AFSCME Alliance for Justice Ameinu American Association of University Women (AAUW) American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) Americans United for Separation of Church and State Amnesty International USA Amplify Asian America Anti-Defamation League APAPA - San Diego APAPA Texas API Middle Tennessee APIA Vote-MI Appleseed Network Arab American Institute Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS) Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) Asian American Organizing Project (AAOP) Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote Asian CineVision Asian Culture And Education Society USA Asian Law Alliance Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO Asian Pacific Partners for Empowerment, Advocacy and Leadership (APPEAL) Asian Services In Action (ASIA) ASIAN, Inc. 美亞輔鄰社 Asians in LA Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO) Augustus F. Hawkins Foundation Austin Asian Community Civic Coalition Autistic Self Advocacy Network Avodah Bayanihan Collective Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law Berkeley Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League Boat People SOS (BPSOS) Carolina Jews for Justice Casa Ruby Center for Disability Rights Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) Center for Learner Equity Center for Reproductive Rights Center For Southeast Asians Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism - California State University, San Bernardino Chinese American Citizens Alliance, Oakland Lodge Chinese Culture Connection, Inc. Clearinghouse on Women's Issues Dayenu: A Jewish Call to Climate Action Dear Asian Americans Demos Disability Rights Advocates Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund Edot Midwest Regional Jewish Diversity and Racial Justice Collaborative EMBARC End Citizens United / Let America Vote Action Fund Equal Justice Society Faith and Community Empowerment (formerly KCCD) Faith Organizing Alliance FASTER - Filipino Americans in Science Technology Engineering Arts and Mathematics Feminist Majority Foundation FilAmplified Girls Inc. GLSEN GOLD HOUSE HIAS Hindu American Foundation Hispanic Federation Hop Sing Tong Denver Human Rights Campaign Human Rights Watch Immigrant Legal Resource Center Impact Fund Interfaith Alliance International Leadership Foundation Iowa Asian Alliance Japanese American Citizens League JCRC of San Francisco Jewish Community Action Jewish Council for Public Affairs Jewish Council on Urban Affairs Jewish Women International Jewish World Watch Justice in Aging KAFO Fund Keshet Korean American Center Korean American Democratic Committee Korean Community Services, Inc. Lab/Shul Lambda Legal Lambda Phi Epsilon International Fraternity, Inc. Laotian American National Alliance LatinoJustice PRLDEF LE GaFa, Leadership and Education Through Gagana Fa'a Samoa LEAD Filipino League of Conservation Voters League of Women Voters of U.S. LEAP (Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics) Learning Policy Institute Little Lights Urban Ministries Louisiana Advocates for Immigants in Detention MAPAAC Marshallese Youth of Orange County MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger Missouri Asian American Youth Foundation Morrison & Foerster LLP Movement Advancement Project Moving Traditions Muslim Advocates NAAAP NAACP NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) NALEO NANAY NARAL Pro-Choice America National Action Network (NAN) National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity (NAPE) National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) National Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum National Asian Pacific Center on Aging (NAPCA) National Black Justice Coalition National CAPACD- National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development National Center for Civil and Human Rights National Center for Learning Disabilities National Center for Transgender Equality National Consumer Law Center National Council of Jewish Women National Council of Negro Women National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) National Education Association National Employment Law Project National Employment Lawyers Association National Equality Action Team (NEAT) National Fair Housing Alliance National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) National Housing Law Project National Indian Education Association National Japanese American Memorial Foundation National Organization for Women National Women's Law Center Native American Rights Fund NDRN Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies New American Leaders New Jersey Institute for Social Justice New York Jewish Agenda Not In Our Town OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates, Greater Cleveland Chapter OCA Greater Phoenix OCA-Greater Houston OCAPICA Ohio AAPI Caucus Open to All Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance (OCAPICA) Oxfam America Pacific Islander Health Partnership People For the American Way People's Parity Project PFLAG National Planned Parenthood Federation of America Poverty & Race Research Action Council Public Advocacy for Kids (PAK) Public Citizen Public Justice Rabbinical Assembly Reconstructing Judaism Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association Reproaction SAAVETX Sacred Heart Community Service Service Employees International Union (SEIU) SHK Global Health Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) South Asian Public Health Association (SAPHA) Southeast Asia Resource Action Center - SEARAC Southern Poverty Law Center T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights Taiwanese American Professionals - Washington, D.C. The Center for Asian Pacific American Women The Employee Rights Advocacy Institute For Law & Policy The National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA) The United Methodist Church - General Board of Church and Society The Workers Circle The Young S.A.M.O.A. Transportation Learning Center UC Berkeley Pilipinx American Alumni Chapter UC Irvine UCLA Center for EthnoCommunications UnidosUS Union for Reform Judaism United Church of Christ, Justice and Local Church Ministries UpStart Voice of Vietnamese Americans YAFFED YWCA USA
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