Fighting Anti-Asian Violence in 2021
[Content Warning: Graphic content and mentions of violence, assault and death]
Violent hate crimes targeting Asian communities have risen in the last few months and especially during the pandemic. This Twitter thread by Michelle Kim contains video evidence of some of these crimes (CW: The clips linked depict recorded violence and assault). See the social media posts below for further detail on specific incidents and their impacts.
More recently, eight people were shot and killed at a massage parlour in Atlanta on March 16th. Six of these victims were Asian women. As communities continue to be impacted, we encourage you to get involved using any of the avenues for support and involvement included on this page.
How to support AAPI communities
Anti-Asian hate crimes have a long history, despite Asian immigrants being touted as "Model Minorities" as a result of the Model Minority Myth. During the pandemic especially, these crimes have intensified, as a result of xenophobia and the use of racist terms such as “Chinese virus” when referring to COVID-19. In these tumultuous times, it is essential that we continue to draw attention to the impact of these acts and focus on supporting communities in need. The post on the right provides several ways to get involved. We've also included links to non-profit and volunteer organizations as well as initiatives that support AAPI communities below.
Anti-Asian Violence Resource Page
This comprehensive page includes ways to get involved, with petitions to sign, donation avenues, articles to educate yourself and others, and more ways to support AAPI communities.
This organization provides a reporting tool for hate incidents in the U.S. against AAPI (Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders). The website also includes information for contacting local representatives that voted against a resolution condemning the rising anti-Asian racism that has been taking place since the outbreak of COVID-19. Stop AAPI Hate recently released a report with data on the AAPI hate incident reports they received from March 2020 to end February 2021. During this period, they received nearly 3,800 reports.
Support the AAPI Community Fund
This fundraiser by GoFundMe is raising funds to support grassroots organizations that support and empower AAPI communities. Click the link to donate.
The Asian Law Caucus aims to promote, advance, and represent the legal and civil rights of Asian Pacific Islander communities. They advocate for housing rights, immigration rights, criminal justice reform, workers’ rights, national security and civil rights, and more.
Location-specific organizations/initiatives to support:
Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta
Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta is the first nonprofit legal advocacy organization dedicated to protecting the civil rights of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander (AANHPI) and Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian (AMEMSA) communities in Georgia and the Southeast.
They have a letter/statement that individuals and organizations can sign in solidarity against systemic racism and gender-based violence, especially following the shooting on March 16th in which six Asian women were killed.
APEN : Asian Pacific Environmental Network
The APEN is an environmental justice organization that supports the health of Asian immigrant and refugee communities in Richmond and Oakland, California.
Heart of Dinner delivers meals to Asian elders throughout NYC. They are largely volunteer-operated, with volunteers playing roles in delivering lunches and produce with hand-written letters and illustrated packages. They also support small businesses by partnering with restaurants to source meals.
Compassion in Oakland provides volunteer opportunities to escort people, especially elders, within Oakland Chinatown communities.
Chinese Progressive Association
The CPA educates, organizes and empowers the low income and working class immigrant Chinese community in San Francisco to build collective power with other oppressed communities to demand better living and working conditions and justice for all people.
The Filipino Cultural Center provides a safe space where Filipino families can access services, receive support, and build community in the Bay Area. They foster and develop community empowerment, grassroots leadership, advocacy, and organizing to address the immediate and long term issues of local communities, within the Philippines.
Vietnamese American Community Center of the East Bay
The VACCEB provides a variety of support services to South-East Asians and other underrepresented immigrant communities in the San Francisco Bay Area. These services include access to nutritional meals, senior programs, housing assistance, immigration legal and education services, English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, and employment development.
On February 6th this year, the center caught on fire and suffered devastating losses as a result. Due to the generosity of supporters, they were able to meet their fundraiser goal for rebuilding the center. However, additional support can still be sent through the fundraiser link here:
APIENC : API Equality Northern California
The APIENC works to build transgender, non-binary and queer Asian and Pacific Islander power within the Bay Area through leadership programs, their Trans Justice Initiative, Dragon Fruit Oral History Project, ecological justice initiatives and movement building.
Asian Prisoner Support Committee
The APSC provides direct support to Asian and Pacific Islander (API) prisoners and raises awareness about the growing number of APIs being imprisoned, detained, and deported. APSC has led programs in prisons, organized anti-deportation campaigns, provided resources to “lifers,” and developed culturally relevant re-entry programs.