Stop AAPI Hate
Last Tuesday, eight people were shot and killed by a gunman in Atlanta. Six of those people were Asian women.
PCRC is profoundly troubled by the anti-Asian racism and violence and condemns the horrendous killings of six Asian American & Pacific Islander women this week and two other victims in Atlanta, Georgia. We grieve with all the families impacted and the AAPI communities. PCRC stands in solidarity with our AAPI communities across the country in seeking justice, accountability, and change.
We acknowledge the increment of inequalities, oppression, ongoing acts of violence, xenophobia, and discrimination targeting the AAPI communities heightened at the beginning of the pandemic. Our AAPI communities live in fear of being attacked because of their ethnic heritage and xenophobic narrative promoted by nationalist and white supremacist groups.
According to the Stop AAPI Hate National Report, over 3,795 xenophobic incidents have been reported from March 19, 2020, to February 28, 2021. The incidents include:
Verbal and online harassment
Physical assault
Civil rights violations involving workplace discrimination and refusal of service
During this challenging time, PCRC reinstates its commitment to advancing equity. For almost 35 years, we have been building relationships, empowering people, and reducing violence through collaborative efforts. Last year, we held a series of webinars addressing racial disparities and COVID-19, engaging thousands of participants across the nation to bring awareness and lift our community's voices. In partnership with You Belong Here Foundation, we heard from leaders from the Asian Law Caucus, Chinese for Affirmative Action, and the Asian American Association of New Mexico on their community-building strategies to combat race-based violence on AAPI communities.
We continue to be committed to addressing the systemic racial inequities and implicit biases affecting our community. PCRC's values of inclusivity and strategies to establish relationships and community trust are embedded in all of our community programs, including our Racial Healing Campaign. We will continue to focus on convening dialogues, facilitating healing circles, building organizations' capacity led by leaders of color, supporting community leadership development, providing technical assistance, and inspiring community-led action.
We believe that change is long overdue. We can not remain silent while our communities collapse in agony; these hate crimes are unacceptable and need to stop. With the support of key partners, such as law enforcement, service agencies, faith-based organizations, youth development groups, businesses, and schools, we will continue to resolve these complex issues, developing empathy and respect to transform conflict throughout our communities.
We will LISTEN to each other, NURTURE empathy and respect, and inspire others to ACT to ADVANCE EQUITY.
PCRC stands with you.