The surge of anti-Asian hate incidents increasing by 1,900% this past year, alone, has been disturbing, but sadly unsurprising. Since COVID-19’s arrival in the US, we’ve heard more and more stories of anti-Asian discrimination, from racist remarks made in passing to violent hate crimes like the terrible shooting earlier this week in Atlanta that resulted in 8 deaths — 6 of those deaths being Asian women.
Our mission at Tenshey to advance diverse leaders will, in turn, forge a more inclusive world. It’s our belief that everyone should be valued for the perspectives that their backgrounds and unique qualities bring to the table. To see this uptick in anti-Asian hate and violence, or incidences of hate experienced by any Underrepresented Minority Group, means there is so much more to be done, and we do not stand for any intolerance, discrimination, racism, or hate.
If you’re wondering what you can do to support the AAPI community during this time, here are some resources:
- Report incidents of AAPI Hate to stopaapihate.org.
- Denounce anti-Asian discrimination within your own communities by calling out racist language
- Make a donation to an organization such as The AALDEF (Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund), AAJC (Asian Americans Advancing Justice), Hate is a Virus, AAPI Women Lead, WomanKind, Stop AAPI Hate, Asian Mental Health Collective, and more.
- Continue to educate yourself – this post by Julia Li at Thumbtack has a comprehensive list of resources, including education about the history of anti-Asian discrimination in the United States, information about the model-minority stereotype, and reports on the impact of COVID-19 on Asian Americans.
- Be an ally to those unlike you and work on overcoming your unconscious biases.
- Celebrate the AAPI community by supporting Asian-owned businesses and consuming films, television, books, and art created by Asian artists.
- Check in with your Asian and Asian-American friends, family, colleagues, and neighbors and see how they are doing.
Most importantly, do not let #StopAAPIHate become a passing trend. Stay educated, informed, and committed to making a change – our friends, family, colleagues, and neighbors depend on it.
Team Tenshey