ERG Council Statement on Anti-Asian Racism and Violence
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Message from the County’s Employee Resource Group Council:
We join the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community in denouncing the recent surge of anti-Asian racism and violence in communities across the United States, including those that have been particularly visible in New York City, the Bay Area, and here in San Diego, and the recent tragic shooting of six Asian women in Atlanta.
We have seen a surge in reported cases of hate crimes and attacks on AAPIs in the last year. Stop AAPI Hate, a national coalition documenting and addressing anti-Asian discrimination during the pandemic, has recorded nearly 3,800 instances since the pandemic began. But racism against the AAPI community is not new and is often overlooked. Anti-Asian racism dates back centuries to the 1850s during the first wave of Asian immigrants to the U.S.
Together, it’s our responsibility to stop the violence, acknowledge and erase the harmful stereotypes and discrimination, end the pitting of people against one another, and dismantle systemic racism.
Here are some ways in which you can get involved:
Commit to learning about the perspectives and experience of communities of color. The San Diego API coalition has compiled resources to assist in responding to increased hate incidents. A place to start is the Black + AAPI History and Resources.
Report incidents of hate, violence, harassment, discrimination, shunning, and bullying against Asian American and Pacific Islanders: stopaapihate.org, standagainsthatred.org. The District Attorney’s Office encourages the reporting of any type of hate crime or incident at sandiegoda.com, hatecrimes@sdcda.org or by calling 619-515-8805 and victim advocates at 619-531-4101.
Learn about and donate to an AAPI cause. Here are just a few examples:
AAPI Community Fund aims at addressing the urgent issues that face the AAPI community as well as broader, systemic problems.
Atlanta chapter of Asian Americans Advancing Justice aims at supporting the victims and their families impacted by the shootings on March 16.
National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) is dedicated to creating change for AAPI women and girls through methods including policy change and legal advocacy.
Heart of Dinner delivers lunches and fresh produce to New York City’s elderly Asian American community.
Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund works to promote the civil rights of Asian Americans on issues ranging from immigrant rights and voting rights to police misconduct and human trafficking.
Support local Asian businesses. San Diego teenager, Kaia Culotta, has compiled a list of businesses on helpasianbiz.com.
Contact your local elected officials to ensure they hear your concerns about the recent surge of anti-Asian racism and violence in communities. Not sure who your elected official is? Start at usa.gov/elected-officialsusa.gov/elected-officials.
The above are only a few ways to start the conversation and we hope to continue to hear from you on how we can foster dialogue, provide support, and strengthen our community together.
Comments:
The Department of Human Resources, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) division grieves for the families and communities of numerous Asian community members murdered in Georgia on March 16, 2021, by senseless gun violence and anti-Asian racism.
The EDI team stands in solidarity with the Asian Pacific Alliance of County Employees (APACE) to condemn anti-API violence and to actively find solutions to shield our community from further hate and violence.