Posted on March 25, 2021
Last week’s shooting of eight people in Atlanta – among them six Asian American women – is yet another reminder that targeted racial, ethnic, and gender-based hate crimes are a painful and ongoing part of our nation’s history.
MHP shares the nation’s grief and stands shoulder to shoulder with its Asian, Asian American and Pacific Islander colleagues who contribute so much to our organization. We join them in condemning the violence in Atlanta and the hate-fueled brutality, policies and discrimination the AAPI community has experienced for centuries.
We join them in mourning those who were murdered and the families who are left behind. We fear for the well-being and safety of our AAPI colleagues and communities. We encourage and promote the uplifting of all voices and actions that support, protect and empower the AAPI community.
We share their outrage while acknowledging that all too often we are moved to make statements like this only after events like the Atlanta killings, the murder of George Floyd and the countless other examples where Indigenous People, people of color, Asian, Asian Americans, Pacific Islander, the LGBTQ community and so many others have been targeted because of who they are, instead of being valued for making our communities and country stronger.
As an organization, we realize that we can’t let tragedies drive these statements and discussions. We have to have ongoing conversations, create safe places where people can share how they are feeling and we need to learn that we need each other. As one colleague told us this week, “that’s how you get to the point where people are healing.”