Combat violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders by supporting these five organizations.
“The reported shootings of multiple Asian American women today in Atlanta is an unspeakable tragedy—for the families of the victims first and foremost, but also for the Asian American community, which has been reeling from high levels of racist attacks over the course of the past year.”– Stop AAPI Hate
Say their names: Soon Chung Park (age 74), Suncha Kim (age 69), Yong Yue (age 63), Paul Andre Michels (age 54), Hyun Jung Grant (age 51), Xiaojie Tan (age 49), Daoyou Feng (age 44), and Delania Ashley Yaun (age 33). On March 16, eight people were murdered during a series of mass shootings at three massage businesses in The Good Pixel’s hometown of Atlanta, GA. With six of the eight victims named Asian American women, the moment was an act of “white supremacy, anti-Asian racism, sexism, and sexual violence against Asian American women.”
The tragedy of the Atlanta-based shooting brings attention to the rising violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) over the past year. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March of 2020, Stop AAPI Hate has documented 3,795 incidents of anti-Asian discrimination across the country. These incidents have primarily impacted women, with anti-Asian hate consistently targeting women 2-3 times more than men.
Exactly one month after the shooting in Atlanta, the need to combat racism and sexism targeting AAPI women remains just as pressing today. Keep reading below to learn more about five nonprofit organizations advancing justice for AAPI communities.
In response to the escalation in xenophobia and bigotry from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Asian Pacific Planning and Policy Council (A3PCON), Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA), and the Asian American Studies Department of San Francisco State University launched the Stop AAPI Hate reporting center on March 19, 2020. The center tracks and responds to incidents of hate, violence, harassment, discrimination, shunning, and child bullying against AAPIs in the US. Their approach recognizes that effectively addressing anti-Asian racism requires working to end all forms of structural racism against Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color.
2. Asian Americans Advancing Justice / Advancing Justice | AAJC
AAJC aims to advance civil and human rights for Asian Americans and to build and promote a fair and equitable society for all. They fight for civil rights through education, litigation, and public policy advocacy. Get involved with AAJC by sharing your story, working as an intern or law clerk, attending the Advancing Justice Conference, joining the Youth Leadership Summit, or making a donation.
3. National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF)
NAPAWAF’s mission is to build collective power with AAPI women and girls to gain full agency over their lives, families, and communities. Using a reproductive justice framework, they elevate members to impact policy and drive systemic change. They have 14 chapters across the country, including a chapter in Atlanta, GA. Take action with NAPAWAF by signing a petition to condemn hate and violence against AAPI women, supporting the HEAL for Immigrant Women and Families Act, accessing their social media toolkit, or joining a local chapter.
4. Asian American Feminist Collective
The Asian American Feminist Collective engages in intersectional feminist politics by seeking to provide spaces for identity exploration, political education, community building, and advocacy. Asian American feminism is an ever-evolving practice that seeks to address the multi-dimensional ways Asian American people confront systems of power at the intersections of race, gender, class, sexuality, religion, disability, migration history and citizenship and immigration status.
5. National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA)
NQAPIA is a federation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Asian American, South Asian, Southeast Asian, and Pacific Islander (AAPI) organizations. They seek to build the organizational capacity of local LGBT AAPI groups, develop leadership, promote visibility, educate our community, enhance grassroots organizing, expand collaborations, and challenge anti-LGBTQ bias and racism. Subscribe to NQAPIA’s listserv to receive updates on the queer Asian community across the country and be notified of local events in your area.
Not sure how to start combating anti-Asian violence? Check out Stop AAPI Hate’s guide to acting now. The agency informs supporters on how to encourage victims and witnesses of hate crimes to report an incident, share safety tips, stay informed, donate to local efforts, advocate for policy changes, support Ethnic Studies in your local schools, and shop at local Asian-owned businesses.
Additional Resources
COVID-19 Recovery Foundation, Asian Pacific Fund
68 Ways to Donate in Support of Asian Communities
Asian American Organizations You Need to Know
