I’m exhausted. The pandemic has exacerbated acts of racism and violence on Asian Americans. And today we wake up to another incident that will be etched in our history.
There is a deep and long history in America of anti-Asian xenophobia rooted in policy - the Chinese Exclusion Act and the Japanese Internment camps. The only way we are going to create long term change is to dismantle the systems that allow atrocities like the murder of eight people - many of them Asian women - by a white supremacist in Atlanta.
As we mourn this horrific act, I ask you to join me in taking action.
Contact your elected representatives today and demand their support for the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, which seeks to address the ongoing hate and violence targeted toward Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. If passed into law, this would give law enforcement more resources to respond to COVID-19 hate crimes, and it would create a position at the Department of Justice to facilitate expedited review of these cases.
IGNITE condemns acts of hate against people of Asian ancestry and extends our sympathy and support for all those harmed directly and indirectly by the recent violence in Atlanta. Hate is a virus and we won't stand for it.