Our country is experiencing an increase in violent, hateful, and deeply alarming acts against the Asian American community. This was most recently brought into the national spotlight after the tragic shootings of eight people in Georgia, including six women of Asian descent. The Central New York Community Foundation condemns these atrocities and mourns the victims of this hateful violence.
This tragedy comes after a year of escalating, hateful rhetoric and actions against Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. Stop Asian American Pacific Islander Hate, a center launched in response to anti-Asian racism, reports nearly 3,800 first-hand accounts of attacks and abuse against Asian Americans in nearly every state across the country between March 2020 and December 2020. We also know this is only a fraction of the total number of such crimes, due to underreporting and data incorrectly disaggregated by race.
As we saw in Georgia, these attacks are becoming more lethal. They come in the wake of hundreds of years of racist-fueled abuse and crimes against the Asian American community that have been dismissed and ignored.
If we as a society are to be truly anti-racist, then we must address our past of discrimination, injustice and violence against non-White racial and ethnic groups, against women, and against all those historically excluded from traditional power structures. As individuals, as communities and as a nation, we need to reflect on our own commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and the rights and safety of every person in this nation.
We urge our neighbors to join us in denouncing these attacks and standing in solidarity with the Asian American community. The way forward is for all of us, as individuals and organizations, to eliminate intolerance, as well as physical and verbal attacks on communities. We hope that you will join us in committing to improve our shared future.
