National CAPACD is Devastated by Loss of Lives in Atlanta Shootings

Last night, eight people were killed in a series of shootings at Atlanta-area spas. Six of the eight victims were Asian American women. National CAPACD is devastated by this racially motivated and gender-based hate crime, the latest and one of the most deadly in the escalating violence against Asian Americans, particularly Asian American women. Our hearts go out to the families of the victims, and our community members in Atlanta who fear for their safety. 

During this pandemic, we have witnessed an uptick in violence against Asian Americans – Stop AAPI Hate has reported about 3,800 hate incidents against Asian Americans in the last year. Women were the victims of 68% of these incidents. In fact, National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) shared, based on new polling, that nearly half of Asian American and Pacific Islander women have been affected by anti-Asian racism in the past two years. Anti-Asian racism, fuelled by the pandemic, has brought the often silenced but longstanding history of racialized misogyny against Asian American women to the fore.   

National CAPACD implores local and national elected officials to champion policies in response to racially motivated crimes against AAPI women who are often essential workers on the front lines in a number of sectors. We will work in solidarity with our BiPOC partners to advocate for community-centered solutions that challenge hate and violence because no one in this country should fear for their lives on account of their race or gender. 

Finally, we will stand with and follow the lead of our local members in Atlanta who must hold the grief and fear of Asian American women in their communities. Stephanie Cho, Executive Director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Atlanta states “During this time of crisis for our AAPI community, we call on our local and state government to provide robust and responsive crisis intervention resources, including in-language support for mental health, legal, employment, and immigration services. It is time for Georgia to invest in transformative justice that begins with cross racial dialogue and community-building that address the root causes of violence and hate.”

Read AAAJ – Atlanta’s statement here.  

Read NAPAWF’s statement here.