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Bay Area K-Coalition Joint Statement
Our hearts go out to the victims and their loved ones, and those who are scared, angry, and afraid to leave their homes.
With anti-Asian hate crimes spiking 149% in the past year*, Asian American and Pacific Islander communities have been facing two viruses simultaneously: COVID-19 and racism. According to StopAAPIHate.org, 70 percent of the nearly 3,800 hate crimes reported since March 2020 were directed at women. The deadly shootings in Atlanta on March 16 - which claimed the lives of 8 individuals, 6 of whom were Asian women and 4 of whom were ethnically Korean - is a confluence of the many factors faced by Asian immigrants in the U.S. It is at the intersection of racism, gender, class, and poverty where we must work together to find sustainable and comprehensive solutions for our community, while raising awareness of the long-running infection of racism in the U.S.
We, the Bay Area K-Coalition, unequivocally reject all acts of violence, discrimination, and hate, including all forms of racism, sexism, xenophobia, homophobia, transphobia, and anti-religious sentiment. We decry the structural gaslighting by the media and public officials, which dehumanize the victims and cause further harm to their communities. We call for an adequate analysis of this crime to bring equitable justice to the victims and their families. We stand together for justice and stand in unity against hate.
Support Our Community
- Join our virtual vigil to honor the victims and give the AAPI community and allies a place to gather in solidarity in opposition to AAPI hate. Everyone is welcome.
- April 3rd, 5 p.m. PT; click here to register for the event.
- Advocate for repairing harm caused to victims and their communities by supporting community-based organizations working on the front lines:
- Volunteer to chaperone anyone who is nervous about walking alone:
Break the Silence
- Call attention to the racism within your own community.
- Document incidents of hate violence or harassment to advance awareness and strengthen advocacy efforts.
Empower & Educate
- Take a Bystander Intervention workshop. Asian Americans Advancing Justice and Hollaback! provides free workshops on effective intervention to empower you when you witness a hate crime.
- Educators: include Asian American history in your school curriculum. Asian Americans have long been subject to erasure and tokenism. Asian American history is American history.
Self Reflect & Stand in Solidarity
- Confront your own racism and biases.
- Continue to show solidarity for non-Asian communities of color, especially the Black community
- Learn and share our long history of cross-community solidarity and allyship.
*The Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University
About the Bay Area K-Coalition
The Bay Area K-Coalition aims to support and give voice to the Korean American community. The group was originally formed in April 2020 in direct response to the growing Covid-19 pandemic in order to share resources, find meaningful solutions, and take collective action on behalf of vulnerable Korean American individuals, families, and businesses.
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