We are deeply saddened and angered by the fatal shootings in Atlanta on March 16th. We must have the difficult conversations around the history of anti-Asian racism, how it shows up in our circles today, and what actions we need to take to put an end to Asian hate. We stand in solidarity with the AAPI community and condemn Tuesday night’s violence and all acts of hatred.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, there have been nearly 4,000 reported incidents of physical, verbal, and online attacks against Asian Americans. We can no longer let the calls for justice go unanswered. Tuesday 9 people were attacked and 6 of the victims were Asian women. This is no mistake.

As Coloradans, we remember the Amache Camp that opened here in 1942 to imprison over 7,000 Japanese-Americans. We’ve seen what happens when fear and uncertainty drive our decisions and a hateful few divide us against each other based on the color of our skin.

The victims of these attacks were just like us – they were working during a pandemic to provide for their families and build a better life for themselves. Since the beginning of the pandemic, certain politicians have scapegoated the Asian community for their own failed policies and greed. Their attacks have led to a rise in violence against Asian people like the shootings in Atlanta. We must come together to condemn this violence and call on elected leaders to represent all of us and create a world where we all live free and safe.

AAPI members have served as essential workers on the front lines of this crisis as healthcare providers, as first responders, and in other essential roles and they need to be protected against hate and racist violence. Our AAPI brothers and sisters have risen to denounce hate crimes and stood in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.

We must continue the fight for dignity for all workers and to end racism in all of its forms. Together, we make the way for a Colorado that let’s all of us thrive – no matter what we look like.

For those in need of support, we encourage you to reach out to the National Alliance on Mental Illness by texting NAMI to 741-741.

We also wanted to offer other resources and encourage others on this list to do the same:

• Report attacks at Stopaapihate.org
• Participate in a bystander intervention training (there’s one coming up March 29)
• Gain a historical perspective by reading through “The long history of racism against Asian Americans in the U.S.” (PBS, 2020)
• Refer to Coronavirus/COVID-19 Resources to Stand Against Racism (Asian Americans Advancing Justice)
• A list of organizations working to support Asian Americans that you can donate to or take action with here (Nylon)
• Read up on news such as Covid-19 Fueling Anti-Asian Racism and Xenophobia Worldwide (Human Rights Watch)
• Consult these Self-Care Tips For Asian Americans Dealing With Racism Amid Coronavirus

If you have other resources to share or ideas on how our community can activate our skills to end this senseless violence we welcome you to share.