Statement on the Violence Against AAPI Communities

Women’s Voices for the Earth is outraged by the brutal killings in Atlanta. The racial and sexual violence that Asian American and Pacific Islander women face in the United States is not new, but is historically and shamefully ignored by mainstream media, decision-makers, and often organizations like ours who are dedicated to bettering societal and environmental health.

Racism and xenophobia have directly increased anti-Asian violence in the midst of an international pandemic — targeting hate specifically on the elderly and women. But this harm is generations old and deeply rooted in our institutions. And now eight people — six women of Asian descent, including four Korean women — have lost their lives.

Everyone deserves to live in a healthy and safe environment. That environment includes where you live, work, play, and pray. We are committed to working for justice and equity, and stand in solidarity with the numerous social, racial, and environmental justice organizations to reject devastating rhetoric, actions, policies and institutional oppression that jeopardize the health and safety of people and planet.

By standing together, we will find solutions to the deep inequities in our society and find a way to cultivate justice, safety, and peace for everyone.

Resources to start:

Act

• Download the Bystander Intervention Training guide by Advancing Justice-AAJC and Hollaback! that offers de-escalating strategies to use when you see someone being harassed
• Report hate incidents to Stop AAPI Hate and Stand Against Hate
• Donate to & uplift: 
  • AAPI Women Lead
  • NAPAWF (National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum)

Among the myriad of inequities faced by Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, they are also disproportionately affected by toxic chemical exposures. Learn more from, uplift and donate to:

• Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN)
• California Healthy Nail Collaborative
• Stay informed by following the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA) and review these additional 61 ways to Donate in Support of Asian Communities: https://nymag.com/strategist/article/where-to-donate-to-help-asian-communities-2021.html

Learn

• Podcast: Self Evident: Asian American’s Stories 
• Documentaries: PBS’ Asian Americans is a five-part series on the history of Asians in America  and #AsianAmCovidStories is a YouTube series exploring Asian Americans’ experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Children’s book: Young, Proud, and Sung-jee on anti-Asian racism during COVID-19