Asian American Federation Condemns Atlanta Shootings, Makes Call to Action
Last night, a suspect walked into three Asian-owned massage parlors in the Atlanta area and shot and killed eight people. As we understand, seven of the victims were women and six of them were Asian.
During a year of seemingly endless attacks on the Asian American community, we at the Asian American Federation (AAF) are yet again horrified by and reeling from the news. While we do not yet know the motive behind the shootings, we are gutted by the senseless deaths of eight people, most of whom were part of the Asian American community. Immigrant women often work in jobs that leave them vulnerable to violence, and last night was the realization of that fear.
AAF stands with our colleagues at Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta and the Center for Pan Asian Community Services, and offer our support as they help the victims’ families and the Asian American community of Atlanta heal from this horrific violence.
We are angry, frustrated, and heartbroken at the needless violence that has deprived families of their mothers, daughters, sisters, and aunts. During this height of violence, we must come together as a country to fight the root of all the violence around us. We wholeheartedly reject racism, xenophobia, anti-Blackness, Islamophobia, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and other ugly forms of hate that seek to divide our communities. We reject any ideals that fuel paranoia and distrust within and between our communities.
In the wake of yet another tragedy, we demand that our elected leaders address the ongoing violence happening in our city and throughout the country. Their silence and inaction in the face of our community’s suffering have been deafening. We demand bold solutions that move our city and country from a place of violence and fear to one of safety and accountability. We demand that the upcoming state and city budgets reflect commitments to building community and programs that support vulnerable communities. We cannot wait any longer; we cannot wait until another life is lost. The time is NOW.
We ask our fellow New Yorkers to join us at a peace vigil on Friday, March 19, at 6 pm at Union Square. This vigil is being held to mourn the victims of senseless violence and brutality, and to recommit ourselves to building community to ensure greater safety for all of us.
