AAST Message on the Atlanta Shooting and Anti-Asian Violence

The Asian American Studies Program faculty and staff are horrified and heartbroken over the murder of eight people, six of whom were Asian American women, in Georgia on March 16, 2021. Our hearts are with the families and loved ones of those killed.

It is no coincidence that this happened during the rising and sustained tide of anti-Asian violence occurring across the U.S. since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Stop AAPI Hate has received over 3,800 reports anti-Asian hate incidents just in the past year, and too often some of the most vulnerable in our community are the targets. 

This is just the latest in the long history of anti-Asian racism and gendered violence in the U.S. And we know that we are not alone in our experiences, as racism and violence plague the histories of all Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities. We understand the importance of and advocate for cross-racial solidarity in our research, teaching, and civic engagement in all its forms.

We simultaneously grieve and continue our work in dismantling racism and violence through our teaching and research. Below are some educational and support resources for our students and community, as well as ways to take action:

AAPI-centered spaces and programming:

  • Candlelight Vigil Against Anti-Asian Violence
    Wed 3/24, 6pm on McKeldin Mall, Details
    A candlelight vigil will be held in the wake of the victims who were killed in the shootings in Georgia. The vigil will be held at McKeldin Mall at 6 pm on March 24th. The purpose of the vigil is to mourn the recent rise in attacks on the Asian American community. The vigil will include live speakers followed by a candlelight commemoration.

  • AAPI Community Processing Space
    Thu 3/25, 4pm,     Zoom Registration
    MICA and the UMD Counseling Center will be holding a confidential support space for members of the AAPI community to process, reflect, and be with one another.

  • Faculty and Staff Healing Space: Ongoing Racial Trauma within AAPI communities
    Wed 3/31, 4pm, Zoom Registration
    The Asian American Studies Program and the Counseling Center would like to invite UMD staff and faculty to come together and be in community and connect, as violence toward Asians and Asian Americans continues. We will pause to take time to honor the targets of these crimes and process our own reactions.

  • Sikh Solidarity Vigil (Virtual)
    Thu 4/22, 8-10pm EST/ 5-7pm PST,     Details
    A multiracial interfaith vigil to grieve and stand in solidarity with the Sikh community one week after the mass shooting in Indianapolis. Sponsored by the Revolutionary Love Project and Faith in Action in partnership with community organizations.

Articles

Maryland Today: UMD Expert: Shootings Followed ‘Intensified Feeling of Anxiety’ in Asian American Communities (featuring Dr. Janelle Wong)

The Washington Post: Bipartisan political rhetoric about Asia leads to anti-Asian violence here, Oped by Viet Thanh Nguyen and Dr. Janelle Wong

The Nation: Anti-Asian Violence in America Is Rooted in US Empire, by Christine Ahn, Terry K Park and Kathleen Richards

The Diamondback: Public servants must go beyond excusing anti-Asian language such as “a really bad day”, by Jessica Ye

Cafe: Asian American Life and Death (Podcast with Viet Thanh Nguyen and Janelle Wong)

Campus and Community Statements

To our Asian and Asian American members, students, and professionals, we encourage you to make yourself a priority and create space for your personal self-care and that of your community. It is easy to feel overwhelmed by the pace at which alarming and hateful events have been occurring. We encourage you to consider reaching out to your family, friends, religious and spiritual institutions, mental health professionals, and local community and support groups. Please take the time to seek support within your communities and take any small action which is feasible for your given situation.

For allies and supporters, we encourage you to reach out to Asian and Asian American folks within your network to allow space for sharing, venting, grieving, fear, and any other emotions that might arise. We ask that you be mindful of reaching out to folks with whom you do not have a relationship to feel good about your allyship. In such situations, we ask that you work on ways that you might dismantle systems of oppression rather than creating any undue burden for Asian and Asian American people. We also encourage you to engage in discussions with the children in your lives about racism, especially as they watch some of the most recent events in the media.

For the full statement: https://aapaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/AAPA-Statement-on-Mass-Shooting-in-Georgia.pdf

 
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