Statement Decrying Hate Crimes Against Asian-Americans

by the Arlington County Democratic Committee Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Caucus

The Arlington County Democratic Committee Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Caucus stands with our fellow Asian American Pacific Islanders to condemn the horrendous acts towards our community. Acts of violence and hatred towards one community is a crime of injustice for all. We’ve been seeing these acts all across the country committed against our mothers, fathers, grandparents, sisters, brothers, daughters, and sons. It could easily be any one of us or our loved ones.

What happened in Atlanta this week was horrifying, but unfortunately is only the latest incident. Research shows that nearly 3,800 racist incidents occurred in the past year, 2.3 times more to women than men, as reported by Stop AAPI Hate. This number is likely much higher as many incidents go unreported. Verbal harassment accounts for 68.1% of incidents and physical assault at 11.1%. Anti-Asian racism has been around since the United States was founded. That racism has included the exploitation of labor, both physical and sexual, concentration camps, and mass deportation. It has also included countless individual acts of violence, often condoned by the government, by white people. Although hate crimes against the AAPI community have been rampant, especially during the pandemic, it has largely not received the national attention it deserves. These hate crimes are the manifestation of white supremacy, and any effort to address them must also attack white supremacy within our society.

Here are some ways you can help:

1. Safety Tips (in multiple language)

2. Report incidents of hate crimes: Mark Herring, Virginia’s Attorney General, suggests that hate crimes be reported to:

3. Call 911 as soon as possible.

4. Stop AAPI Hate, a nonprofit compiling a national database of document incidents of hate, abuse, or discrimination

5. Your local FBI office-Find your local FBI office

6. Donate to organizations fighting for Asian Americans

See these helpful tips for when you experience or witness hate as shared from Virginia's No Hate VA initiative.

5 Things to Consider When Experiencing Hate

1. Safety First: Trust your instincts and assess your surroundings. If you feel unsafe and you are able to, leave the area.

2. Stay Calm: Take a deep breath, limit eye-contact, and maintain neutral body language.

3. Speak Out (If you can do so safely): In a calm and firm voice establish physical boundaries, and denounce the behavior and comments.

4. Seek Immediate Support: Ask bystanders for support or to intervene.

5. Seek Emotional Support: Once you feel safe, take time to recover and reach out to someone to talk about what happened. Remember this is not your fault, and you are not alone.

5 Ways to Help If You Witness Hate

1. Take Action: Approach the targeted person, introduce yourself, and offer support.

2. Actively Listen: Ask before taking any actions and respect the targeted person’s wishes. Monitor the situation if needed.

3. Ignore Attacker: Using your discretion, attempt to calm the situation by using your voice, body language, or distractions.

4. Accompany: If the situation escalates, invite the targeted person to join you in leaving.

5. Offer Emotional Support: Help the targeted person by asking how they’re feeling. Assist them in figuring out what they want to do next.

We respect Asian Voices. We celebrate Asian culture. We support Asian businesses. We embrace Asian identities. We stand with the Asian community. We thank everyone for their continued support and solidarity.