From across the United States, and even in our own backyards of San Francisco, Oakland, and Los Angeles, the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community continues to experience brutal hate-related harassment, violence and murder.
Since last March, there have been over 3,800 hate incidents against the AAPI community, with more than 700 incidents in the SF Bay Area and what’s happened in Oakland, and this week in Atlanta and on Market Street in San Francisco is unacceptable, and we need solutions to end this violence.
Violence against the AAPI community in the United States is not new, dating back to the late 1800s from the Rock Springs Massacre of 1885 to the Watsonville Riots of 1930. However, COVID-19 has caused an increase of these hate-related incidents.
The AAPI community is also underrepresented in counts on homelessness because the population is often not recorded when the survey is about homelessness. Moreover, poverty among the AAPI community is commonly overlooked due to the “Model Minority Myth” that all AAPI people are successful. In reality, the AAPI community has a significant number of immigrants with lower incomes and fewer opportunities that contributes to poverty and income inequalities among the AAPI community.
Social and structural racism against the AAPI community has, and continues to perpetuate hate-related violence and economic inequality. LavaMaeˣ recognizes this, stands with the AAPI community, and encourages our community to take action!
