On March 16th, eight people, including six Asian women, were murdered in Atlanta in yet another act of white supremacist violence. We mourn the loss of Daoyou Feng, Hyun Jung Grant, Suncha Kim, Paul Andre Michels, Soon Chung Park, Xiaojie Tan, Delaina Ashley Yaun, and Yong Ae Yue, whose lives were tragically cut short. We strongly denounce this heinous act and all the many other instances of violence and discrimination against the Asian American Pacific Islander (“AAPI”) community, which have spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic. We stand in solidarity with our AAPI students, alumni, and community members during these incredibly painful and frightening times.
Below you will find a list of resources and action steps for the AAPI community and allies.
Community and mental health support
AAPI communities across the country are coming together to share resources to support one another during these challenging times. This list of Anti-Asian Violence Resources has a wide array of ways to get support, ranging from news updates to educational resources to petitions. There is also a Massachusetts-specific list of resources that was put together by Asian Pacific Islanders Civic Action Network.
Reporting harassment
If you are an AAPI person who has experienced a hate-related incident, you can report it here via the StopAAPIHatewebsite. Harvard community members who would like to report an incident of harassment can submit an anonymous report through the University’s dedicated hotline either online or by calling 1-877-694-2275. The Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations also has a series of resources for those affected by racist harassment and discrimination.
If you are interested in learning how to intervene if you witness anti-Asian harassment, you can sign up for an online Bystander Intervention training here.
Donations and advocacy
Asian Americans Advancing Justice, a non-profit organization that works to advance the civil and human rights for Asian Americans, is calling on supporters to sign on to their collective community statement and share crisis response resources.
The HLS Asian and Pacific Islander Law Student Association (“APALSA”) has organized a fundraiser to support two organizations that support the AAPI community: Compassion in Oakland, and Asian Law Caucus. APALSA has pledged to match up to $2,000 in donations received. You can donate via Venmo (@HLSAPALSA).
Student groups at Harvard College have also come together to raise funds for a number of local and national organizations that support the AAPI community. You can donate here.