Advancement Project National Office Condemns Atlanta Shooting and Racism, Violence Toward AAPI Community
MEDIA CONTACT
Alex Jordan ajordan@advancementproject.org
WASHINGTON – This morning, in response to the shooting of eight people in Atlanta last night—six of whom were Asian American women—Advancement Project National Office’s Executive Director Judith Browne Dianis issued the following statement:
“We extend our deepest sympathy to the family and friends of the individuals who were killed last night—and we express our solidarity with the Asian American and Pacific Islanders who have expressed righteous outrage and fear about this incident and the alarming spike in violence against Asian Americans over the last year.
“This country has a long, sordid history of maltreatment and violence against the Asian Community—not only through acts by individuals but also by the U.S. government. While over the last year, some political leaders helped fuel racist hate against AAPI communities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, it did not begin with those leaders. This is about more than just their racist rhetoric—it is about the systems they uphold, too. America’s immigration and carceral states practice routine violence against people of color, including many Asian Americans; this continued criminalization and incarceration fuels the dehumanization of Asian Americans and other people of color, which in turn inspires racism and racist violence.
“Today’s carceral immigration state was built on the same racist, xenophobic logic that codified the Chinese Exclusion Act and established Japanese internment camps. We can’t separate this individual act of horrific violence from the broader hatred and oppression that our own government has historically brought down upon Asian Americans.
“We will continue to work to build a future where all people are free and safe by dismantling the racist systems that oppress immigrants and communities of color and defusing the hatred this state-codified violence implicitly inspires and endorses.”
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Advancement Project National Office is a next-generation, multi-racial civil rights organization. Rooted in the great human rights struggles for equality and justice, we exist to fulfill America’s promise of a caring, inclusive and just democracy. We use innovative tools and strategies to strengthen social movements and achieve high impact policy change. Visit www.advancementproject.org/home
