Statement from PL+US on Atlanta Shootings, in Solidarity with AAPI Communities

Statement from PL+US on Atlanta Shootings, in Solidarity with AAPI Communities 

We are heartbroken by the shootings that occurred in Atlanta yesterday, leading to the murder of eight people, including six Asian American women. While details are still emerging, the broader context in which these crimes occurred must not be ignored. For the last year, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities nationwide have faced an alarming and traumatic rise in violence linked to coronavirus-related xenophobia and systemic racism. 

At PL+US, we know that this growing violence against AAPI communities occurs in the backdrop of a pandemic that has had a devastating impact on women, particularly Black, Latina, and Asian women. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Stop AAPI Hate has received over 3,800 self-reported incidents of Anti-Asian racism, with AAPI women being twice as likely to report incidents as men.

To our friends, family, and allies in the Asian American and Pacific Islander community, all of us at PL+US see your pain, hear your struggles, and share your commitment to uniting against Anti-Asian hate and violence everywhere.