The Hate Crimes Must End

This is a guest blog post by Deb Sica.

So much is happening in our lives, but the added sadness, anger and fear being generated by the violent and shameful attacks on Asians, Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders must stop immediately. Fear and pain are driving a shameful narrative and working in opposition to community strength. These attacks must be at the forefront of our minds and we need to give focused careful attention to those targeted by cruel reactions to hateful misinformation. We look inward for resilience in the face of Xenophobia and Racism; now more than ever. But we also need to speak our truth, find our shared strength and honor our cultural strengths and commitment.

Julius Jefferson, American Library Association President, reminds us, “It is also incumbent upon us as library and information workers to combat cultural bias and bigotry by promoting diversity in our collections, programming, policies and hiring practices ensuring that our diverse communities see themselves represented on our library shelves, in our offerings, and among our ranks.”

Learn about the Asian Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA) and read the issued statement.

Take Action

Here are actions you can take today: 

• Call the Alameda County District Attorney's Office hotline at (510) 208-4824 if you or anyone you know has been the victim of a hate crime, or if you have witnessed a hate crime.
  
• Report hate incidents and hate crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to Stop AAPI Hate. 
• Complete a free bystander intervention training offered by Hollaback! and presented in partnership with Asian Americans Advancing Justice. 
• Read the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) page about reducing stigma associated with COVID-19. 
• Read Care in the Time of Coronavirus (PDF) from the Asian American Feminist Collective that provides context for how disease, race, politics, and personal identity interact with one another. 
• Challenge the ways you think. Pause to reflect on the implications of your speech and actions, and make the effort to learn about people who don’t share the same race or culture as you. You can start by reading articles compiled by Embrace Race about the connections between race and COVID-19.