There are still so many unanswered questions about the shootings at three different Asian businesses in the metro Atlanta area on Tuesday, but we do know this: Eight people are dead. Six of them were Asian women. A suspect is in custody. We grieve with our communities and are holding the victims and their families in love and care along with the whole Asian and Pacific Islander American Community across the nation during this time.
This attack is part of a pattern that follows a long history of anti-Asian racism and hate. It is not just interpersonal but also entrenched in racism, xenophobia, and misogyny. In the past year alone, anti-Asian violence has looked like violent attacks that disproportionately target children, women and the elderly, as well as verbal harassment in schools, private businesses and public spaces.
These incidents have left Asian-American communities traumatized, fearing whether people can safely go about their daily lives and wondering whether systems and institutions will invest in them and help protect them. What happened in Georgia is racialized misogyny, and we cannot compartmentalize and pick which identity the shooter was most hateful towards to have committed such atrocity. We cannot simplify how one man could have developed such hate when we are reckoning with systemic racism and global gender-based violence.
At this time, we need more solidarity in protecting Asian lives and basic human moral values. We hope everyone joins us in this journey of spreading positivity and working toward equity for all minorities, who are the backbone and identity of America. Let’s stand together to end anti-Asian violence.
This statement was initiated by Tubman’s Racial Justice Collective, a staff-led group to change policy and foster internal accountability.
