In response to the growing number of racist attacks and unprovoked acts of violence against Asian and Asian-American communities in the United States, CRC issued the following statement:

Anti-Asian rhetoric, harassment, and violence have grown at an alarming rate since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a long history of anti-Asian racism and bias in the United States. The anti-Asian slurs used by the former president of the United States when discussing the coronavirus only added to our legacy of racism and xenophobia. In Los Angeles alone, there were 245 incidences of hate against Asian and Asian Americans in 2020, according to advocacy group Stop AAPI Hate. Nationally, STOP AAPI Hate logged nearly 3,000 incidences — though that may not even capture the entire picture. Since January, we’ve witnessed a particularly devastating wave of attacks, which includes Vicha Ratanapakdee, an 84-year-old who was violently shoved to the ground while walking through his San Francisco neighborhood and later died from the resulting injuries.

These brutal and heinous attacks are fueled by racism and xenophobia. The attacks on the elderly, especially during Lunar New Year, a time of great cultural significance to Asian and Asian American communities, were especially cruel.

We cannot stand by and watch as these incidences become normalized.

CRC stands in solidarity with Asian and Asian Americans, and we condemn these devastating and violent attacks. We recognize that condemnation on its own isn’t enough to repair the harm inflicted on these communities. The $1.4 million set aside by Gov. Gavin Newsom for anti-Asian research and data collection is a necessary start. We call on the Biden Administration and local politicians to commit resources to address these incidences and for all of us to stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the Asian American community to end the hate.