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Taking Action Against Anti-Asian Hate

Posted Mar 29, 2021 12:30 PM
In the past two weeks, greater public attention has been called to anti-Asian hate. In Seattle, a man was charged with malicious harassment after two instances where he shouted profanities and threw things at Asian women and their children. In Atlanta, eight people were killed by a mass murderer, six of whom were Asian-American women.
Taking Action Against Anti-Asian Hate
These events are a part of a dangerous resurgence in violence and hate incidents against Asian-American and Pacific Islander people. Recently, hate speech and violence have been irresponsibly encouraged by elected officials through coded language. However, we need to recognize that anti-Asian racism is woven into the fabric of our history, particularly in the American West.

501 Commons strongly denounces hate speech and violence. We recognize that violence, hate speech, and discrimination fall disproportionately on Asian-Americans and others in BIPOC communities, women, LGBTQ people, religious minorities, and people with disabilities. Those of us who are white need to see it as our responsibility to confront racism and create safe and affirming workplaces and communities.

Support for AAPI staff and volunteers

501 Commons is proud to serve many organizations based in the Asian-American and Pacific Islander community. We are fortunate that many of our staff members and volunteers are individuals with AAPI ancestry. We urge everyone to be especially compassionate and understanding of our Asian-American friends and colleagues during this frightening time.

We encourage nonprofits to check in with their AAPI staff. Provide support such as reminding them about Employee Assistance Program resources that may be available. Encourage staff members to reach out to colleagues, family, and friends who share their experiences of racism. Provide resources like Seattle University’s Resources for Coping with Xenophobia and Anti-Asian Racism or this brief Anti-Asian Racism flyer created by Harvard University Health Sciences.

Report hate incidents and discrimination

Reporting incidents helps people understand the scale of the problem. Because there are barriers to reporting hate incidents, the Asian American Studies Department of San Francisco State formed Stop AAPI Hate. From March 19, 2020, to Feb. 28, 2021, 3,795 incidents were reported. Women were the target of most of these incidents. The Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University released a report in March. It showed that hate crimes against Asian Americans spiked 149% from 2019 to 2020, even though hate crimes overall declined. Source: https://stopaapihate.org/reports.

These reporting projects help shine a light on anti-Asian racism and demonstrate to victims that they are not alone. Encourage Asian-American and Pacific Islanders in your organization and community to report hate incidents and discrimination at these sites:

Engage in anti-racism education and reflection

For white people, deepening our knowledge and understanding of the history of anti-Asian racism will help us untangle ourselves from implicit bias and deeply held stereotypes. There are many academic resources such as Seattle University’s Cultural Awareness and Growth Mindset and the Antiracist Toolkit from the Department of Asian Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

For self-reflection and a more interactive opportunity to learn about anti-Asian racism, consider a personal trip or staff event in the months ahead to Asian museums and heritage events, such as those offered by these organizations:

Please support nonprofits based in the Asian-American community in our region. Most of all, let’s not overlook the value of reaching out to express concern and love for someone who is impacted by anti-Asian violence and hate.

In solidarity,


Executive Director