Tuesday’s mass shooting in Atlanta was the latest of a series of disturbing, racist and violent actions perpetrated against people from Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. These incidents have no place in our society and strike at the very heart of the values we profess to cherish most dearly as Americans.
AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) students and families have been a vital part of ASAP’s after school communities since our inception and we are honored to partner with so many organizations who work tirelessly to empower and support all members of Philadelphia’s AAPI community and celebrate our city’s rich and diverse Asian heritages.
Yet, we know from listening to our peers that simply condemning heinous acts of racism is not enough. As an organization and as individuals, we recognize that it is our shared responsibility to ensure we are actively creating safe spaces that promote compassion, empathy, trust, and tolerance for all children. We recognize that we, too, have a responsibility to raise awareness for the devastating impacts of racism and to help prepare our friends, neighbors, and fellow citizens take measures to combat racism wherever they encounter it.
To this end, we encourage you to join us in exploring and sharing these extensive resources to help us become more informed about the histories, narratives, and statistics of anti-Asian prejudice and violence in our country and learn about the different steps we can all take to help bring an end to this hate.
We thank you for your time and your partnership in this important work.
Yours in service,
ASAP
