FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 2, 2021

CONTACT:  Kathy Melley, (617) 791-0708

(BOSTON, MA) — Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, over 3,000 hate incidents (including bullying, harassment, and hate crimes) against Asians, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders have been recorded accross the country. These incidents have been on the rise in recent months. While these attacks echo the long, shameful history of discrimination against Asians, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders in the U.S., they are also the direct result of the four years of the federal policy, rhetoric and messaging that fanned the flames of anti-Asian sentiment during the Trump era.

Statement of Emily Stewart in response to the surge in racist, xenophobic attacks against Asians, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders in the United States.

“As an organization committed to working to dismantle the racism that undermine people’s health, we are appalled and outraged by racist, xenophobic violent attacks against Asians, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders across the country. We denounce these attacks and those who engage in them in strongest possible terms.

“The Biden Administration’s Executive Order, ‘Memorandum Condemning and Combating Racism, Xenophobia, and Intolerance Against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States’ is an important and welcome step toward addressing the surge of anti-Asian racism. We look forward working with the administration and Congress on additional measures to dismantle the historical and contemporary policies, practices, and norms that create and maintain white supremacy as well as harm the health and well being of Asian, Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. And we pledge to continue Community Catalyst’s work to build a more equitable health system that promotes the health and well-being of all people, as well as a toward more just and tolerant society where everyone can thrive.”

###

About Community Catalyst: 
Community Catalyst is a leading non-profit national health advocacy organization dedicated to advancing a movement for health equity and justice. We partner with local, state, and national advocates to leverage community power so all people can influence decisions that affect their health. Health systems will not be accountable to people without a fully engaged and organized community voice. That’s why we work every day to ensure people’s interests are represented wherever important decisions about health and health care are made: in communities, state houses and on Capitol Hill. For more information, visit http://www.communitycatalyst.org. Follow us on Twitter @CommCatHealth.