Nationwide Events Mark One-Year Anniversary of Atlanta Spa Shootings - Stand with Asian Americans

Nationwide Events Mark One-Year Anniversary of Atlanta Spa Shootings

Nationwide Events Mark One-Year Anniversary of Atlanta Spa Shootings

Asian American organizations in 11 cities to encourage communities to “Break The Silence” – AAPI Community Organizes Rallies Across America on One Year Anniversary of Atlanta Spa Shootings

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

National Press Contacts: Charles Jung and Justin Zhu, press@asianjusticemovement.org, 415-762-3100.

News Summary

  • Asian American AAPI groups organize “Break The Silence – Justice for Asian Women” events rallies in communities across America on March 16th, the one year anniversary of the Atlanta spa shootings
  • Organizers call for more support for survivors of hate crimes and awareness about on-going violence against Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women
  • According to research, one in five AAPIs Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders experienced a hate incident in the past year
  • Seventy-four percent (74%) of AAPI women in the U.S. report experiencing racism, discrimination over the past year

Asian American and Pacific Islander communities are coming together in Atlanta, New York City, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, New York City, Sacramento, San Francisco, the Twin Cities, and Washington, D.C. for a national moment to acknowledge the one year anniversary of the Atlanta spa shootings and uplifting the experience of AsianAAPI women.

The national organizers, Stand with Asian Americans (SwAA) and APAs vs. Hate (AvH), together along with the Atlanta Justice Rally Coalition shared their purpose for bringing together this movement.

SwAA Executive Director Justin Zhu shares: “Our event will provide a platform for those who wish to speak up and out on that day–exactly one year after the Atlanta Asian shootings. We will break the silence, speak truth to power and continue the fight for AsianAAPI voices to be heard. March 16 is a day we intend to acknowledge annually and seek justice for AsianAAPI women.”

Several family members of last year’s shooting victims have provided statements in support of the Atlanta rally. “As I grieve on the anniversary of my mother’s murder, I want her death not to be in vain,” said Robert Peterson, the son of Yong Ae Yue, killed at the Aromatherapy Spa in Buckhead. “I support the Atlanta Asian Justice Rally on March 16 to help end the violence against Asian women.”

Peterson’s sentiments were echoed by Michael Webb, who is confirmed to speak at the Atlanta rally. “I look forward to honoring the memory of Xiaojie Tan, mother of my adopted daughter, and speaking at the Atlanta Asian Justice Rally on March 16 to help Stop Asian Hate in America.” Tan was among the first victims of the shooting when it began in the northwest Atlanta suburb of Acworth.

During the pandemic and since the Atlanta Asian shootings on March 16, 2021, incidents and reporting of violence and hate crimes against Asian Americans have tragically continued to escalate. The Atlanta Asian shootings, and so many other recent incidents of Asian hate captured on video and rotating in the media, have shocked the nation. Rally organizers and others across the nation are speaking out and taking action together to vocally respond and demand action and change.

“We hope this never happens to another family,” said Randy Park, the son of Hyun Jung Kim who was killed last year at the Gold Spa. “It’s crushing to never see our mother again. Hate needs to stop. Let society not forget March 16. We certainly won’t.”

The Atlanta Asian Justice Rally – Break the Silence is being coordinated nationally with organized AAPI events being held the same day in 11 major cities, including Atlanta, New York City, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Houston, Twin Cities Seattle, and Detroit.

City Specific Information:


Atlanta

Local Organizers: Atlanta Asian Justice Rally Coalition

Press Contacts: 

Time: 11:30 – 2 PM ET (Program Start 12 noon)
Location: GA Railroad Freight Depot, 65 MLK Drive, SW, Atlanta, GA 30303
MAP: https://goo.gl/maps/1fybi5U9pirNBwB39

Speakers highlights:

  • 2 Family members of 3/16 victims: Robert Peterson & Michael Webb
  • Stacey Abrams, Candidate for Georgia Governor
  • Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens
  • US Congresswoman Carolyn Bourdeaux
  • Georgia AAPI State Representatives and Senators
  • WHIAANHPI (pending confirmation of White House representative attending)


New York City

Local Organizers: Stand with Asian Americans

Press Contacts: 

Time: 6:30 pm ET
Location: Father Duffy Square, New York, NY
Speakers and Performers: Governor Hochul, Elizabeth Kari, Jo-Ann Yoo, Nikki Singh, Perry Yung, Bohan Phoenix


San Francisco

Local Organizers: Asians Are Strong, Stand with Asian Americans (SwAA),  APAs vs. Hate (AvH)
Press Contacts: Myron Lee <sfmelee@hotmail.com>, 415-412-2141
Time: 3:00 p.m. PT, Program starts 5:00 p.m. PT
Location: Asian Art Museum, 200 Larkin Street, San Francisco CA 94102

Speakers:

  • Wendy Nguyen, Stand With Asian Americans (Co-Founder)
  • Ashlyn So, Fashion designer & Youth Activist
  • Olivia Cheng, Actress & Activist
  • Beckie Masaki, Asian Women’s Shelter (Founding ED) & Community Activist
  • Shinhong Byun – President, Korean Bar Association of Northern California
  • Performers:
    • Pansori performer Go Mi Sook
    • Priya Vijaykumar
    • K-Pop dance group Groove


Washington DC

Press Contacts: Pacyinz Lyfoung, pacyinz@gmail.com, 202-803-0262
Time: 5 pm to 7 pm
Location: The Chinese Community Church, 500 I Street NW, Washington, DC 20001.
Speakers: This will be a community healing and arts gathering. Pacyinz Lyfoung, DC attorney/poet/activist, and Vy Vu from the API Domestic Violence Resource Project and an artist, will be co-hosting the community event. A panel discussion will follow, sponsored by the DC Mayor’s Office for APIAs.


Chicago

Local Organizers: Chicago Asian Women Empowerment (main organizer), Miss Chinese Chicago, OCA Chicago, Chinese American Museum of Chicago, Project:VISION, Asian Human Services, Korean Performing Arts Institute of Chicago, Chinese Mutual Aid Association, Korean American Coalition of Chicago, Yin He Dance, Korean American Association of Chicago, Hanul Family Alliance, Chinese American Service League

Press Contact: Cindy Xie, press@chi-awe.org, 773-807-3688
Time: 5:00 – 7:30 CT
Location: Chinese American Museum of Chicago, 238 W. 23rd St., Chicago, IL 60616
Event Page: https://www.chi-awe.org/jaw


Detroit

Press Contact: Kurtis Fernandez, kurtis@apiavotemi.org, 970-691-9187
Time: 12:00 – 2:00 ET
Location: Spirit Plaza, 2 Woodward Ave., Detroit, MI 48226
Event Page: https://fb.me/e/1rlnve0Yn


Houston

Press Contact: Nicole Su, NSu@m2dlaw.com
Time: 6:00 – 7:30  CT
Location: Discovery Green, 1500 McKinney Street, Houston, TX 77010
Event Page: https://fb.me/e/2ePAfaTex


Sacramento: Solidarity Vigil & Rally

Press Contact: Melissa Sagun (Communications Director, APICA) sagunmelissa@gmail.com; 6197883978
Time: 5:30 – 7:00 PT
Location: CA State Capitol, West Steps, 1315 10th St, Sacramento, CA 95814
Event Page: https://fb.me/e/1wPrlK0wT


Twin Cities

Press Contact: Courtney Castleberry 651-491-9463 castleb@gustavus.edu
Time: 1:30 – 3:00 CT
Location: Heart of The Beast Theater,1500 E Lake Street, Minneapolis, MN


Denver

Press Contact: Yeong Cheng, yeong@denverasiancollective.com, 972-896-0845
Time: 10:00 – 6:00 MT
Location: Sloan’s Lake


About the Rallies:

The Break The Silence: Justice for Asian Women events are being held in twelve cities: Atlanta, Houston, New York, San Francisco, Sacramento, Washington, D.C., Twin Cities, Dallas, Detroit, and Chicago. It is a national event on March 16, 2022, the anniversary of the Atlanta spa shootings, to acknowledge and uplift all women, specifically those in the AsianAPI community.

More information can be found: https://www.asianjusticemovement.org/awr


About Anti-Asian Hate:

Hate incidents against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) have risen sharply since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Stop AAPI Hate, a total of 10,370 hate incidents against Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) persons were reported to their organization between March 19, 2020, and September 30, 2021. Of the hate incidents reflected in their report, 4,599 occurred in 2020 (44.4%) and 5,771 occurred in 2021 (55.7%). According to their research, one in five Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders experienced a hate incident in the past year. The top types of encounters are: verbal harassment, shunning, physical assault, online harassment, and other civil rights violations. Read more at stopaapihate.org.

AAPI women face a disproportionate burden of anti-AAPI hate with 62% of all national hate incidents being reported by AAPI women, according to a March report by the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF).  NAPAWF conducted a nationally representative survey of AAPI women in conjunction with The Harris Poll in January and February 2022.  l

The NAPAWF report observed that racialized misogyny faced by AAPI women is not limited to hate incidents, but also includes experiences with different forms of harassment. AAPI women are continuously fetishized, exoticized, and objectified through hyper-sexualization, affecting the racialized, gendered, and sexualized violence AAPI women experience, historically and now. Even prior to the pandemic, AAPI women experienced a great deal of violence and discrimination at the intersection of race, ethnicity, gender, immigration status, and socioeconomic class, among many other factors.

***

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

National Press Contacts:
Charles Jung and Justin Zhu
press@asianjusticemovementrally.org
415-762-3100.