For Immediate Release
August 7, 2022
Contact:
Luis Jimenez
(916) 835-8186
RALLY TO #FIGHTASIANHATE FOR ASIAN ELDERS IN SAN FRANCISCO
San Francisco, CA — On Sunday, August 7, 2022 at 11:30 a.m., the Asian American community and allies will gather to demand that San Francisco’s elected leaders, city officials, facility owners, and police department work immediately to address the violence being faced by Asian elders and to apprehend the perpetrators of recent violent attacks on elders of the Asian community.
The rally occurs one week after the horrendous beating of Mrs. Ren, a 70-year-old resident at a senior living center, and just five days after the violent assault on an elderly Asian man—two events that powerfully demonstrate the racism and hate that continues to target the Asian American community. The organizers are demanding:
(1) a public townhall within 10 days with the SFPD Chief. We demand action to reduce violence against Asian elders and
(2) immediate action to increase safety in low income senior housing.
“The continued violence against our Asian elders is unacceptable. Anti-Asian hate has continued unabated since 2020. Our grandmothers, fathers, aunts, brothers are being targeted in their own homes and on the streets of the city they love” said Justin Zhu, executive director of Stand with Asian Americans. “We are gathering to fight for our civil rights and demand real action, not rhetoric from our leaders to protect our community and hold attackers accountable for anti-Asian hate crimes.”
Across the country, over a third of Asian Americans say they have made changes in their daily schedule or routine in the past 12 months due to worry about being threatened or attacked, according to a recent survey of Asian adults by the Pew Research Center. The same survey found that only 19% of them believe their local elected officials are doing a very or somewhat good job dealing with violence against Asian Americans.
Stand with Asian Americans has organized a fundraiser to pay for security services at the senior living center where Mrs. Ren was assaulted.
DETAILS:
WHAT: Community rally in an emergency response to recent violent attacks on Asian elders in San Francisco.
WHEN: Sunday, August 7, 2022 at 11:30 a.m. PT.
WHERE: Washington Square Park, San Francisco, CA. and livestreamed at www.asianjusticemovement.org.
WHO: Community members, allies, organizers, and leaders of the Asian American community. The rally is organized by The Asian Justice Movement – Stand with Asian Americans, APAs vs Hate, Asians are Strong, Stand with Asians, Asian Leaders Alliance, Delta Chinatown Initiative, Dear Community.
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About Anti-Asian Hate:
Hate incidents against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) have risen sharply since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the first two years of the Stop AAPI Hate reporting center (March 19, 2020 to March 31, 2022), individuals across the country have reported 11,467 incidents. One in six (17%) incidents involved physical violence. Two in five incidents took place in public spaces, such as a street, sidewalk, road, park, hiking trail, or beach.
A 2021 nationwide survey of AAPIs found that elders ages 60 and older are especially vulnerable to fear. Nearly all (98%) of Asian elders who experienced hate incidents believed the United States has become more physically dangerous for Asian Americans.
About Stand with Asian Americans
Stand with Asian Americans is the largest coalition of Asian American entrepreneurs, investors, business leaders and activists that are united in our mission to drive justice and equity for all. Anyone can get involved to use their ingenuity and talent to galvanize the next generation of Asian American activism.
For more information, please go to: https://standwithasianamericans.com/
Instagram: @standwithasianamericans
Twitter: @StandwithAAs
About APAs vs Hate
APAs vs Hate provides pro bono legal services, media services and advocacy for Asian Americans.
For more information, please go to: https://fighthatred.org/
About Asians Are Strong
Asians Are Strong is a grassroots nonprofit based in San Francisco that empowers and protects the Asian and Pacific Islander communities. We focus on providing safety resources such as in-language self-defense workshops for seniors and hosting community events such as rallies and 5k heritage fun-runs that empower and educate our community and its allies.
For more information, please go to: https://asiansarestrong.org/
Instagram: @asiansarestrong
About Stand With Asians
Formed to counter the wave of anti-Asian hate crimes during the COVID-19 pandemic, Stand With Asians (SWA) is a global grassroots organization that builds stronger AAPI communities through awareness campaigns, grassroots efforts and coalition building. SWA provides a platform for BIPOC solidarity initiatives, focused civic engagement, support for community rallies, promotion of intersectional AAPI representation across media, entertainment and politics, self-defense resource distribution and more. Through its Community Fund, SWA also provides essential grants to smaller nonprofits and grassroots organizations that address underserved AAPI communities.
For more information, including the SWA Community Fund Impact Report, please go to: https://www.standwithasians.com/
Instagram: @standwithasians
Instagram Hashtag: #standwithasians
About Asian Leaders Alliance
The Asian Leaders Alliance (ALA) is composed of and represents leaders of Asian Affinity Groups, Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), and Business Resource Groups (BRGs) across a number of different organizations in the United States and stretching across the world.
For more information, please go to: https://www.asianleadersalliance.com.
Instagram: @asianleadersalliance
Twitter: @AsianLeadersAll
About Delta Chinatown Initiative
Delta Chinatown Initiative was born out of the COVID-19 pandemic to revive Chinatown and support the API community against hate crimes. The organization's mission is to ensure that residents, businesses and visitors of San Francisco Chinatown are safe and thriving. We believe the safety and well-being of its residents, businesses and visitors are critical to enabling the economic health of San Francisco Chinatown. For information on our impact, please visit
https://www.deltachinatownsf.com
Instagram: @deltachinatownsf
About Dear Community
Dear Community: an organization working to stop Asian hate by curating safe space events that foster discourse while generating income for merchants fighting to survive.
https://www.dearcommunity.org/
Instagram: @_dearcommunity