Dear ,

We want to wish everyone celebrating the start of Lunar New Year today prosperity, health and happiness in the Year of the Ox. In our hearts, we’re celebrating with fireworks and lion dances with our Asian communities across New York City.

But we also want to address and make space for the grief and anger that Asian New Yorkers are feeling at this moment too. What should be a time of celebration has instead been marked with devastating news of recent and murders of Asian elders in Oakland, California. However, these attacks are not outliers, but instead part of an increased trend of deadly attacks on AAPI communities across the country due to anti-Asian sentiment, sinephobia, Islamophobia and xenophobia.

There were thousands of reports of pandemic-related anti-Asian hate incidents in the U.S. just between March and September of last year — and that doesn’t account for the vitriol and violence that goes unreported all the time. In New York City last year alone, anti-Asian hate crimes accounted for 10% of all investigated hate crimes.

This trend is deeply troubling and unacceptable. We must combat the increasing violence and racism against our AAPI neighbors, hold people accountable and work to educate our communities. In New York City, you can support organizations like Asian American Federation, CAAAV, Mekong NYC, Womankind, DRUM, Chinese-American Planning Council and Asian American Feminist Collective, who are all addressing and building solidarity and grassroots power in our AAPI communities.

Every New Yorker has the right to ride the train, go to the grocery store, walk around the city — to live — without fear for their health and safety. In the spirit of the Ox, we are committed to the hard work and responsibility to continue to fight for equality for the AAPI community.

In solidarity,

Team Dianne

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Dianne Morale for NYC
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New York, NY 10101
United States