Hi friend, today I’m talking about something that is both deeply personal and deeply-seated throughout American history: racism and violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI).

If the tragedy in Georgia opened your eyes for the first time, that is by design – because often, to be Asian in America is to be forcibly invisible, to be counted out of the conversation, to have your humanity overwritten by white supremacists in need of a scapegoat.

And while anti-AAPI racism is nearly as old as America, this latest surge in violence is no accident. This is what happens when powerful people misuse their public offices to push racist and hateful narratives for years on end.

We’re at this point today – where AAPI elders who came here for a better life are now terrified to leave their homes in broad daylight, where six Asian women were brutally murdered just for showing up to work – because Donald Trump poured gasoline over an open fire, fomenting anti-AAPI hatred throughout the entirety of America from the beginning of this pandemic.

But this problem won’t go away with a new president or new (overdue) headlines. This is an ongoing issue that will require continued education, solidarity, and action from each one of us. Friend, if you’re committed to doing that work with me, please watch and share this video, where I break down how anti-AAPI hatred reached this point.

As the first AAPI Attorney General in Connecticut, I’ve had every racist smear in the book hurled at me. I’m willing to endure it, because serving the people of Connecticut is the opportunity of a lifetime. But there are millions of people out there, who look like me yet have far less power, far less resources to protect themselves — and we have to fight for them.

I am asking you today, friend: Please don’t look away from this moment. While white supremacist actors have fueled this recent wave of hatred, we have just as much power to resist it – and to build back even stronger, even more united.

I am the son of Ady and Nancy Tong, two immigrants who dreamed of a brighter, safer future for their family. I am now the father of three wonderful, AAPI children, who I desperately hope will live that dream. If you have a moment to spare, please watch and share this video with your own friends and family. The more people who see this message, the better.

Stay safe,

William

William Tong
Connecticut Attorney General