We write to you today to condemn the ongoing attacks and violence against the AAPI community, and to stand in solidarity and in mourning.


** PIF's Statement on AAPI Violence
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Dear Allies,

I'm writing to you today on behalf of the Protecting Immigrant Families (PIF) Coalition to condemn the ongoing attacks and violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) and to stand in solidarity and in mourning with the eight loved ones taken this past week in Georgia:
* Soon Chung Park 박순정, age 74
* Hyun Jung Grant [김]현정, age 51
* Sun Cha Kim 김순자 , age 69
* Yong Ae Yue 유용애, age 63
* Delaina Ashley Yaun, age 33
* Paul Andre Michels, age 54
* Xiaojie Tan 谭小洁, age 49
* Daoyou Feng 冯道友, age 44

Unfortunately, this brutal and heartbreaking situation is not unique in AAPI communities. This is yet another ongoing white supremacist and mysoginistic attack on a community already experiencing heightened levels of reported hate crimes ([link removed]) , a recent deportation flight of over 30 Vietnamese migrants ([link removed]) , and continued structural violence in the form of law enforcement.
The PIF coalition would not be where we are without the contributions and resiliency of our AAPI partners and colleagues, especially the leadership of AAPI women. In 2017, PIF was born out of a need to help fight back against the Trump-era public charge regulations and the pervasive fear it inflicts on immigrant communities. Our collective work to ensure that all communities belong must have a foundation in authenticity and policies that will liberate us from racism, xenophobia and anti-immigrant fervor.

The very public charge policy victory we just celebrated was built upon the same hatred, misogyny, and racism that directly fueled the horrific hate crimes in Atlanta. The fact that Asian women were the targets of those attacks is not lost on us. The hypersexualization and criminalization of AAPI women is an extension of the policies that the public charge rule is built upon. Today’s anti-immigrant policies are rooted in the white supremacist and anti-Asian discrimination throughout our history. Before the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which banned all Chinese immigrants from entering the US and was not repealed for over 60 years, there was the Page Act. The Page Act of 1875 is the earliest piece of legislation to restrict immigration to the U.S.. It specifically prohibited the entry of all Chinese women, who were universally deemed as “undesirable” and “threatened” the morality of white men. In order to gain entry, Chinese women were subject to extreme levels of invasive questioning and
required to submit a "personal morality statement" because of the "threat of their sexuality to the United States," paving the way for enforcement and inspection based in white supremacist values and patriarchy that immigrants of color continue to experience today.

We must remember this history, and honor that the AAPI community has been at the forefront of our collective struggle for centuries. In understanding this history and its clear connection to our ongoing fight against racism and fear, the PIF Coalition acknowledges that the collective “we” must do better to stand in solidarity with our AAPI family and shine a light on the anti-AAPI historical violence and othering. We also must be proactive, and push for a community-centered response. Here are some resources and suggestions from partners across the network:
* Demand that your elected officials tackle systemic racism and white supremacy that are the root causes of this attack.
* Be responsive to the needs of your AAPI staff and a space for staff to engage in open and honest dialogue about AAPI discrimination.
* Listen to and uplift the demands of AAPI organizations and community members
* Continue to focus your advocacy on language access, as well as fighting for the hiring translators and interpreters in government services
* Read and uplift the statements of AAPI-led organizations, including AAAJ-Atlanta ([link removed]) , NAPAWF ([link removed]) , NAKASEC ([link removed]) , APIAHF ([link removed]) , SEARAC ([link removed]) , and AAPCHO ([link removed])
* Sign NAPAWF’s petition ([link removed]) condemning hate and violence against the AAPI community
* Sign onto NAPAWF’s letter ([link removed]) to the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties
* Learn about the history of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, the Page Act of 1875, Ozawa v. United States and other exclusionary policies targeting Asian immigrants.

As we continue to collectively process and heal, I’m reminded of a Mayan greeting that I try to practice every day “In Lak’ech Ala K’in” which roughly translates to “I am you and you are the other me.” Let’s be there for one another in a true and authentic way and see ourselves and our struggles in one another.

In Solidarity,

Eddie Carmona & Renato Rocha, on behalf of the PIF Team

Visit us at [link removed]

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