April 8, 2021— We stand with AAPI communities as they face rising discrimination, violence, and hate crimes. Just last week, another racist attack was recorded for the world to see, as 65-year-old Vilma Kari was knocked to the ground and beaten, while bystanders did nothing. This happened two weeks after the horrific attack and murder of Soon Chung Park, Hyun Jung Grant, Suncha Kim, Yong Ae Yue, Delaina Ashley Yaun, Paul Andre Michels, Xiaojie Tan, and Daoyou Feng in Georgia, fueled by anti-Asian racism and misogyny. We are angry and we will not be silent bystanders.
The AAPI community is enduring increased acts of hatred and violence largely because of the racist rhetoric that has been so prevalent since the beginning of the pandemic. However, we know that racism towards Asian Americans and Pacific Island people is not new. As archivists, we understand and have a responsibility to not only shed light on these truths, but to also foster safe spaces for discussions about these painful and traumatic histories. We also commit to celebrating AAPI stories of joy, not just those of pain and violence. AAPI people are Americans, they belong, and their stories are part of the fabric that tells our shared past.
We endorse the statement made by the Midwest Archives Conference and encourage other institutions to take a stand as well. Unity cannot be achieved with neutrality or silence.
#StopAsianHate #StopAAPIHate
For more information on the Society of Ohio Archivists Social Justice and Black Lives Matter Task Force see its webpage.
Below are a variety of resources for donating, speaking up, and examining how others are already combating racism.
Stop AAPI National Report https://stopaapihate.org/national-report-through-december-31-2021/
Anti-Asian Violence Resources https://anti-asianviolenceresources.carrd.co/
Webinar: Let’s Talk! Supporting Asian and Asian American Students Through COVID-19 https://www.mghihp.edu/Asian-American-Webinar-Series
Asian American/Pacific Islander Communities And Mental Health https://www.mhanational.org/issues/asian-americanpacific-islander-communities-and-mental-health
Donate to Red Canary Song, grassroots collective of Asian and Migrant sex workers here https://www.redcanarysong.net/
61 Ways to Donate in Support of Asian Communities https://nymag.com/strategist/article/where-to-donate-to-help-asian-communities-2021.html from New York Magazine
PSA from the Museum of Chinese in America https://www.mocanyc.org/get-involved/racism-response/
Resources on Asian American Archives https://libguides.lib.miamioh.edu/asian-american/archives
AAPI History on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/aapihistory/
Asian American Archive on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/asianamericanarchive/
Densho Japanese American Archive https://www.densho.org/
South Asian American Digital Archive https://www.saada.org/
up//root: Letter to Asian Diasporic Library Workers https://www.uproot.space/features/letter-to-asian-diasporic-library-workers
Hollaback! https://www.ihollaback.org/ has partnered with Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC https://www.advancingjustice-aajc.org/ to provide free bystander intervention training as well as offering de-escalation training
Documenting the Now https://www.docnow.io/
Documenting in Times of Crisis: A Resource Kit https://www2.archivists.org/advocacy/documenting-in-times-of-crisis-a-resource-kit produced by the Society of American Archivists Tragedy Response Initiative Task Force
For more information about the Society of Ohio Archivists Social Justice and Black Lives Matter Task Force, visit its page.
Last Updated on September 1, 2022 by janet_carleton