Published:
Tuesday, June 29, 2021
As we reflect on AAPI Heritage Month, we wanted to highlight and ask you to support the following groups, whose important work remains ongoing throughout the year. We asked these organizations to share what they do and to discuss the difficulties posed by the recent rise of nativism and violence directed at AAPI communities. Here are their responses:
API CHAYA
In recent months, our staff and communities have been devastated by the alarming increase of anti-Asian violence. More than a year later, locally, we are still witnessing increases in domestic violence and are concerned for children and vulnerable adults stuck at home with abuse. We know that isolation also creates the conditions for human trafficking to persist. When people’s basic needs are not met, violence escalates. We urge communities to stay connected to one another in this time and create opportunities for potential survivors to seek help and seek connection. API Chaya is always here for you through our free and confidential helpline, email, social media and so many other ways.
ASIAN COUNSELING AND REFERRAL SERVICE
Many of the people ACRS serves have been doubly or triply hit by the pandemic, yet services and resources that are supposed to help these communities remain under-resourced and inaccessible to non-English speakers. The rise in violence targeting AAPI communities has also created an overall sense of fear among these communities, and there is a greater need for mental health services. But anti-Asian violence is not just physical violence—it is also economic violence from inequities stemming from years of system racism that deeply affect our day-to-day lives.
ACRS was born during the civil rights era of the 1970s, and social justice values are engrained in our mission and work. People can support us through their time by volunteering or their financial support, but the greatest support is for people, especially the younger generations, to engage, speak up and continue the legacy of fighting for social justice and against racism in our communities.
DENSHO
It has been heartbreaking, infuriating and exhausting to witness these attacks on our communities because we know that racialized violence is nothing new in this country. But we also know that understanding our history—from the anti-Asian hate that fueled WWII incarceration to the intergenerational, multiracial coalitions that came together to demand justice decades later—is vital to recognize and uproot systems of white supremacy. We're working to empower our communities with a deep knowledge of that history and the tools to meet this moment with action and continued engagement.
Follow us on social media at @denshoproject, share our digital archives and educational resources with your friends, sign up for the Densho enews, or make a donation if you can!
API CHAYA
What kind of work does your organization do?
API Chaya empowers survivors of gender-based violence and human trafficking to gain safety, connection and wellness. We build power by educating and mobilizing South Asian, Asian, Pacific Islander and all immigrant communities to end exploitation, creating a world where all people can heal and thrive.How has the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing violence targeting AAPI communities impacted your work and amplified AAPI concerns?
COVID-19 rocked the entire world, and our marginalized communities were some of the most impacted. From loss of wages to the inability to stay home due to essential work, to being forced to be at home with the person causing you harm, our people face enormous barriers. API Chaya adapted our approach to address COVID-19 challenges while continuing our long-term goals of meeting immediate needs, creating options for survivors, and fostering safety, healing, and accountability.In recent months, our staff and communities have been devastated by the alarming increase of anti-Asian violence. More than a year later, locally, we are still witnessing increases in domestic violence and are concerned for children and vulnerable adults stuck at home with abuse. We know that isolation also creates the conditions for human trafficking to persist. When people’s basic needs are not met, violence escalates. We urge communities to stay connected to one another in this time and create opportunities for potential survivors to seek help and seek connection. API Chaya is always here for you through our free and confidential helpline, email, social media and so many other ways.
How can people help support your organization?
For those who are able, please donate! All contributions go straight to marginalized survivors working towards safety and healing. Your support allows our staff to work with individuals to navigate safety planning, creating networks of support, access to courts and to meet basic needs. This is a time when we can all work together for the common good. We also need all of us to create the world we want. Please consider volunteering!ASIAN COUNSELING AND REFERRAL SERVICE
What kind of work does your organization do?
Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS) serves Asian and Pacific Islanders—immigrant, refugee or American-born—as well as vulnerable immigrant and refugee populations by providing culturally competent, whole-person care in 40+ languages. We provide client-centered care that integrates government advocacy, behavioral health, medical and social services, employment and training services, citizenship assistance, food programs and addiction recovery in a supportive environment that helps people thrive.
How has the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing violence targeting AAPI communities impacted your work and amplified AAPI concerns?
Many of the people ACRS serves have been doubly or triply hit by the pandemic, yet services and resources that are supposed to help these communities remain under-resourced and inaccessible to non-English speakers. The rise in violence targeting AAPI communities has also created an overall sense of fear among these communities, and there is a greater need for mental health services. But anti-Asian violence is not just physical violence—it is also economic violence from inequities stemming from years of system racism that deeply affect our day-to-day lives.
How can people help support your organization?
ACRS was born during the civil rights era of the 1970s, and social justice values are engrained in our mission and work. People can support us through their time by volunteering or their financial support, but the greatest support is for people, especially the younger generations, to engage, speak up and continue the legacy of fighting for social justice and against racism in our communities.DENSHO
What kind of work does your organization do?
Densho preserves and shares stories of Japanese American WWII incarceration to promote equity and justice today. Our digital archives contain over 100,000 historic photos and documents and 1,000 oral history interviews that tell this history through the perspective of those who lived it. We also offer free educational resources to engage the lessons of WWII incarceration in a broader discussion of how we can address racism and xenophobia today.
How has the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing violence targeting AAPI communities impacted your work and amplified AAPI concerns?
It has been heartbreaking, infuriating and exhausting to witness these attacks on our communities because we know that racialized violence is nothing new in this country. But we also know that understanding our history—from the anti-Asian hate that fueled WWII incarceration to the intergenerational, multiracial coalitions that came together to demand justice decades later—is vital to recognize and uproot systems of white supremacy. We're working to empower our communities with a deep knowledge of that history and the tools to meet this moment with action and continued engagement.
How can people help support your organization?
Follow us on social media at @denshoproject, share our digital archives and educational resources with your friends, sign up for the Densho enews, or make a donation if you can!Explore More:
