Dear
John,

The deadly shootings in Georgia on Tuesday night hit close to home for many Asian Americans who have witnessed increasing attacks on our community since the start of the pandemic.

My own race and gender have invited harassment and physical threats from strangers on more than one occasion.

While standing at a bus stop with my little boy early on in the COVID-19 pandemic a year ago, this ugliness that I've faced my entire life took on a new meaning. A man passing by yelled racial slurs and spat at us. I hailed down a taxi to quickly get us safely home - a "treat" that signaled to my son the seriousness of the interaction.

The experience left me shaken with a newfound fear.

I realized that for the first time in my life, being Japanese-Chinese American and out in public put the safety of my family at risk.

Take action: Add your name in solidarity with the local Asian American community.

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As we are tragically aware, my experience is not unique, and far from the worst we've seen.

The violent crimes in Georgia this week happened to befall the community on the same day a report from Stop AAPI Hate was released showing that there were nearly 3,800 self-reported, hate-related incidents against Asian Americans from March 19th of last year to February 28th of this year. Nearly 70 percent of those attacks were against women, underscoring just how entrenched misogyny and gendered violence is within white supremacy.

Our sisters at Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta said it best, "We are calling on our allies to stand with us in grief and solidarity against systemic racism and gender-based violence. Violence against Asian American communities is part of a larger system of violence and racism against all communities of color, including Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities."

Add your name now to speak out against misogyny, systemic violence, and white supremacy.

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I'm grateful for the privilege to work at a place that allows me to put the safety of my family first and work remotely at a time when so many in our community have lost their jobs or are on the frontlines of the pandemic. And I am proud of the strength and resilience of our community - we have overcome great challenges and I am optimistic that we will persevere.

Together, we can ensure that the most marginalized and those most impacted by structural racism and discrimination have an opportunity to thrive.

Please take action today in solidarity with the Asian American community and the loved ones of those whose lives were taken.

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Thank you!

Sincerely,

-Erika

Erika Moritsugu
Vice President



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