March 18, 2021 Statement of APALSA, WOCC, WLC, BLSA, NALSA, LALSA, and PILU
Statement on Georgia Shootings and Anti-Asian Racism in the United States
Cornell’s APALSA, WOCC, WLC, BLSA, NALSA, LALSA, and PILU come together to condemn the rising attacks on Asian communities in the United States. These horrific and vicious attacks, particularly on the elderly and vulnerable portions of our Asian community, have only worsened over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. There have been nearly 3,800 reports of hate crimes and incidents targeting Asians, more than twice as often directed against women, since last March. These incidents targeting Asians include being spat on, pepper sprayed, slashed in the face with a box cutter, and violently stabbed. These examples illustrate the kind of attacks that comprise the 150% increase in hate crimes against Asians in major US cities over the past year. These acts of violence often go unreported by victims due to language and cultural barriers, mistrust of police who terrorize our communities, and lack of attention from the media.
On March 16th, eight victims were tragically shot and killed by a white male in Atlanta, Georgia. Seven of the victims were women—six of them were Asian women. This attack was deeply rooted in the pervasive hyper-sexualization of Asian women, imperialism, and racism. We cannot remain silent and complicit in the face of this abhorrent white-supremacist and sexist violence.
We encourage the students, faculty, and the administration at Cornell Law School to denounce anti-Asian racism and misogyny, and to take action to combat violence and racial injustice against minorities and vulnerable communities in the United States. We condemn all racism against all communities of color and stand in solidarity alongside our allies and peers of color who have long suffered from racial injustices. We refuse to be pitted against our fellow communities of color. Hate crimes like these are products of our nation’s patriarchal and white supremacist foundation, which is upheld and perpetuated by the legal field. These systems of oppression will continue to be cultivated by us unless we are actively dedicated to their destruction.
As a cooperative effort, we will be collecting funds through Venmo (@Micaela-Lucero) on behalf of the families and victims impacted by this violent act. All donations will be sent to the Asian Americans Advancing Justice- Atlanta donation page and will directly support those personally affected by the March 16th shootings. We encourage our Cornell community to come together and support this effort.
We also encourage members of the Cornell community to educate themselves about anti-Asian racism, the unique violence that Asian women and femmes experience, and to support our communities and organizations. These recent attacks have been only a glimpse into a long history of, and complicity towards, injustice and inequality against Asian and Asian-American communities in the United States.
Our allies must not ignore these hate crimes, and instead must work to safely, but effectively, protect victims.
Respectfully,
Cornell Asian Pacific American Law Student Association,
Cornell Women of Color Collective,
Cornell Women’s Law Coalition,
Cornell Black Law Students Association,
Cornell Native American Law Student Association
Cornell Latin American Law Students Association
Cornell Public Interest Law Union
Informational Resources:
Safety Tips for Those Experiencing or Witnessing Hate [Stop AAPI Hate]
Resource Directory [Movement Hub]
Anti-Hate Safety Resources [Asian American Federation]
Bystander Intervention [Asian Americans Advancing Justice]
Show Up- Your Guide to Bystander Training [Hollaback]
Report an Incident:
Report a Hate Incident [Stop AAPI Hate]
Anti-Asian Bias Reporting Form [Asian American Federation]
Alternatives to Policing
“Stop the Violence”: Can Community Groups Replace Police Without Supporting the Police? [Truthout]
Donate:
Asian American Advocacy Fund [Georgia]
Asian Americans Advancing Justice- Atlanta Chapter
Asian Americans Advancing Justice
Asian Americans for Equality, Inc.
Butterfly [Asian and Migrant Sex Workers Network]
Chinese Progressive Association
Committee Against Anti-Asian Violence
Korean American Coalition Metro Atlanta
National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum [Atlanta Chapter]
Red Canary Song [Grassroots Collective of Asian and Migrant Sex Workers]
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