Princeton AlumniCorps condemns the continuing acts of violence against members of our Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities, which have increased since the start of the covid-19 pandemic. Specifically, we stand in solidarity with our program participants, program alumni, program partners, volunteers, and supporters who are a part of the AAPI community.

On March 16 a white gunman fatally shot eight people, including six Asian women, in a series of killings in the Atlanta, GA area. These shootings come on the heels of over 3,700 acts of documented anti-Asian hate incidents between March and February 2021 (Stop AAPI Hate National Report). These reported incidents represent only a fraction of the number of hate incidents that actually occur, but they demonstrate how vulnerable Asian Americans are to discrimination. Many of these incidents are not being reported by major news outlets, so we believe it is critical that AlumniCorps use our network to bring awareness to this crisis.

We reiterate that the AAPI community is not a monolith; the diversity of the community is reflected in our network, from our founding class to our Fellows, Emerging Leaders, volunteers, and board. We owe it to our network to raise awareness and condemn these attacks; report assault; stand up for others as bystanders; and learn about the history of Asian Pacific Islander discrimination in America. Reference a collection of Anti-Asian Violence Resources here.

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