On March 16, 2021 eight people were murdered in Atlanta. Six of those people were Asian women. While it is not yet clear if these murders will carry hate crime charges, we know that hate incidents against the Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) community increased nearly 150% since the beginning of the pandemic. In 2020, more than 3,000 Anti-Asian hate incidents were reported to Stop AAPI Hate and another 500 incidents have already been reported in 2021.
The International Institute of New England (IINE) condemns any anti-Asian racism and stands firmly with the AAPI community.
IINE has a long history of working with the AAPI community, and we have resettled many Asian refugees in New England. These refugees came to the United States to escape the persecution they were facing in their home countries, yet now they are facing targeted harassment and hate incidents in their new country.
At the core of IINE’s work is the commitment to build and promote welcoming communities that recognize the value of every person. We remain committed to this work and will continue to fight back against racist rhetoric, policies and actions.
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You can report incidents of anti-Asian harassment to Stop AAPI Hate here.
