In a guest article for Generocity, former Emerging Leader Fellow Kee Tobar reminds civil legal aid and advocacy organizations to include the Asian American and Pacific Islander community in their work to end systemic racism, violence, and discrimination.
“Stop Asian Hate” has become a rallying cry demanding that individual actors in our community stop physically assaulting and harassing Asians. This is a necessary statement. The ability for Asian Americans to walk the streets without being assaulted for their race should be a primary concern.
However, violence against the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community is not only perpetrated by individual bad actors, but also by our institutions, systems (especially our legal system), and government. These institutions and systems have a legacy of discrimination and pursuing violent actions against AAPI individuals.
It is vital that civil legal aid and advocacy organizations hold the government, our institutions, and our systems accountable to stop the historical and continuing violence and discrimination perpetrated against the AAPI community.
