Addressing Trauma and Violence in Philadelphia’s Asian Communities

The Challenge

The Asian immigrant and refugee communities have largely remained invisible and overlooked for much of the history of crime and gun violence in Philadelphia.  With the rise of anti-Asian hate during the COVID-19 pandemic, many community members now live in fear, not only of gun violence and crime, but also of ethnic intimidation and racially motivated attacks.  Many Asian immigrant residents who originate from countries with a history of war or community violence experience re-traumatization when exposed to violence in their neighborhoods.

The Project

Through this Emerging Leader Fellowship, Julia Zielinski will work with the Cambodian Association of Greater Philadelphia (CAGP) to develop multigenerational community outreach and programming efforts that address the trauma created by gun violence and racism in neighborhoods where the city’s Cambodian and other Asian residents live.

Specifically, this Fellowship will enable Julia to:

• Provide multigenerational programming for North and South Philadelphia’s Asian communities, including violence prevention and intervention workshops; intimate community circle conversations; and public dialogues on gun violence and racism for families, children, and elders.
• Connect community members to additional resources, services, and supports that help them respond to the fear and trauma caused by crime, gun violence, and ethnic intimidation.
• Amplify the visibility and voices of Asian American & Pacific Islanders (AAPI) in initiatives and partnerships that address gun and community-based violence.
• Cultivate and develop best practices for community engagement that promote AAPI representation as stakeholders.