EDF Stands with Asian American and Pacific Islander Communities in Wake of Attack

“The heinous murder of eight innocent people in Atlanta, including six women of Asian descent, cannot be separated from the onslaught of hatred and violence against Asian American and Pacific Islander communities that began to ramp up in the first days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nor can it be separated from the centuries of xenophobia and racism that Asian American communities have faced to date. For the last year, these communities have lived in a heightened and continuous state of fear.

“Though the white man charged with these murders has reportedly denied racial motivation, Asian American communities have already made clear that they see them for what they are: hate crimes. The advocacy group Stop AAPI Hate recorded nearly 3,800 hate incidents against Asian Americans from March 2020 through February 2021. Women were more than twice as likely as men to report an attack. Environmental Defense Fund stands with Asian American and Pacific Islander communities and condemns racist violence in all of its forms.

“Like so many other nonprofits, we are on a journey to integrate diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice into our organizational values in a way that matters deeply for our work and our staff. We want our colleagues of Asian descent to know that we recognize and empathize with the pain caused by this horrific act and by all of the senseless violence directed against Asian Americans throughout our history. We will do our part to build a society free from racism and racist violence.”

- Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense Fund