Photo by Rolande PG/Unsplash
On March 17, a white man brought a gun to Young’s Asian Massage near Atlanta, Georgia, shooting and killing eight people, six of whom were women of Asian descent.
A few weeks before this happened, a reporting center called Stop AAPI Hate said it received 2,808 reports of anti-Asian discrimination between March 19, 2020, and December, 2020, while noting that the real figure is likely much higher. The group had formed at the start of the pandemic in response to increased racial violence.
On the evening of March 18, protesters marched through Uptown, Minneapolis, before stopping at a park to speak out against anti-Asian racism, which experts describe as vastly underreported. Using sound equipment out the back of a truck, activists enjoined white attendees to introduce their family and friends to the everyday fight against racism. They echoed a point from last summer’s Black Lives Matter movement: that the incident was nothing new.
To combat racism against the the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) population, here are some resources on reporting hate incidents, learning how to intervene, and lending support to local and national causes.
Report hate incidents
- Call the Minnesota Department of Human Rights discrimination hotline at 1-833-454-0148 or submit this online form.
- Submit a report to Stop AAPI Hate, a center that tracks and responds to hate incidents against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders nationwide.
Learn how to intervene in hate incidents
The Asian Americans Advancing Justice organization hosts training webinars on how to interrupt anti-Asian harassment as a bystander. Register here.
Download the Asian American Racial Justice Toolkit
A collaboration between 15 organizations nationwide, this digital guide is handy for organizers, team leaders, educators, and anyone looking to learn more about how racial justice issues impact AAPI communities.
Use the Anti-Racism College Guide for AAPI Students and Allies
Students can use these resources compiled by College Consensus, including a reading list that covers AAPI history in the U.S., AAPI advocacy groups, mental health resources, guidance for allies, and other information.
Support AAPI nonprofits doing racial justice work
Asian American Organizing Project (AAOP)
A St. Paul organization that fights for immigration reform, voting rights, language access, racial justice, and civic engagement. Donate here.
Coalition of Asian American Leaders (CAAL)
This leadership network “envisions a state where all Minnesotans, regardless of background, are actively engaged and can achieve prosperity,” and works toward it through research, mobilization, and policy strategies. They also host the storytelling campaign #MinneAsianStories. Donate here.
Asian Pacific American Resource Center
This University of Minnesota-based resource center is “committed to affirming the experiences of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students and their diverse communities.” The center includes an online collection of books with Asian Pacific American ties, plus other tools and resources for students against discrimination.
Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC)
A national nonprofit that fights for civil rights and the advancement of Asian Americans, this group highlights the importance of the census, immigrant rights, Asian American representation in media, and other issues. (It also hosts webinars on intervening as a bystander, as described above.) Donate here.
National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF)
A national organization focused on AAPI women and girls that uses a reproductive justice framework to effect systemic change. Donate here.
National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA)
A federation of LGBTQ organizations that focus on Asian American, South Asian, Southeast Asian, and Pacific Islander issues. Donate here.
Support AAPI arts and media in the Twin Cities
- Asian Media Access
- Theater Mu
- Mixed Blood Theatre
- Pangea World Theater
- Center for Hmong Arts and Talent
- Hmong Cultural Center
- CAAM Chinese Dance Theater
- Phoenix Chinese Dance Academy
- Twin Cities Chinese Dance Center
- Katha Dance Theatre
- Ranee & Aparna Ramaswamy’s Ragamala Dance Company
- SUMNAR Indonesian Music & Dance
- Indigo Asian & Tribal Folk Arts
