Feature on STOPAAPIHATE
Stop Asian American Pacific Islander Hate (STOPAAPIHATE) is an organization that has been founded during the pandemic to combat the shocking and disturbing rise in hate crimes and bigotry aimed at the Asian American and Pacific Islander community in the United States.
Their website allows a witness or victim of anti-Asian harassment to report it, multilingual resources for those affected, and support for those in the community.
STOPAAPIHATE came about through the cooperation of the Asian Pacific Planning and Policy Council (A3PCON), Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA), and the Asian American Studies Department of San Francisco State University. It was launched as a reporting tool on March 19th of 2020 and has since been a leader in aggregating the astonishing number of incidents of violence, discrimination, and bullying.
Cynthia Choi, one of the founders of STOPAAPIHATE and the co-executive director of the CAA described the organization as such: “We want community members to know they are not alone. They can speak out and help stop the spread of bigotry. Secondly, the collected data will allow us to assess the extent and magnitude of these incidents and to develop strategic interventions.”
The media has been covering this appalling trend, but simply reporting the story clearly isn’t enough to stop or prevent these incidents. STOPAAPIHATE has been working on the state and local level, and beyond, to institute and modify existing legislation that protects these groups that have so cruelly been the target of xenophobia and intolerance.
For local efforts, STOPAAPIHATE has Movement Hub, which is a collective of 40 Asian American and Pacific Islander organizations that work to counteract racism and implicit bias. Through Movement Hub, you are able to donate, get involved in legislation, and take action through workshops and fundraisers. Check out the site to see what activism and organizing is being done in your area.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of anti-Asian sentiments, or if you’d like to get involved, visit STOPAAPIHATE.org