The USTA condemns anti-Asian violence

Marisa Grimes is the USTA Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer

Since the start of the pandemic a year ago, we’ve witnessed a disturbing and reprehensible increase in violence against Asian Americans. Fueled largely by ignorance and dangerous rhetoric, these senseless acts of violence continue to plague many areas of our country and have now become an epidemic in themselves. Seemingly every night, the news brings new reports of assaults on Asian Americans, their businesses, and their communities. It illustrates how far we still need to go to heal the divisions in our society.

We are a nation of many races, many cultures, and many beliefs. That is what makes this country great. When any group is targeted with violence and hatred, we should all be outraged. The attacks against our Asian American neighbors and friends, and their communities and businesses is not only criminal, it strikes at the very heart of what we are supposed to stand for as a country and as a society. And that affects us all.

Every one of us has the ability to speak out against this violence and take action to represent and support all of the diverse communities around us. The USTA is committed to taking a leading role in doing just that, and we have pledged to work with our partners in local communities and employees to increase understanding and empathy, and set an example of the critical importance of representation, inclusion and acceptance—at this time and at all times. Anything less is simply unacceptable.

Many things in this world are out of our control, but one thing we can control is how we treat one another. Let’s all do our part to stand up and speak out against injustices such as the violence against Asian American communities. There’s strength in numbers and together, our voices will be amplified and resonate against hate and ignorance.

The USTA urges you to check out Stop AAPI Hate to learn more about this issue and ways to be an ally to the Asian community. There also are many resources available to build a better understanding of the history and lived experience of Asian-American and Pacific Islander communities. Here is a list of 10 books recommended by experts that will help provide context around the recent rise in violence against these communities.

1. The Making of Asian America: A History by Erika Lee
2. Orientals: Asian Americans in Popular Culture by Robert G. Lee
3. Members Only by Sameer Pandya
4. The Color of Success: Asian Americans and the Origins of the Model Minority by Ellen D. Wu
5. Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hong
6. All You Can Ever Know by Nicole Chung
7. To Save the Children of Korea: The Cold War Origins of Korean Adoption by Arissa Oh
8. Yellow: Race in America Beyond Black and White by Frank Wu
9. The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui
10. Margins and Mainstreams: Asians in American History and Culture by Gary Y. Okihiro

• Staying informed about the rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans across the country
  • Stop AAPI Hate National Report
  • The U.S. Is Seeing a Massive Spike in Anti-Asian Hate Crimes
• Reporting incidents
  • Stand Against Hatred
• Standing up and honoring the grief and fear held by AAPI members of our community
  • Safety Tips for Those Experiencing or Witnessing hHate