By Euhana Ossi and Tiffany Cao, Co-Chairs of the AAPI@ ERG
As we reflect on Lunar New Year — typically a festive time when families reunite and bask in the hopes of a new year — we cannot ignore the rising number of violent attacks against the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. Like many, we have been sad, angry, frustrated, and at times felt helpless. Our hearts are heavy, and we feel a responsibility to speak up and take action to address the alarming wave of anti-Asian crimes we are witnessing today.
We have felt these transgressions before, as early as the 19th century when Chinese immigrants were routinely terrorized and killed. This led to The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which barred Chinese workers from immigration to the United States until as recently as 1965. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated anti-Asian sentiment around the world, which led to a surge in violence and deadly attacks. As leaders of DoorDash’s AAPI Employee Resource Group (ERG), we strive to create a supportive, compassionate community that not only celebrates our expansive array of cultures, but also brings to light the issues we are grappling with, individually, professionally, and as an ERG community.
The AAPI ERG opened a forum for conversation this past week to help foster these important conversations amongst employees. We feel a deep obligation to build these forums beyond the walls of our offices by partnering with local organizations that have taken an active role combating the anti-Asian racism we have felt even more acutely in recent weeks. DoorDash’s mission is to empower local economies and we know that is only possible when our communities feel safe and supported.
This will take all of us to change, and one of our commitments to start is donating to Stop AAPI Hate, a leading organization whose mission is to bring awareness to xenophobia and bigotry resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Their comprehensive community-based approach not only empowers individuals to take action, but also provides support to help those impacted, while advocating for policies that advance civil rights protections for a more inclusive future.
We are also encouraged by the work of many organizations working on the ground and hope to provide these resources below for individuals looking to get involved with their local communities.
Here are a few ways to start:
Get educated and bring awareness to anti-Asian violence.
Be empowered to report any anti-Asian incidents at stopaapihate.org especially since research shows AAPIs tend to underreport crimes, which leads to a gap in understanding the challenges that face AAPI communities.
Donate your time or funds to organizations that increase awareness, bolster civil rights, extend legal representation, and provide ways to get involved- here are a few:
- Stop AAPI Hate
- Chinese for Affirmative Action
- Asian Americans Advancing Justice
- National Asian Pacific Center on Aging
- AAPI Women Lead
- Chinese Progressive Action
- Asian American Federation
- Chinese-American Planning Council
VolunteerMatch is a great way to find opportunities to volunteer near you. Consider finding a local organization supporting older adults in the AAPI community.
Check in with your Asian friends, family and coworkers to show your support and solidarity. If you don’t know what to say, try something like, “There’s no need to respond, but I want to let you know that I’ve been reading about the recent uptick in anti-Asian violence and am disturbed by what has been happening. I am here to support you should you need anything.”
When there are challenges, there are also opportunities to reunite. We look forward to selecting additional organizations to support, in consultation with our fellow members of the AAPI@ ERG. We are continuously looking for ways to engage, empower and uplift our communities, and be active participants with solutions to build a world in which everyone can thrive.
Standing with the AAPI Community was originally published in DoorDash on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.