AFGE grieves the loss of eight people, including six Asian American women, who were murdered at three spas in the Atlanta area on March 16.
These racist and sexist attacks shook the Asian American communities, which are already facing a surge in hate and violence fueled by politicians’ false rhetoric during the COVID-19 pandemic. There have been nearly 4,000 attacks against Asian Americans over the past year.
“We are outraged by these attacks against Asian Americans who are a vital part of our labor movement,” said AFGE National Vice President for Women and Fair Practices Jeremy Lannan. “We firmly stand against hate. Nobody should have to live in fear because of their race, color, ethnicity, religion, disability, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity.”
“To our AAPI family across the nation who are suffering right now, we are with you,” stated AFGE’s National YOUNG Committee in a statement posted on Facebook. “We stand with you, we sit next to you, we fight for you, and we see you. We condemn the rise in hate crimes you have experienced over this past year, we condemn the xenophobic language that has been used to attack you, and we will absolutely not be defeated by such divisive forces.”
“Our hearts go out to the families of the victims and the Asian American communities across the country,” said AFGE President Everett Kelley. “These untimely deaths highlight the fact that we still have a long way to go in our fight against racism and sexism. AFGE stands with Asian Americans and condemns white supremacy and misogyny that drove these murders.”
