Love, solidarity & accountability: Standing with Black Lives
We are deeply pained at the senseless brutality inflicted upon Black communities every day. We vehemently condemn the violence against and murder of Black folks such as Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and many, many more. We support and stand with the Black Lives Matter movement.
[Please click continue to read below]
[Please click continue to read below]
Continue
As an organization committed to improving the health of Asian communities, we know that health and well-being are not the result of individual choices, but are largely driven by systemic disparities. In the U.S., your neighborhood and your race can determine your chances of developing chronic disease, with low-income communities of color at the greatest risk for poor health outcomes. We’ve all seen how the COVID-19 pandemic has ravaged these communities the hardest.
Yet no amount of handwashing or facemask-wearing can protect against a knee slammed into your neck. State-sanctioned violence and murder against Black and brown Americans is an abhorrent and shameful stain woven into the fabric of our country since its inception. To stop these murders, we have to dismantle the system of oppression that upholds the dehumanization of Black people and uses Asians as a ‘model minority’ pawn to buttress white supremacy.
Crucially, we also need to address anti-Blackness in our own communities. The discrimination faced by Asians can lead to a desire to assimilate and become as close to the norm as possible - which is often perceived as white. This can include the internalization of anti-Black sentiment, which is damaging for our own psyches and potentially lethal to others. We need to unlearn anti-Blackness and actively support Black and brown communities. Asians cannot continue to serve as instruments for systemic, institutionalized racism. Tou Thau and Peter Liang must not define us. We can draw on our history of solidarity through leaders like Yuri Kochiyama and Grace Lee Boggs, and build on their legacy today.
As Asians, we can be marginalized while simultaneously privileged, especially those of us who are lighter-skinned. We can use our privilege to advocate and stand with Black communities, and recognize that this system hurts us all - Black folks the most - and that we will never be free until all of us are free.
We will not stand idly by. We must be active in efforts to enact change. At AWFH, we are committed to standing with Black lives and are working to educate and counter anti-Blackness in the Asian community. On June 20, we are hosting an event at 2:00 p.m. EDT to discuss allyship and solidarity with women leaders of Boston-based Asian organizations. Ways you can help include reaching out to Black friends/family/colleagues/neighbors, joining a protest, and making donations in support of those we have lost. See this toolkit for links to petitions, donation sites, and more easy ways to take action.
In love and solidarity,
The AWFH Team
Upcoming Event
Thank You to our Sponsors and EVENT Partners
FOR CELEBRASIANS 2019!!
Ways to help
|
ENGAGE
Join us at our upcoming events and programs! |
VOLUNTEER
Show your support of AWFH by getting involved! |
SUBSCRIBE
Learn more about AWFH and receive the latest updates on our happenings. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter and AWFH's podcast, "From Resilience to Radiance." |
Asian Women for Health (AWFH) is a peer-led, community-based network dedicated to advancing Asian women’s health and wellbeing through education, advocacy, and support.
