To fight AAPI hate, a nationwide network and action centers established

The alarming rise in hate incidents against Asian Americans may be giving birth to the national voice for the AANHPI communities that has been lacking because of the wide diversity of the ethnic groups under the Asian American umbrella.

The Asian American Foundation, a convener, incubator, and funder for the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, announced Tuesday (Sept. 28, 2021) the launch of TAAF's Anti-Hate National Network, which includes AAPI Action Centers to combat anti-AAPI hate. 

"Our AAPI families, friends, and neighbors continue to be blamed for the pandemic," said Sonal Shah, President of TAAF. "The launch of our Anti-Hate National Network, AAPI Action Centers, and AAPI Emergency Relief Fund is TAAF’s full-throated response to the hate happening in our communities that for too long has gone unchecked."

Stop AAPI Hate has catalogued over 9,000 incidents of bias against AANHPI since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. Many say the surge in hate incidents, ranging from verbal harassment to mass shootings was exacerbated by the racist rhetoric coming out of the Trump administration blaming COVID-19 on China.

Instead of duplicating efforts by grassroots organizations, the TAAF hopes to use its resourced to connect and support the community "on-the-ground" agencies. For its AAPI Action Centers, TAAF is starting with three pilot cities, Chicago, New York City and Oakland, CA:

Chicago: Chinese American Service League (CASL) will serve as the Chicago AAPI Action Center and has received a grant of $500,000 from TAAF to support its Client Advocacy Unit, which includes comprehensive victim support including mental and primary health, legal services, housing, employment, and care coordination. CASL is also building its journalistic readiness program to ensure effective, impactful media coverage of anti-AAPI hate incidents. 

"We will engage with community partners to better respond to and prevent acts of hate. We will build cross racial partnerships to foster learning, safety, and security. And, we will stand together with one voice that shouts, ‘Chicago will not tolerate acts of hate against any person, regardless of their race, gender, or ability." said Paul Luu, CASL CEO.

New York City: The Asian American Federation will serve as the NYC AAPI Action Center and has received a grant of $500,000 from TAAF to support its Hope Against Hate Campaign which offers preventative safety trainings like upstander intervention and self-defense strategies, robust victim support services, and centralized ways to report assaults in order to get connected to services. The Asian American Federation is also spearheading a safety ambassador program to train volunteers in NYC to accompany AAPI community members in public places.

“The hate incidents AAPI New Yorkers have had to endure on the subways and streets are near-constant, and so we welcome TAAF’s investment in the work being done to keep vulnerable AAPI communities safe," said Jo-Ann Yoo, Executive Director of The Asian American Federation.

Oakland: Asian Health Services (AHS) will serve as the Oakland AAPI Action Center and has received a grant of $500,000 from TAAF to support its high-caliber health and wellness services, as well as its advocacy for health care equity for AAPIs. As part of its Action Center offerings, AHS is providing a trauma care unit, referral linkage services, and community level interventions to counter anti-AAPI hate. TAAF is also working with AHS on its African American / Asian American Racial Trauma Project, which aims to create a body of knowledge focused on racial trauma in African American and AAPI communities.

“California has seen the largest proportion of anti-AAPI hate incidents in the country since the pandemic hit,” said Sherry Hirota, Chief Executive Officer of Asian Health Services. “Oakland and the Bay Area have a long history of advocacy and activism. Not to be blamed or ignored, our AAPI community is strong and resilient. Racism and anti-AAPI hate are public health issues and the solutions will be long term and complex."

TAAF's Anti-Hate National Network aims to provide greater coordination and collaboration between organizations working to combat anti-AAPI hate by assembling them as part of a shared effort to better ensure resources get to where they are needed. Organizations included in the Network provide critical resources to AAPI communities that TAAF wants to invest in and help grow in order to scale better anti-hate tracking, protection, response, and prevention measures. 

The following organizations have received initial grants from TAAF and are now part of its Network: Act to Change, Asian American Journalists Association, Interfaith Youth Core, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), RISE Together Fund, Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), and Sikh Coalition.

Since its launch, TAAF has committed over $7 million to its anti-hate efforts which, in addition to today’s news, have included the development of its Rapid Response Toolkit, its Documenting Anti-AAPI Hate Codebook in partnership with Stop Anti-AAPI Hate, and an interfaith mobilization toolkit designed by the InterFaith Youth Core for college campuses.

This Thursday, September 30, TAAF will co-host a virtual event with NextShark: “From Hate to Hope - Building a National Network for Belonging.” TAAF President Sonal Shah will be joined by Congressmember Grace Meng, D-NY, Benny Luo, Founder & CEO of NextShark, Thu Quach of Asian Health Services, and Jo-Ann Yoo of the Asian American Federation. Amna Nawaz with PBS NewsHour will moderate the event. Registration is required.

CORRECTION: Earlier versions of this article inadvertently included a list of educational institutions serving AANHPI students. It has been removed.

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