A Call For Unity: Ending Violence In Asian American Communities


New Breath Foundation

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We have recently witnessed several violent and hateful acts against Asian American people in the Bay Area and 2,808 documented anti-Asian hate incidents across the country. These vicious attacks are only the most recent and most visible examples of how Asian Americans have been targeted throughout our history because of their race. The fact that a number of these attacks were recorded gives us visible evidence of a lack of respect for human safety and has put the Bay Area in the national spotlight. We support the condemnation of these acts by a number of AAPI leaders in their statement this week (see link here) as they join forces through cross-cultural organizing and promoting alternatives to further harm and criminalization.

We join those organizations in condemning these horrific acts – especially acts that have targeted elders and women – in the strongest possible terms. People who have committed these crimes must be held accountable and we must all acknowledge the pain and suffering that survivors have experienced. We also condemn the use of the so-called “model minority” myth as a racial wedge to divide communities of color against each other. At a difficult time like this, it is essential that we stand together.

There is a broader role for anyone who cares about our communities. Foundations and our nonprofit partners must work harder to examine the underlying causes and conditions that have made Asian communities a target of racial hatred and which threaten our ability to heal across races and cultures. We must address the fundamental inequities that are built into a system that reinforces institutionalized racism so that we can finally promote understanding, caring, and true community safety.  This includes more funding for organizations providing support and services to victims; funding for community-based violence prevention, and addressing a failed  education system that has come to be known as the “school to prison pipeline.” Finally, we have to invest in these changes over the long term, not just when a crisis occurs.

Funding for these issues is practically non-existent. Currently, less than 1% of national foundation grants support Asian American communities and we commit to addressing this funding inequity. We call on our colleagues in philanthropy to provide significant funding for programs that AAPI survivors, leaders, and communities require to address this violence and build racial solidarity. We urge you to join us.

Sincerely,

Eddy Zheng
Founder and President
New Breath Foundation

James W. Head
President and Chief Executive Officer
East Bay Community Foundation

Fred Blackwell
Chief Executive Officer
San Francisco Foundation

Nicole Taylor
President and Chief Executive Officer
Silicon Valley Community Foundation

Debbie Chang
President and Chief Executive Officer
Blue Shield California Foundation

Crystal Hayling
Executive Director
The Libra Foundation

Timothy P. Silard
President
Rosenberg Foundation

Quinn Delaney
Founder and Board Chair
Akonadi Foundation

Lateefah Simon
President
Akonadi Foundation

Patty Quillin
Director
Meadow Fund

Cathy Cha
President & CEO
Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund

Sam Cobbs
Chief Executive Officer
Tipping Point Community Foundation

Dr. Robert K. Ross
President and Chief Executive Officer
The California Endowment

Tyler Norris
Chief Executive Officer
Well Being Trust

Luis Arteaga
Chief Executive Officer
Y&H Soda Foundation

Peggy Saika
Executive Director
Common Counsel Foundation

Jamie Allison
Executive Director
Walter and Elise Haas Fund

Judy Belk
President and CEO
The California Wellness Foundation

Carmen Rojas, Ph.D.
President and CEO
Marguerite Casey Foundation.

Allison Scott, Ph.D.

Chief Executive Officer
Kapor Center

Don Howard
President and CEO
James Irvine Foundation

Patricia Eng
President & CEO
Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders.
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Jacqueline Bouvier Copeland, Ph.D.
Founder, President, and CEO
The Women Invested to Save Earth Fund

Sandy Herz
President
Sobrato Philanthropies

David Onek
Chief Executive Officer
Silicon Valley Social Venture Fund (SV2)

Surina Khan
Chief Executive Officer
Women’s Foundation California

Jennifer Rainin, Ph.D.
Chief Executive Officer
Kenneth Rainin Foundation

Sara Lomelin
Executive Director
Philanthropy Together

Allison L. Magee
Executive Director
Zellerbach Family Foundation

Alexa Cortés Culwell
Co-Founder
Open Impact

Rochelle Leininger
Executive Director
The Mel and Leta Ramos Family Foundation