he Middle East/ South Asia Studies Program strongly condemns the hate-crime against the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community in Atlanta, Georgia on March 16th, 2021, when a white shooter killed eight people, including six Asian women. We recognize that this horrific incident is deeply-rooted in the perpetuation of racial discrimination towards the AAPI community and is testament to the sexualization and fetishization of Asian women. In the context of growing anti-Asian hate during the ongoing pandemic, this latest attack, along with nearly 3,800 reports of hate incidents across the country since March 2020, highlights the fear, pain, and loss endured by the AAPI community.

However, we also must situate this incident in the history of Anti-Asian racism in the U.S. from the internment camps during World War II, to the more anti-immigrant, and xenophobic overtones in our current political climate that are a result of fallacies like the ‘model minority myth’. We stand in solidarity with the families and communities of those directly impacted in Georgia, as well as the AAPI community here at UC Davis. Knowing that no one is free until we are, we will continue to stand with every community in their fight against structural violence, discrimination, and oppression.

Below are resources curated by the Sociology, Anthropology and ME/SA Studies Advising Office:

• Students can speak to a crisis counselor by calling SHCS at 530-752-0871 and pressing “0”. The UC Davis Community Advising Network and Aggie Compass are also available.
• Connect with the Asian Pacific Islander Retention Initiative.
• Connect with the Cross Cultural Center at UC Davis
• Check out the student-run, non-profit, Asian American Association, a UC Davis organization that strives to promote the cultural understanding and awareness of the issues faced by Asian Americans.

Below is a list of more campus and community resources that may be helpful. There’s also this LinkTree with additional resources curated by the organization Stop AAPI Hate.

Organizations to donate to:

• National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum: Grassroots organization that supports Asian immigrant women, reproductive justice and healthcare
• Red Canary Song: Supports Asian and migrant sex workers & organizes transnationally
• Asian Immigrant Women Advocates: Works with Asian immigrant women in the Bay Area/San Francisco in low-wage industries
• Butterfly SW: Provides information, education and support to Asian and migrant sex workers
• Starfish Project: Provides vocational training and cares for Asian women escaping human trafficking and exploitation.

 Mental Health Support:

• The National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association (AANHPA) has a resource page that includes mental health service providers and both general and COVID-19 related resources.

Safety and Advocacy:

• The UC Davis Asian American Studies department provides guidance here for reporting Anti-Asian Hate Incidents.
• The Asian Pacific American Advocates organization has put together a COVID-19 Toolkit: Strategies to Defeat Asian American Racial Profiling and Xenophobia.
• OCA Asian Pacific American Advocates has produced this Responding to Hate Incidents: Community Action Guide.
• Resources for Racial Trauma, from the UC Davis Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.

Anti-Racist Allyship & Continued Learning:

• 11 Actions Toward Anti-Racism, from the UC Davis Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.
• Anti-racist syllabus, from the UC Davis Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.
• Hollaback – Bystander Intervention Training to stop Anti-Asian/American and Xenophobic Harassment.