The Asian American Playwright Collective

The Asian American Playwright Collective is enraged and heartbroken by the murders of eight people, six of them Asian American women, in Atlanta. They were caretakers, parents, co-workers, relatives, friends, and neighbors. We grieve with their families, friends and the Atlanta Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community.

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We are incensed, yet unfortunately, not entirely surprised by the contrast between local law enforcement’s sympathetic response to the white gunman and their motivation versus the relative lack of humanity offered to describe the victims and the paucity of condolences extended to their survivors. The Atlanta shootings must be acknowledged as a hate crime rooted in white supremacy and misogyny.

During this pandemic, the frequency and intensity of harassment and violence against Asians have increased exponentially, spurred on by anti-Asian rhetoric from those in power. Women have accounted for more than 68% of reported incidences of anti-Asian harassment and violence. Our beloved elderly are being assaulted and killed in public spaces. 

Racism against AAPI communities is deeply entrenched in American history, but has been rendered invisible by white supremacy and normalized anti-Asian rhetoric. AAPI men have been scapegoated and marginalized. AAPI women have been hypersexualized, part of a larger legacy of Western imperialism and gender-based violence. AAPI trans, nonbinary, and gender non-conforming people continue to be erased and excluded. All AAPI groups have been dehumanized.

Enough is enough. We will not be silenced as the “Model Minority,” a divisive moniker that creates false divisions among groups of color and only serves to bolster a racist agenda. As AAPI artists, we will use our art to make our voices heard and work towards a better world, one where all of our communities can be safe from violence.

Respectfully submitted,

The Asian American Playwright Collective