Stop the Violence: Asian & Pacific Islander Information & Resources

Dear Leaders in the Presbytery of the Pacific,


Anti-Asian and Asian American and xenophobic harassment are on the rise across the U.S. Unfortunately, anti-Asian and Asian American racism and xenophobia is not a new phenomenon. It has been part of our histories for a long time, and we have seen it manifested against different communities in many ways over the years. As the coronavirus pandemic escalates, we have seen more harassment, discrimination, and even violence directed at our communities. The Asian Americans Advancing Justice affiliation has been documenting hate crimes and hate incidents since 2017 through our website at StandAgainstHatred.org, which is available in English, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese. More resources are available on our new COVID-19 page.

One way we can take action to protect our communities is to learn ways to intervene effectively as a bystander without compromising safety. We’re excited to announce that Hollaback! and Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC are partnering for a virtual workshop on bystander intervention. The one-hour, interactive training will teach you Hollaback!’s 5 D’sof bystander intervention methodology.


As the Presbytery of the Pacific seeks to proclaim and become a beloved community and commit to the work of anti-racism–and with the majority of our churches in Pacific Presbytery who are Asian/American (Taiwanese, Pilipino, Korean, Japanese)–THIS IS US. These are OUR communities that are being threatened. Let us learn how to protect one another and our communities in new and effective ways in the name of Jesus. 
These workshops are very much in demand. To find out more: https://advancingjustice-aajc.org/

Grace and Peace,
Rev. Heidi Worthen Gamble, Mission Catalyst

Additional Resources:

1. LAvsHATE. Report hate incidents by calling 2-1-1.
   
2. Stop Anti-Asian Violence: A Conversation of Faith. Watch a “Pacific Islander Talk Story” with Rev. Pausa Kaio “PK” Thompson/Activist & Theologian of Samoan decent and Rev. Diane Ujiiye/Activist & Minister of Asian American and Pacific Islander Christians for Social Justice: .
   
3. So Cal Pacific Islander COVID-19 response team. The Southern California Pacific Islander COVID-19 Response Team (SoCal PICRT) is a coalition of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander community-based organizations and advocates providing much-needed resources and information to our communities in the the cities and counties across Southern California. SoCal PICRT is a member of the National Pacific Islander COVID-19 Response Team.
   
4. Stop AAPI Hate is a coalition of nonprofits, organizers, and educators who are committed to addressing the issue of anti-AAPI hate crimes. 
   
5. Hate Is A Virus started as a movement in April 2020 in response to the rise in hate crimes against AAPI due to the pandemic. Over that past year, they raised $30k+ to help a host of essential, BIPOC community organizations across the nation. This year, Hate Is A Virus continues to amplify, educate and activate AAPI to stand for justice and equality in solidarity with other communities.