On March 16, 2021 eight people including six Asian women were killed at Atlanta massage parlors. While police are still investigating this case and the motive behind it, it comes at a time of increased hate crimes and racist and xenophobic rhetoric directed towards Asian individuals in the United States.

The organization Stop AAPI Hate released a report citing 3,795 incidents of targeted crimes against Asian individuals between March 2020 and February 2021.

Missions Inc. Programs stands against violence and condemns the violent actions taken on March 16 which we feel stand at the intersection of racism and sexism. We condemn all acts of violence and harassment directed towards Asian people.

Our work in ending violence in domestic abuse and in the lives of our clients facing chemical dependency and homelessness is intertwined with facing racism in all its forms and working within our own organization and our community to deconstruct racist systems.

There are several things you can do if you experience or witness hate, learn more from Stop AAPI Hate.

You can report a hate crime at: https://stopaapihate.org/