MLAC Statement Against Anti-Asian Violence and Discrimination

In the past year, violence against members of the Asian-American and Pacific Islander community has moved from the shadows into the public spotlight. In the past weeks, the brutal murders of Soon Chung Park, Hyun Jung Grant, Suncha Kim, Yong Ae Yue, Xiaojie Tan, and Dayou Feng in Atlanta underscore that this violence has intensified; we must recognize that and work to counter it.

We mourn the loss of all the victims of violent attacks and extend our deepest sympathies to their families and communities. We also recognize the pain and fear that racist attacks create in the Asian-American and Pacific Islander community, and as an organization committed to justice for everyone we stand in solidarity with the Asian American and Pacific Islander community and denounce anti-Asian hate and all forms of oppression and discrimination.

We also recognize the important work in the Massachusetts legal aid community, such as the Asian Outreach Project at Greater Boston Legal Services. We appreciate the essential work of legal aid advocates across the state working to counter inequitable practices and policies. We will continue to support these efforts and partner with community organizations that work to promote justice.

Last year, in response to the senseless deaths of Black and Brown people, MLAC announced its re-commitment to ongoing work to oppose systemic racism and advance racial justice. That work has grown no less urgent. We will work as an organization to counter hate and injustice, and we must work as individuals to counter implicit and explicit bias in ourselves and in our communities. We must also refrain from being passive bystanders when we witness bias and discrimination; instead we must act to counter hate.

We must work together to make Justice for All a reality for everyone.

Lynne Parker
Executive Director