After Atlanta: Resources for Asian Americans and actions for allies
Mar 24, 2021
(CW) Last week, the Atlanta murders left eight people dead including 6 women of Asian descent.
On top of these horrific events, which happened amid a rise in violence towards Asian Americans, the media has been re-traumatizing and minimizing the murders, centering the story of the white male perpetrator in a positive light.
I won’t repeat this narrative here.
Instead, this week I’m sharing resources for Asian Americans to receive care and support, and action steps for allies.
How and where to receive care and support for Asian Americans, members of the diaspora, and folks experiencing trauma and stress:
First, I want to invite you to take a deep breath.
Breathe in through the nose counting to 4: 1...2...3...4
Great. Hold for a count of 2. And exhale slowly through the mouth counting to 6: 1...2...3...4...5...6.
Good. I invite you to take another.
Repeat a number of times that feels truly luxurious to you. I promise that it’s not. This is YOUR breath. It is here for you.
I validate your experience of the events last week and long before, in the last year and in the history of the United States.
Trauma and grief take many forms and your response is valid. For many people, trauma is experienced in one or more of these ways:
- Hypervigilance, or a state of increased awareness.
- Numbness or avoidance
- Exhaustion or fatigue
- Hopelessness or overwhelm
Please know that you are not alone. Here is a list of resources, events, and ways to receive support:
Events
iFundWomen AAPI Support Circle - March 25th at 5:30pm EST
Inclusive Therapists is hosting a Circle of Healing & Solidarity for BIPOC healers, social workers, & activists - March 27th at 4pm EST
RSVP for free - donations encouraged
Receive Support/Resources
Asian Mental Health Collective - https://www.asianmhc.org/
- APISAA Therapist Directory - https://www.asianmhc.org/apisaa
- Mental health hotline numbers - https://www.asianmhc.org/resource/#hotlines
Mimizhuxiyuan on Instagram shared this list of mental health accounts on Instagram (many NYC-based, but good places to start):
Action steps for allies
- Center the victims, not the perpetrator. Here are the names of the victims and you can read their stories by scrolling down here.
Delaina Ashley Yaun Gonzalez
Paul Andre Michels
Xiaojie Tan
Daoyou Feng
Hyun Jung Grant
Suncha Kim
Soon Chung Park
Yong Ae Yue
Elcias Hernandez-Ortiz
- Michelle Kim, CEO of Awaken and a social justice activist, created this thread with links to donation pages for the families of victims. Please support them if you can:
https://twitter.com/mjmichellekim/status/1373892792062148616
- Michelle Kim is also leading many powerful conversations like this one about how we move together. I recommend following, listening, and taking supportive action. ➡️ As always when I share leaders to follow, do not ask for their unpaid or low paid labor, do not ask questions that you could search for yourself, and do not comment or dm anything that could be harmful or abusive.
- DO follow this pronunciation guide from AAJA for the names of victims: https://aaja.org/2021/03/19/aaja-pronunciation-guide-for-asian-victims-of-atlanta-shootings/
- DO reflect on your role perpetuating anti-Asian racism.
- Remember that the work of anti-racism is for our collective futures. Our wellbeing and liberation is interconnected. Do not ask what Black people should be doing - focus on the ways in which success ending white supremacy will be for the good of all.
- For Asian American readers, and those who have experienced trauma and stress from these events, please give yourself permission to take breaks from social media, the news, and rest if you are able to do so.
What have you learned in the last week about U.S. history? About media?
What resources are missing from this post?
Share in the comments below or email me at [email protected].