ASISTA Denounces Racism, Misogyny, and Violence

In the wake of the killing of eight people in Georgia earlier this week, we at ASISTA are heartbroken and determined as ever to fight the toxic combination of white supremacy and misogyny that fuels this violence. Eight lives were tragically and violently taken, of whom seven were women and six were of Asian descent. We send our love and light to those most directly impacted, the families and friends of the victims. And we stand in solidarity with Asian-American and Pacific Islander communities, understanding that this horrific act is a recent manifestation of a long history of racism and exclusion in the U.S. to which AAPI individuals and communities have been subjected for generations.

Our mission and our work at ASISTA stand at this specific intersection of battling misogyny, racism, and violence. We recognize that the forces underlying these recent murders in Georgia are at the root of the many injustices we see throughout our work: from decisions about who is welcomed and who gets deported, to who experiences state violence in addition to intimate violence, to whose labor is exploited and devalued, and more. 

Part of the insidiousness of white supremacy is that the echoes of its violence reverberate throughout all groups who are targeted and treated unjustly. At ASISTA, we stand committed to continuing the fight against systemic racism and toxic masculinity in all their forms, as well as the violence that they engender. 

To our friends in the AAPI community, in Georgia and everywhere, our hearts are with you. We stand with you, in unity, respect, and support. 

To everyone reading this, thank you for being a part of our ASISTA community, for standing up against these malignant forces with us, and for all you do to make the world safer for immigrant survivors of violence. 

In solidarity,

Kirsten Rambo, Ph.D. 

Executive Director