#StopAsianHate Rally

On Sunday, March 28, 2021, nearly 1,000 people showed up to AsiaTown to stand in solidarity with our AAPI residents and community in response to the tragedy in Atlanta, targeting women in Asian-owned spas, and in response to the rising incidents of anti-Asian hate incidents and harassment, which have continued since March. Thank you to everyone who joined us and braved wind and rain for our community. Thank you to our community for demanding to be seen and heard. Thank you for coming out and speaking up, despite feeling fearful. Thank you for making and taking space to grieve for the precious lives we lost in Atlanta, and for the almost 4,000 incidents (and growing) we’ve experienced and witnessed across our country over the past year. To our elders, whose shoulders we stand on. To our allies, for standing in solidarity, for volunteering, for elevating the event. To all who showed up to affirm, yes, you belong here.

We are so grateful to our fellow organizers –  APAPA Ohio, ASIA Inc, OCA 大克利夫兰, and OPAWL – who joined us in moving forward in grief and mourning to help create this space. Thank you also to our powerful speakers who shared their messages of solidarity and urgency: Councilman Basheer Jones of Cleveland City Council, Lydia Kang of the Korean Central Presbyterian Church, Vincent Wang of APAPA Ohio, Jenika Gonzalez of Global Cleveland, Dr. Shemariah Arki of The Ellipsis Institute, Marc Alvarado of IRTF, Elaine Tso of ASIA Inc, Xinyuan Cui of AsiaTown Cleveland, and Tessa Xuan of OPAWL. You may still watch the speeches on @asiatowncleveland’s IGTV.

We held this rally to demand action because words alone will not keep us safe. We are still looking for those actions. Here are some actions that we all can take.

• If you attended the rally, please keep sharing pictures, words, moving moments, or reflections from the day.
• Attend a bystander intervention training, which Asian Americans Advancing Justice and Hollaback are providing free of charge. Support this resource by donating, if you are able.
• Sign OPAWL’s statewide Ohio letter to Governor Mike DeWine and the Ohio State Legislature
• Speak up and report any AAPI hate crimes to StopAAPIHate.org.
• Donate to critical infrastructure and support for Asian and AAPI communities, such as Asian Services in Action (ASIA Inc).
• Learn about Asian American history and culture, including through PBS’s documentary, Asian Americans, and unlearn what white supremacy has taught us.
• Follow and support the organizations that led the event for more ways to support the AAPI community because this march was just the beginning.

We are not done. May we work together towards a world filled with justice, peace, love, and liberation. This is our home. 我們屬於這裡