AAPI Community Leaders Gather for 3rd Anniversary of Atlanta Spa Shootings, Reinstating Commitment to Fight Racism

By Emily Laycock Norcross, March 16, 2024 – Asian American organizations nationwide held events in four cities, including Atlanta, to commemorate the three-year anniversary of the 2021 Atlanta Spa Shootings, which took the lives of eight people, six of whom were Asian American. Community leaders, activists, students, local and national government leaders, and family members and survivors of anti-Asian hate crimes gathered at the Korean Community Center in Norcross, Georgia, “to honor victims of hate, demand action, and build unity and solidarity in the face of racism and discrimination”. Similar events were held in New York City, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, and were nationally live streamed on AsianJusticeMovement.org. This year’s theme Stand Together:Remembering 3/16, highlights the continued fight against injustice in the AAPI community. The shooting along with the rise of anti-Asian hate during COVID-19, sparked outrage among the Asian American community, as many called upon government leaders to advocate against the discrimination and violence facing their communities. A call many leaders are still taking steps to address, even three years later. Event organizers, such as Victoria Huynh, Founder of Georgia AAPI Hub, want community members to know that commemorating the victims of the Atlanta Spa Shootings and other anti-Asian hate incidents is not a singular event. As organizers have committed to holding an event every year on March 16th for the next ten years. “Such strength came out of that (March 16th Shootings) and that's why many of these organizations still come together today. This is our third year. People thought it was gonna fizzle out. But here we are. To see how strong this community shows up. And not just here, but it's also live streamed nationally in multiple cities. Shows the strength of our communities,” Huynh said. Georgia Legislative Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) caucus members; State Rep. Michelle Au (D) and State Rep. Long Tran (D) were both in attendance at Saturday’s event; where they reinstated their commitment to advancing equity among the AAPI community. Moving forward Au and Tran, are working to not only bridge gaps between communities within the AAPI community but also among various other communities as well. On Tuesday, March 19th, leaders of Georgia’s Legislative Black, AAPI and Hispanic Caucuses will meet for the first ever Tri-Caucus Town Hall. “We will meet to talk about how we will work together in order to protect and grow our communities,” Tran said. Later in the evening, Erika Moritsugu, deputy assistant to the president and Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AA & NHPI) senior liaison, read aloud a letter written by Vice President Kamala Harris to Atlanta community members. The letter highlighted the Biden-Harris Administration's commitment to a future free from gun violence and continued advocacy for the AA & NHPI community. “As we honor and remember those individuals who lost their lives and support the survivors, we recognize that hate-fueled gun violence must not prevent us from fulfilling our Nation’s promise of freedom and justice for all,” Harris said in the letter. Moritsugu was appointed deputy assistant to the president and AA & NHPI senior liaison in April 2021, a newly created position by President Joe Biden, in response to the March 16th shootings and the rise of anti-Asian hate crimes nationwide. In her position, Moritsugu not only does policy work, but also acts as the AA & NHPI communities representative, sharing what she has seen and learned on the road with the President. “It's an honor to try to make sure that all of our communities gel together so that we can advance equity, justice, opportunity, and safety for all Asian American, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, and also in coalition with other communities of color,” Moritsugu said. “Last year, the administration for the first time ever in any White House administration, issued the first ever national strategy to ensure equity for Asian American, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders,” Moritsugu said. “That was the work of several dozen agencies, all committing to identifying barriers to equity, justice, and opportunity for AA & NHPI communities.” To close out the evening, a panel of diverse AAPI high school students from Metro Atlanta shared their experiences facing incidents of bullying and anti-Asian hate incidents, as well as their thoughts on gun violence and a lack of AAPI representation within instructional materials. “I believe the young generation is the driving force to bring change to our communities. They are very empathetic to social and racial justice and do not have the language barriers their parents or grandparents have,” said Michelle Kang, co-founder of the Atlanta Korean American Committee Against Asian Hate and Georgia House District-99 Democratic Candidate.

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