To honour Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month this May, VB+P collaborated with Stop AAPI Hate, a national coalition dedicated to confronting racism and other forms of bigotry against AAPI communities.
It is estimated that one in five AAPIs have recently experienced a hate incident, translating to millions of AAPIs nationwide. Stop AAPI Hate has documented more than 11,000 self-reported hate incidents since 2020 alone. But these numbers are just the tip of the iceberg, as research suggests AAPIs rarely feel comfortable reporting their experiences. This begs the question: How many more hate incidents go undocumented?
“Our communities are once again reeling from the mass shooting in Allen, Texas, a violent act of hate in which eight people were killed, including four Asians. It’s a reminder that two years after the covid-19 pandemic sparked a wave of hate incidents, we’re still on edge – about the possibility of not only physical attacks but also workplace discrimination, verbal harassment, vandalism, and other forms of hate,” said Stop AAPI Hate co-founder Manjusha Kulkarni, the executive director of AAPI Equity Alliance. “While many AAPIs remain fearful and anxious, we also know that many feel hesitant to report or don’t know where to report hate incidents. Encouraging people to share their experiences is essential in creating effective solutions to end anti-AAPI hate – and we are proud to partner with Venables Bell + Partners on a campaign that does just that.”
