For Immediate Release
Media Contact:
Leezel Tanglao
March 25, 2021
Filipino Young Leaders Program Denounces Anti-Asian Hate and Calls for Action
As dedicated advocates for the Filipinx/a/o community, the Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO) strongly condemns the climate of anti-Asian violence and harassment that has been escalating across the United States over the past year. From casual instances of public bullying to the abhorrent shootings that took place on March 16 in Atlanta, GA which left eight people dead, including six Asian American women, FYLPRO stands in solidarity with all communities of color facing the threats of white supremacy and racism. Sadly, the statistics speak for themselves. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Stop AAPI Hate and the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino have separately reported the following:
- Nearly 3,800 anti-Asian hate incidents were recorded nationwide between March 19, 2020 and February 28, 2021
- While overall rates of hate crimes in the country decreased by 7% in 2020, law enforcement in the 16 largest U.S. cities saw instances of anti-Asian hate crimes surge by 149%
- Women have reported anti-Asian hate incidents at a rate 2.3 times that of men
Regrettably, the twin scourges of racism and misogyny permeate the emerging accounts of the Atlanta attacks. To the family, friends, and co-workers of Soon Chung Park, Hyun Jung Grant, Suncha Kim, Yong Yue, Delaina Ashley Yaun, Paul Andre Michels, Xiaojie Tan, and Daoyou Feng, FYLPRO offers its deepest condolences. The fact that these slayings took place during, of all times, the height of Women’s History Month, is doubly cruel in its irony.
The Atlanta murders, and other acts of violence against Asian Americans that came before that, only contribute to the sad reality that in 2021, our community does not feel safe in America. Whether in large, cosmopolitan cities or quiet small towns, Asian Americans have diminishing reasons to trust that they will be protected from bodily harm as they go about their everyday lives just like their neighbors. Many of these incidents brutalize the most vulnerable among us, notably the elderly. Just last month, 61-year old Noel Quintana was slashed across the face by a fellow passenger on the New York City subway and later lamented, “I asked for help, but nobody helped. Nobody moved.” Younger FilAms can take little solace, either. The untimely loss in December 2020 of Angelo Quinto, a 30-year old Navy veteran who died at the hands of police during a mental health call at his own family’s home in Antioch, CA, has rocked the Filipinx/a/o community with heart-wrenching intensity, particularly since the nationwide campaign for accountability started gaining wider traction mere weeks prior.
Indeed, it is through civic engagement and action that we can overcome despair in the face of crisis. FYLPRO alumni like 2019 delegate Kevin Zagala are working on providing support to the Asian community. Zagala is working with the Compassion in Oakland project, which is a resource for promoting safety and community by providing chaperones for the elderly.
On March 26, FYLPRO is participating in the #StopAsianHate Day of Action coordinated by APIAVote. Additionally, we will be holding a live online conversation, HERE/HEAR Now: Confronting Anti-Asian Hate at 9 pm EDT, in partnership with the Philippine Embassy in the United States and GMA Pinoy TV. This will be live streamed on FYLPRO’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/FYLPRO. Hosted by Howie Severino, this conversation will be anchored by the following Filipino American community leaders: Chris Lapinig, EJR David, Anna Marie Cruz, Allyson Tintiangco-Cubales, Tony DelaRosa, Leezel Tanglao, and Louella Cabalona.
“The Asian American community is facing a double pandemic of COVID-19 and anti-Asian racism. In the face of discrimination that is costing us lives, it is imperative that our leaders, along with everyone else, be vigilant and vocal in denouncing anti-Asian violence,” says Louella Cabalona, FYLPRO President. “FYLPRO, our alumni and partners, coming together to confront these issues, demonstrate action and stand in solidarity with the community, is just one collective step to #StopAsianHate and honor the victims and their families.”
And this is just the beginning. Below is an abbreviated list of resources and calls to action in the fight against anti-Asian hate:
Anti-Racism/Bystander Intervention Training
Coronavirus/COVID-19 Resources to Stand Against Racism (Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC)
Mental Health Resources
Asian Mental Health Collective
Information on AAPI Community (National Alliance on Mental Health)
Asian American/Pacific Islander Communities and Mental Health (Mental Health America)
Donating to Local ATL Community
Verified Atlanta-Area Spa Shootings Fundraisers
National Campaigns
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About the Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO)
FILIPINO YOUNG LEADERS PROGRAM (FYLPRO) is a network of high performing, next-generation leaders who advance the Philippines and the Filipino people through their advocacy and expertise in various industries.
We continually expand the pipeline of Filipino young leaders in the diaspora. By connecting them to the motherland, we foster collaborative multinational relationships that create innovations and support the socio-economic progress of the global Filipino community.
For more information, visit. fylpro.org.