For Immediate Release
Monday, June 1, 2020
CONTACT:
Molly Higgins
Co-Chair, Media and Publicity Committee
Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association
communications@apalaweb.org
The Asian Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA) stands in solidarity with the Black Caucus of the American Library Association in condemning increased violence and racism towards Black Americans and people of color. We similarly condemn the systemic and institutionalized racism, the weaponizing of law enforcement, white supremacy, and the unchecked state violence that has led to the murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and so many more Black people. We affirm that Black Lives Matter and support the right to protest and rise up against injustice, dehumanization and threats against life without racist and violent police response.
We were enraged to learn that an Asian American police officer, Tou Thao, stood by in silence as his colleague murdered George Floyd. These incidents of complicity highlight the reality that there is still enormous work to be done to eradicate anti-Black racism in our own communities. We do not excuse his actions but condemn rising hate crime against Hmong Americans. We affirm the need to learn our own and one another’s histories and how white supremacy has historically pitted Asian communities against each other, as well as against Black communities. In this moment, we restate our commitment to have the backs of our Black community members, to center Black voices and demands, and to work towards true cross racial solidarity.
We ask our APALA members to commit to addressing anti-blackness both inside and outside of our Asian and Pacific Islander American (APIA) community, to support, fight for, and love our Black and Blasian siblings and to leverage our skills, power, and privilege to dismantle oppressive systems in our institutions and the wider community. We stand tall with Black communities everywhere demanding justice.
In Solidarity and on behalf of the APALA Executive Board,
Alanna Aiko Moore (President, APALA)
Candice Mack (Vice President, APALA)
Paolo Gujilde (Immediate Past President, APALA)
Melissa Cardenas-Dow (Secretary, APALA)
Michelle Lee (Member-at-large, APALA)
Anchalee (Joy) Panigabutra-Roberts (Member-at-large, APALA)
Lessa Kanani’opua Pelayo-Lozada (Executive Director)
Bean Yogi (Member, APALA)
Selected Resources:
- 7 Ways Non-Black People of Color Perpetuate Anti-Blackness
- Asian American Racial Justice Toolkit
- Asian American Anti-Blackness Is Real—And So Is Our Responsibility to End It
- 20+ Allyship Actions for Asians to Show Up for the Black Community Right Now
- Letters for Black Lives
- Your Kids Aren’t Too Young to Talk About Race: Resource Roundup
- Anti-Racism Resources for All Ages
Founded in 1980, the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. All donations to APALA are tax deductible and support our work for library services, programs, scholarships, awards, and grants related to library services benefiting Asian/Pacific Americans and Asian/Pacific American librarians.