18 May Cities, States, Elected Officials, Influencers, and Organizations Stand United on National Asian American and Pacific Islander Day Against Bullying and Hate



Blog

POSTED MAY 18, 2020
Cities, States, Elected Officials, Influencers, and Organizations Stand United on National Asian American and Pacific Islander Day Against Bullying and Hate
“Our mission at Act To Change is to protect and empower youth within our diverse AAPI communities, including Asian American, Pacific Islander, Sikh, Muslim, LGBTQI, and immigrant youth. Act To Change puts together an annual national AAPI Day Against Bullying and Hate to stand in solidarity and recommit to our movement. Sadly, COVID-19 has only exacerbated the xenophobia and racism that AAPI communities have always faced. It’s inspiring to see leaders and individuals from all over the country stand with us, honor the legacy of Vincent Chin, and pledge today and everyday, to stand up against bullying and hate.”
— Actor, Author, and Act To Change Co-Founder Maulik Pancholy
Today, May 18, 2020, marks the second annual Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) National Day Against Bullying and Hate, led by AAPI anti-bullying nonprofit Act To Change. AAPIs have long faced violence, hate, and bullying, and now the COVID-19 pandemic has sparked rising numbers of anti-Asian hate crimes. Advocates, celebrities, and elected officials are rallying together today to call for communities to stand united against violence, xenophobia, and racism. The organization will also host a live virtual event, UNITED WE STAND, featuring a line-up of AAPI influencers, leaders, and allies.
Fast Facts:
- About 1 in 5 students report being bullied during the school year
- 50% of Asian American students report bias-based harassment
- Two-thirds of Sikh American students report being bullied
- Half of Muslim American students report being bullied due to their religion
- Founded in March in response to a rising surge of anti-Asian hate crimes, STOP AAPI HATE has received more than 1,900 reports of hate crimes
- Anti-Muslim, anti-Sikh, and anti-immigrant hate crimes have seen dramatic increases in the past 4 years
AAPI Day Against Bullying and Hate is observed during Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and on May 18, the birthday of Vincent Chin, who was murdered in an anti-Asian hate crime in 1982. This year would have been his 65th birthday. Nearly 200 organizations and more than a dozen cities and states across the country are joining in this day, including:
- Los Angeles
- New York City
- Chicago
- San Francisco
- Washington DC
- Boston
- Phoenix
- Seattle
- Dallas
- Houston
- Atlanta
- Jersey City
- Des Moines
- St. Louis County, Missouri
- Irvine, California
- Buena Park, California
- Burlington, New Jersey
- Torrance, California
- State of Illinois
- State of Delaware
- State of New Jersey
- The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus
- The National Council of Asian Pacific Americans
- Asian Americans Advancing Justice
- Japanese American Citizens League
- Empowering Pacific Islander Communities
- The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
- Teach For America
- Human Rights Campaign
- GLSEN
- GLAAD
- The Trevor Project
- Hispanic Federation
- League of United Latin American Citizens
To view the full list of partners and more details, visit acttochange.org/dayagainstbullying.
To join the conversation on social media, use #DayAgainstBullying and #ActToChange. Through its website ActToChange.org, Act To Change offers anti-bullying and anti-hate resources including in multiple Asian languages.
News Coverage
- Coronavirus Hate Crimes Changed Focus for Asian American Pacific Heritage Month, Good Morning America
- John Cho, Randall Park, Lisa Ling, Kal Penn And More Join Act To Change’s Virtual Anti-Racism Event, Deadline
- De Blasio, John Cho, Rep. Grace Meng unite for event to fight racism against Asian Americans, The Hill
- Asian American Celebrities Share Stories of Being Bullied, AdWeek
- Brands Need to Show Support and Make Actionable Change for the Asian American Community, Angry Asian Man
- AAPI Day Against Bullying and Hate Livestream Tackles a Legacy of Hate and What Needs to Change, AsAmNews
- Hollaback joins Act To Change, Hollaback
- JACL recognizes Day Against Bullying and Hate, RAFU
- GLAAD Joins Act To Change in Marking Second Annual AAPI Day Against Bullying and Hate, GLAAD
- CAPAC Members Observe AAPI Day Against Bullying and Hate, CAPAC
- NAPAWF Supports Act To Change’s Day Against Bullying and Hate, NAPAWF