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States, Cities, 250+ National Organizations, and Celebrities to Unite for National Asian American and Pacific Islander Day Against Bullying and Hate

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 13, 2021
Viet Tran | viet@dawndesignstudios.com

Amid rise in anti-Asian hate, national anti-bullying group Act To Change leads national commemoration to honor legacy of Vincent Chin and promote action, healing, and solidarity

Next month, May 18, 2021, marks the third 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 and unprecedented numbers of anti-Asian hate crimes and discrimination.

In recognition of the third annual National AAPI Day Against Bullying and Hate, actor, author, and Act To Change co-founder Maulik Pancholy issued the following statement:

“It’s critical now more than ever that we protect and empower our Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. As anti-Asian hate crimes, xenophobia, and racism are reported at unprecedented and rising numbers, we must remain united and fight against all forms of bullying and hate. Today, Act To Change urgently calls on all leaders and individuals across the country to stand with us on this annual National AAPI Day Against Bullying and Hate, honor the legacy of Vincent Chin, and advocate for a world free of bullying and hate.”

National 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 66th birthday.

Participating celebrities and influencers in the May 18 virtual event UNITED WE STAND (1pm PT / 4pm ET) include:

• Doug Emhoff, Second Gentleman of the United States
• Bretman Rock, global internet superstar
• Tan France, TV personality
• Olivia Munn, actor and activist
• Jeremy Lin, NBA champion
• Liza Koshy, actress, producer and creator
• Senator Mazie Hirono, HI
• Senator Tammy Duckworth, IL
• Congresswoman Grace Meng, NY-06
• Congressman Andy Kim, NJ-03
• Congressman Kai Kahele, HI-02
• Randall Park, actor, director and producer
• Jasmine Shao, content creator and study influencer
• Ashley Park, Tony and Grammy-nominated actor
• Simu Liu, actor, author and activist
• Deepica Mutyala, founder and CEO, Live Tinted
• Momona Tamada, actress and activist
• Bowen Yang, comedian, writer, and actor
• Michelle Lee, editor in chief, Allure
• Liz Kleinrock, anti-bias, anti-racist educator and consultant
• Hudson Yang, actor, Fresh Off The Boat
• Prabal Gurung, CEO and creative director
• Aparna Nancherla, comedian and actress
• Hari Kondabolu, comedian-writer
• Jose Antonio Vargas, founder, Define American
• Bing Chen, president and co-founder of Gold House
• Sheetal Sheth, actress, author and activist
• Maulik Pancholy, actor, author and co-founder of Act To Change
• Leela Ladnier, actress, Mira, Royal Detective
• Sarah Ha, VP, National Community Alliances, Teach For America
• David Yi, co-founder of Good Light and author of “Pretty Boys”
• Tiffy Cooks, food content creator
• Christine Chang, co-founder and co-CEO of Glow Recipe
• Sarah Lee, co-founder and co-CEO of Glow Recipe
• Nick Cho, Your Korean Dad, content creator, and coffee entrepreneur
• Hāwane Rios, singer, songwriter, chanter, and protector

Fast Facts:

• About 1 in 5 students report being bullied during the school year
• Fifty percent 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
• 1 in 4 Asian American youth has experienced COVID-19-related bullying

According to a recent report from Stop AAPI Hate, nearly 6,600 anti-Asian racist incidents were reported since May 2020, a significant increase from 3,795 to 6,603 during March 2021. The center noted that women reported 2.3 times more than men, youth reported 12.6% of incidents, and seniors reported 6.2% of the total incidents. Incident reports have come from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Introduced by Senator Mazie Hirono and Representative Grace Meng, the Senate last month voted to pass the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Bill to address the rising number of hate crimes and violence against Asian Americans. Sens. Mazie Hirono, Tammy Duckworth, and Rep. Grace Meng now call on the House to swiftly consider the bill. The legislation would instruct the Department of Justice to expedite review of COVID-19 related hate crimes, expand public reporting efforts, and provide guidance to make reporting hate crimes more accessible at the local and state level, including ensuring reporting processes are available in multiple languages.

If you are a company, organization, or individual interested in becoming a sponsor or partner for National AAPI Day Against Bullying and Hate, visit acttochange.org/2021dayagainstbullying.

To join the conversation on social media, use #DayAgainstBullying and #ActToChange.

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Originally launched under President Obama’s White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, Act To Change is a national nonprofit organization working to end bullying among AAPI youth. It envisions a world where all youth can grow up feeling proud of and supported in who they are.