Statement by National NOW Vice President Bear Atwood
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, honoring the histories of people from across the Asian continent and the islands of Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia.
The Federal Asian Pacific American Council (FAPAC)—a group that promotes the interests of AAPI workers in the federal and D.C. governments, has selected the theme for this year’s AAPI Heritage Month: Advancing Leaders Through Collaboration.
As FAPAC says in this statement, “Organizations that are led by leaders who have been supported and advanced through collaboration foster transparency. This transparency allows for a culture of openness and trust, which further fosters diversity and inclusion, a variety of opinions and a robust discussion of ideas and approaches, which are all the foundational traits of a thriving organization that is at the forefront of leading change.”
NOW has long supported and promoted these principles of transparency, collaboration and inclusion, and we are proud to support AAPI Heritage Month. We also support the work of the Stop AAPI Hate Coalition, which was launched in response to the spike in anti-Asian racism and violence that coincided with the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, when AAPI people were physically harassed and murdered in cities across the U.S.
NOW members can observe AAPI Heritage Month by supporting initiatives to raise awareness about hate crimes against the AAPI community, reporting incidents or acts of hate, and becoming more informed about what is happening, and why.
For more resources, reports and information, including an online form to report an incident, visit Stop AAPI Hate or follow @StopAAPIHate .
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The National Organization for Women (NOW) is the nation’s leading membership-based advocacy group dedicated to defending women’s rights, advancing equality and combating injustice in all aspects of social, political and economic life. Through educating, mobilizing, and convening a vast network of grassroots activists across the country, NOW advocates for national, state and local policies that promote an anti-racist and intersectional feminist agenda. Since its founding in 1966, NOW has been on the frontlines of nearly every major advancement for women’s rights and continues to champion progressive values today. More about NOW’s efforts and resources is available at NOW.org.