HOLLAND (WHTC-AM/FM) — Asian Americans in the Holland area community and their allies are planning a supportive rally for noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 24, 2021, at Kollen Park, 240 Kollen Park Drive in Holland, between Ninth and 14th streets.
Organizers cite an alarming rise in anti-Asian violence, racism, and discrimination since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic with one of every three Asian Americans reporting a rise racial slurs or jokes over the last year.
The group Stop AAPI Hate documented
- nearly 3,800 incidents against the Asian American community since March 2020, ranging from verbal or online harassment to physical assault and Civil Rights violations.
- a 1,900 percent increase in violence against Asian Americans in 2020 and there has been a 150 percent increase in hate crimes against Asian Americans in major cities across the U.S.
- the March 15, 2021, murders of eight people — six of whom were Asian women—in a mass shooting targeting three spas in metropolitan Atlanta, GA.
- Asian Americans continue to be targeted in acts of violent assault, traumatic verbal harassment, and often-overlooked discrimination that aims to devalue their dignity and their place in society.
Organizers of Saturday’s demonstration wrote in a statement emailed to media, “Let’s stand in solidarity as we remember and honor the victims of the mass murder in Atlanta and so many others whose lives were taken too soon. Our call is for unity. The time for us to show up, speak out, listen with intent to understand, and heal together is now. Because together, we are stronger. Together, we stand with each other. Together, we can make the world a better place.”
The group indicated they want “to build a chorus of solidarity and ensure the Asian American community receives the support it needs to fight anti-Asian hate and racism.”
People attending Saturday’s demonstration are expected to wear masks, practice social distancing and other COVID-19 preventive measures.
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