SAN DIEGO, CA — Today, communities across the country are grieving after the horrific loss of life in Atlanta, GA. Eight people — 6 of whom were Asian — were murdered in a brutal attack that was fueled by hate targeted at Asian communities. 

This was not an isolated incident, but rather part of long-standing historic hate directed at immigrants, including Asians. Anti-Asian violence has risen nationally over the past year, a horrifying trend reflected locally in our San Diego community as well. These disturbing trends indicate that when we ‘other’ people in our communities, we allow for hate to take hold and for violence to emerge.

The San Diego Immigrant Rights Consortium (SDIRC)  stands in solidarity with those affected by anti-Asian violence in Atlanta, and across the nation. We support the on-the-ground organizations in Atlanta who call for a community-centered approach to addressing this violence, and urge lawmakers here in San Diego, and across the country to provide resources for crisis response for immigrant communities, as well as to enact policies that support all immigrants, and undo the hateful rhetoric turned law our country has enacted. In order to stop this hate, our policies and communities must welcome all.

Ian M. Seruelo, Asia Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) member and Labor Representative of the San Diego Immigrant Rights Consortium (SDIRC) said: 

“Our hearts go out to the families of those lost to this hateful act of anti-Asian violence, a violence that has been on the rise across our country, and here in San Diego. Regardless of the purported motive, the target was definitely the Asian community and its impact on Asian communities is the same, especially in light of the increase in Anti-Asian attacks.

We cannot allow white supremacist hate to overtake our communities, and must stand in solidarity as immigrants, as communities of color, and as people of conscience against this divisive and violent rhetoric.”

The San Diego Immigrant Rights Consortium is a project of Alliance San Diego. Since 2007, community, faith, labor, and legal organizations have come together as the San Diego Immigrant Rights Consortium (SDIRC). Through SDIRC, these organizations are pursuing four common goals: support comprehensive immigration reform; stop the spread of local policies and practices that target and violate the civil and human rights of immigrants; educate immigrants, and educate the public about the important contributions of immigrants. More at: www.immigrantsandiego.org.

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