FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 16, 2021
Contact: Nikki Metzgar, nmetzgar@napawf.org

ATLANTA — This evening eight people in three Atlanta area spas were killed and another was injured. A suspect has been taken into custody. While details are still unfolding, it appears that at least six of those killed were Asian women. 

National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum Executive Director Sung Yeon Choimorrow issued the following statement:

“We are appalled and devastated at the violence in Georgia that has taken eight lives, six of whom were Asian American women. We mourn with the families of these victims. We are horrified and continue to be concerned for the safety of our community members across the country as violence toward Asian Americans has escalated. Elected officials in Georgia must support these families and speak up immediately against hate and violence directed at the Asian American community.”

“We cannot ignore the fact that anti-Asian hate and violence disproportionately impacts women. More than 68 percent of reported incidents of anti-Asian harassment and violence have been from women. New polling commissioned by NAPAWF has revealed that nearly half of the Asian American and Pacific Islander women respondents had been affected by anti-Asian racism in the past two years. This comes as no surprise. Even before the pandemic and the racist scapegoating that came in its wake, AAPI women routinely experienced racialized misogyny. Now, our community, and particularly women, elders, and workers with low-wage jobs, are bearing the brunt of continued vilification.”

Ms. N.*, a hair salon worker in Atlanta, mother of National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum Georgia Chapter member Tiffany N.* issued the following statement: 

“You go to work and you’re trying to earn money, and you have your family to feed and you’re just trying to survive and be like everyone else. And then stuff like this happens and it’s so scary. I am a part of the Vietnamese immigrant community, and I fear for our safety.” 

*Tiffany and Ms. N. are pseudonyms used for her safety and for the safety of her mother.

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The National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) is the only multi-issue, progressive, community organizing and policy advocacy organization for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women and girls in the U.S. NAPAWF’s mission is to build collective power so that all AAPI women and girls can have full agency over our lives, our families, and our communities.