FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 19, 2021
Contact: media@napawf.org

ATLANTA – Today, President Biden met with leaders in the Asian American community, including a representative from the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF). Earlier today, NAPAWF joined other Asian American organizations to deliver a letter to the president calling for emergency safety and relief to the Asian American community. Signed by more than 183 national organizations, the letter urgently calls on the Biden administration to establish and fund an interagency task force to combat anti-Asian hate, especially addressing the disproportionate impact of violence directed towards women and the elderly.

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

“The Asian American and Pacific Islander community need help to recover — not only from the devastating violence brought down on us by racist scapegoating, but from the economic damage and loss of health and life brought on by the pandemic. We need support that recognizes and addresses the realities we’re living in and flows to the people who need it most. That requires actual, long-term investment.”

National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum Georgia Organizing Manager Bianca Jyotishi issued the following statement:

“The Asian American community in Georgia is angry and scared but we’re also hearing from people across the country that the pain and fear are deeply felt everywhere. We are greatly appreciative of President Biden’s time and words today and hope that it leads to long-term engagement with the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. Asian American women have been the targets of racialized misogyny long before the backlash to COVID-19 and we need a response that tackles the systemic racism and white supremacy that continues to plague our nation.”

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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.