Community Statement Regarding Anti-Asian Racism Associated with Coronavirus

  • March 31, 2020

The undersigned community and faith-based institutions, recognizing that the spread of coronavirus has led to rising hate aimed at Asian Pacific American (APA) communities, pledge our allyship and solidarity to help ensure that APA individuals in the region feel safe and supported. We urge all organizations of conscience across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware to come together to condemn bigotry and bias against our APA friends and neighbors.

We know from history that the spread of disease and illness is often accompanied by scapegoating and bias. The results of such fearmongering can devastate entire communities by inciting oppression, exclusion, and violence. Just like in past pandemics, hateful rhetoric is sparking racist incidents and attacks against members of the APA communities in the U.S. today. We denounce these attacks and any efforts to stoke division and hatred by casting blame for the coronavirus on the APA community.

We, the undersigned, urge the media, elected officials and community leaders to help stop the spread of bigotry and scapegoating. Concerned individuals should only share confirmed and verifiable information pertaining to the novel coronavirus, how it spreads and what actions we can take to protect everyone. We encourage any efforts to curb bigotry, including city council resolutions and mayoral statements condemning hate, and ask people to show support for local APA-owned businesses and APA neighbors.

The novel coronavirus and COVID-19 are important public health challenges that are also causing widespread economic harm. They do not discriminate by race. The harm caused by the pandemic will be greater if we allow it to divide us, and combating it will depend on our ability to work together.

We stand with the APA community and urge other communities and organizations to do the same. Only together can we win the fight against the coronavirus and the virus of hate.

List of signatories (as of 4/27/20):

  1. Adath Israel, Merion Station, PA
  2. ADL (Anti-Defamation League)
  3. Allegheny County Bar Association
  4. Allegheny Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
  5. American Immigration Lawyers Association, Philadelphia Chapter
  6. Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Pennsylvania
  7. Asian Pacific American Lawyers Association of New Jersey
  8. Beth David Reform Congregation, Gladwyne PA
  9. Beth Israel Congregation of Chester County
  10. Black-Jewish Alliance of the ADL
  11. Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center
  12. CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers
  13.  Community Relations Council, Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh
  14.  Congregation Kol Ami, Elkins Park, PA
  15.  Congregations of Shaare Shamayim
  16.  Darkaynu Congregation
  17.  Education Law Center
  18.  Germantown Jewish Centre
  19.  Global Citizen
  20.  HIAS PA
  21.  Hispanic Bar Association of PA
  22.  Japanese American Citizens League Philadelphia Chapter
  23.  JewishFreeware.org
  24. Jews in All Hues
  25. Juvenile Law Center
  26. Korean American Citizens League Philadelphia Chapter
  27.  Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition
  28.  LGBT Center of Central PA
  29.  LGBT Center of Greater Reading
  30.  Lower Susquehanna Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
  31.  Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pa.
  32.  Northwestern PA Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
  33.  PA Religious Coalition for Reproductive Justice
  34.  Pennsylvania Council of Churches
  35.  Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission
  36.  Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations
  37.  Philadelphia Bar Association
  38.  Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation
  39.  Philadelphia Diversity Law Group
  40. Pittsburgh Legal Diversity & Inclusion Coalition
  41.  Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association
  42.  Sikh Coalition
  43.  Southeastern PA Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
  44.  Temple Sinai, Dresher, PA
  45.  The Board of Rabbis of Greater Philadelphia
  46.  The Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Atonement
  47.  The Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia
  48. Tri-State Human Relations Council
  49. TriVersity Center for Gender and Sexual Diversity
  50. University of Pennsylvania Asian Pacific American Law Students Association
  51.  Upper Susquehanna Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
  52.  Urban League of Philadelphia

If you would like your organization to sign on to this statement, please email Philadelphia@adl.org