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):
- Adath Israel, Merion Station, PA
- ADL (Anti-Defamation League)
- Allegheny County Bar Association
- Allegheny Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
- American Immigration Lawyers Association, Philadelphia Chapter
- Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Pennsylvania
- Asian Pacific American Lawyers Association of New Jersey
- Beth David Reform Congregation, Gladwyne PA
- Beth Israel Congregation of Chester County
- Black-Jewish Alliance of the ADL
- Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center
- CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers
- Community Relations Council, Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh
- Congregation Kol Ami, Elkins Park, PA
- Congregations of Shaare Shamayim
- Darkaynu Congregation
- Education Law Center
- Germantown Jewish Centre
- Global Citizen
- HIAS PA
- Hispanic Bar Association of PA
- Japanese American Citizens League Philadelphia Chapter
- JewishFreeware.org
- Jews in All Hues
- Juvenile Law Center
- Korean American Citizens League Philadelphia Chapter
- Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition
- LGBT Center of Central PA
- LGBT Center of Greater Reading
- Lower Susquehanna Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
- Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pa.
- Northwestern PA Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
- PA Religious Coalition for Reproductive Justice
- Pennsylvania Council of Churches
- Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission
- Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations
- Philadelphia Bar Association
- Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation
- Philadelphia Diversity Law Group
- Pittsburgh Legal Diversity & Inclusion Coalition
- Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association
- Sikh Coalition
- Southeastern PA Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
- Temple Sinai, Dresher, PA
- The Board of Rabbis of Greater Philadelphia
- The Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Atonement
- The Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia
- Tri-State Human Relations Council
- TriVersity Center for Gender and Sexual Diversity
- University of Pennsylvania Asian Pacific American Law Students Association
- Upper Susquehanna Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
- Urban League of Philadelphia
If you would like your organization to sign on to this statement, please email Philadelphia@adl.org.