NEW YORK, April 7, 2021 — On April 21, 2021, Public Wise and Onward Together will host a virtual fundraiser (bit.ly/aapiwomenstrong) in support of the National Asian Pacific Women’s Forum (NAPAWF), a leading national organization for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women and girls in the U.S.
#AAPI Women Strong: Organizing Beyond a Hashtag, brings together influential AAPI women, organizers and allies for an evening of solidarity. For the community to #StopAAPIHate, the individuals facing these challenges need to be supported and strong from the inside out. Topics of the evening will include self-care for the long run, how to be a good ally, and building a strong AAPI voting bloc.
In the wake of the Atlanta attacks, NAPAWF’s Executive Director, Sung Yeon Choimorrow has been one of the lead voices helping contextualize the racism, misogyny and hypersexualization Asian women face. Due to a larger presence in the media, Choimorrow and NAPAWF chapters have been subject to increased harassment. Funds raised from this event will directly support NAPAWF’s rapid response and power building work.
The Atlanta spa shootings on March 16, 2021 were the result of a long history of radicalized gendered violence of Asian women in the United States. While the anti-Asian rhetoric during the pandemic has fanned the flames, AAPI communities have been fighting this discrimination long before COVID. Since the start of the pandemic, nearly 70% of anti-Asian hate incidents have been directed at AAPI women. In order to truly #StopAsianHate, we need to support long term solutions like building up AAPI voter participation and a pipeline of AAPI women leaders.
In 2020, Public Wise provided NAPAWF with a grant and funds+ support for voter education and voter registration. This event is a continuation of the funds+ support.