Submitted by Lisa K. Traditi, AHIP, 2020/21 MLA President, and the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee
The MLA DEI Committee and the Board of Directors stand in solidarity with our colleagues of Asian descent and broadly with Asian communities. On Tuesday, March 16, eight persons were heartlessly murdered in Atlanta, six of Asian descent. These acts of violence are abhorrent. We want to amplify the statements of our caucuses and join them in condemning white supremacists’ societal violence toward persons of Asian descent who have increasingly become targets of violence during the COVID-19 pandemic. We extend support to our Asian colleagues. We encourage MLA members to act towards learning and support. Library workers have an essential role to play in providing trusted information, and dispelling disinformation and misinformation. We encourage developing historical literacy to understand how acts of violence have roots in misinformation. We further encourage action to learn how to respond to acts of intolerance and hatred as a bystander.
Resources:
Historical Intolerance Toward Asian Communities Washington Post Article:
“The long ugly history of anti-Asian racism and violence in the United States
Chinese Exclusion Act Documentary PBS (1 hour 51mins)
Asian Americans: Good Americans PBS (54 mins)