KPA Statement In Support of the AAPI Community

The Kansas Psychological Association (KPA) remains steadfast in condemning structural racism, discrimination and hurtful stereotypes that target minority communities. Stop AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) Hate, a coalition that has tracked anti-Asian violence during the pandemic, received 3,795 reports of hate incidents between March 2020 and February 2021. A study published earlier in March 2021 by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, a nonpartisan research center, showed a significant rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans from 2019 to 2020. Advocates for the Asian American community attribute this increase to the pandemic and erroneously blaming Asian Americans for the coronavirus. We are united in our stand against xenophobia directed toward Asians and Asian Americans. It is alarming the increase in harassment and hate that has been directed towards Americans of Asian descent because of their ethnic background or national origin. The recent shooting in Atlanta where 8 were murdered, 6 of Asian descent, remind us that hate acts towards the AAPI community is a problem that cannot be ignored or met without action or voices.