Dear Union Community,
As we grieve and lament the deeply rooted sin of racism in the US and the trauma of ongoing acts of hateful violence exposed so horrifically toward our Asian siblings this week, may we humbly listen deeply to one another’s stories and seek another way of being -- a new humanity at the foot of the cross.
The tragedy in Georgia this week that claimed 8 lives, including 6 women of Asian descent, has brought into clear focus, once again, the depths of racism and white supremacy that saturates our country. The Seattle Presbytery's Race & Equity Task Force has released this statement and ways to respond, and we hope that you will find a meaningful way to take action in this moment.
A Message from the Race & Equity Task Force:
Our hearts break with the news of the fatal shootings in Atlanta, which we recognize as part of a larger pattern of increased violence and racism against Asian Americans. While the pain and grief of this latest tragedy are fresh, racism and violence towards Asian Americans are as old as the foundation of white supremacy that our country was built upon. Words and statements are not enough to counteract systems that continue to perpetuate violence. Today we ask all members of the Seattle Presbytery community to take action, to stand in solidarity with our Asian American siblings in our churches, schools, neighborhoods, and communities. Please take time to look through the list of resources and ways to advocate, act, and learn and choose some way to act in this time of tragedy. Invite others in your circle to join you. Be bold and sacrificial, in accordance with Christ's bold and sacrificial love for all humanity.
Attached to the bottom of this letter is a list of ways to respond. There are ways to learn, act, and advocate. Take some time to engage in this moment, to listen to the stories of pain and trauma. In Romans, Paul calls us to "weep with those who weep," to get close and in proximity with one another that we might better understand the pain and suffering that our friends, and neighbors, and community members feel.
This Sunday, we invite you to join us in worship as Caroline Lu will share in her gifted way a story about her experience as an Asian American woman. We invite you to receive her story, to sit quietly and reflect, and to share space with our sister's embodied experience of race in our country. The following Sunday, March 28th @ 10AM, you are invited to join us for Unpacking Privilege Through Our Stories as Caroline continues to teach us about sharing our own stories around race and racism.
Thank you for acting in solidarity with our AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) siblings. May our actions take us a step closer to a world where every person is valued and honored for who God created them to be.
* * *
Unpacking Privilege Through Our Stories
4th Sunday, March 28th @ 10AM | More info & zoom link here
Whether you were with us last month or not, you are invited to join. We will continue to share ideas in small groups this next 4th Sunday, though sharing is voluntary! Please come as you are, and share in whatever way feels authentic to you.
For those who have begun to work on your stories, how is it going? Do you have any questions? The template and guidelines are attached to this email for reference. Feel free to reply to Truth & Justice with any questions you might have.
* * *
RESOURCES TO RESPOND TO ANTI-ASIAN VIOLENCE
Resources found from Brittany Packnett Cunningham @mspackyetti on Instagram and Stop AAPI Hate.
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF
Mental Health Resources
Crisis Line 1-800-273-TALK, for Asian Languages 1-877-990-8585
Unity Collective Counseling is a Seattle-area non-profit providing inter-sectional care and counseling for AAPI people and other marginalized groups
A Directory of Asian, Pacific Islander, and South Asian American (APISAA) Mental Health Therapists in Washington state
@SubtleAsianMentalHealth on Facebook is offering free 1-1 Supportive Listening Sessions
ADVOCATE
Be a vocal supporter of Ethnic Studies in your local school district and educational institutions to better understand the centuries of violence the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities have experienced in the US.
Contact your local government officials and ask what they are doing to address anti-AAPI sentiment and violence.
Show up in solidarity at a rally organized by Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Coalition Against Hate and Bias:
Monday, March 22 @ 3:30PM
Tukwila: Southcenter Pkwy & Strander Blvd
ACT
Support local AAPI-owned businesses.
Watch Minari on your preferred streaming platform. “A tender and sweeping story about what roots us, Minari follows a Korean-American family that moves to an Arkansas farm in search of their own American Dream.”
Reach out and check in with AAPI friends and family.
Visit stopaapihate.org
to report an act of hate towards the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. Reporting these incidents will help in developing policies to advocate for
Donate to enable Stop AAPI Hate to track and respond to the surge in racism and xenophobia
FREE Bystander Intervention Trainings & Guide at www.ihollaback.org.
Support Red Canary Song, a grassroots organization that aims to advocate for migrant sex workers, support migrant leadership, and fight against unjust policies.
Donate and support Asian-American Non-Profits:
LEARN
Learn how anti-AAPI sentiment is showing up in our community (KIRO news March 16, 2021)
Article: To be an Asian woman in America (CNN March 17, 2021)
Books to Read
Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
Know My Name: A Memoir by Chanel Miller
Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hong