CAPA21 Condemns the Murder of George Floyd

CAPA21, an Asian Pacific American political action committee, expresses our profound sadness and dismay at the murder of George Floyd. We extend our deepest condolences to the Floyd family and loved ones, who not only suffered the tragic loss of Mr. Floyd, but also endure the national maelstrom created by the heinous acts of four police officers. We condemn the murder of Mr. Floyd and the systemic oppression of African Americans that contributed to his killing.

We unconditionally believe that Black Lives Matter and stand in full solidarity with our Black brothers and sisters. There is much to be said and done about this tragedy that goes far beyond Mr. Floyd’s murder. We urge you to (a) read and share the statements below by our fellow progressive AAPI organizations and (b) take the concrete actions proposed below that will allow us to move beyond words to produce the constructive results that we so desperately need.

Read and share the powerful sentiments expressed by our allies in the progressive AAPI movement:

Coalition of Asian American Leaders (Minnesota): “We also cannot ignore the role of Officer Tou Thao who stood watch as George Floyd was dying. To see someone who looks like us behave as a bystander to Black death is devastating and painful. This is yet another reason that we must recognize our silence in the face of anti-Black racism, and commit to the ongoing work to dismantle anti-Blackness.” https://bit.ly/2XoKmDg

APIAVote: “We, and the broader Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander community, must stand in proactive solidarity with black men, women, and children who continue to be oppressed and die by the forces and policies of systemic racism and discrimination. … We can no longer make any more excuses to stay silent against the injustices witnessed by the world in the last week.”

API Legal Outreach: “APILO calls for the broader API community, and truly all people of conscience, to stand in solidarity in confronting anti-black racism and demanding an end to police violence against African Americans along with immediate initiatives to bring George Floyd’s killers to justice. We urge our API community and our partners to demand that there be immediate action to ensure justice for George Floyd.” https://bit.ly/301TYWf

JACL: “We must also be enraged by the systems that have led to the deaths of so many Black men and women. We have a broken economic system that underpays people for honest work. Hiring decisions continue to be clouded by prejudice. Housing discrimination persists because of unequal access to capital and the legacy of redlining.  If we do not feel the same outrage for the daily discrimination that continues to exist, outrage over George Floyd’s murder is hollow and meaningless.” https://jacl.salsalabs.org/jaclstatementongeorgefloyd-a

APALA: “We are equally enraged and ashamed to learn that an Asian American police officer, Tou Thao, just stood watch as his co-worker treated George Floyd inhumanely. This hits home for us as we close out Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, a time when so many of us reflect on our Asian American identity and how it had emerged from the Black liberation movement.” https://www.apalanet.org/press-releases/apala-enraged-by-asian-american-officer-who-stood-as-a-bystander-during-george-floyds-violent-murder

National CAPACD: “We must commit to acknowledging, confronting, and dismantling complicity and racism within our own AAPI communities. Again and again, we must repeat: #BlackLivesMatter. That is the heritage we should leave behind for our children to celebrate.” https://www.nationalcapacd.org/tag/public-statements/

Do Something:  Concrete actions curated from posts by Gregory A. Cendana, Michelle Kim, APILO, and others

  • Text “FLOYD” to 55156 in support of Color of Change’s demand that the officers who killed #GeorgeFloyd be charged with murder
  • Sign Change.Org’s “Justice for George Floyd” petition
  • Call Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and demand that he reform the Minneapolis Police Department to stop racial violence against the Black and African American community: (651) 201- 3400
  • Call County Attorney Mike Freeman and demand that he charge the four involved officers: (612) 348 – 5550
  • Donate to one or more of the bail funds (Here’s a list)
  • Join an upcoming townhall or workshop with The People’s Collective for Justice and Liberation (https://peoplescollective4jl.org/)
  • Participate in the week of action with the Movement for Black Lives from June 1-5, 2020 (Text ActionNOW to 90975 to receive updates)
  • Read the “Unmasking Yellow Peril” zine by 18 Million Rising and the University of Connecticut (Link)
  • Facilitate a training for your community or organization utilizing the Asian American Justice Tool Kit (https://www.asianamtoolkit.org/)
  • Use the 20+ Allyship Actions for Asians to Show Up for the Black Community Right Now https://bit.ly/2Mj3wnL
  • Use the 6 Ways Asian Americans Can Tackle Anti-Black Racism in Their Families – Everyday Feminism https://bit.ly/2MiIdm6

This is a time of great turmoil and unprecedented danger to American lives and to the very fabric of our democracy. “We need more than polite talk,” wrote Prof. Bill Ong Hing. “We need a sense of outrage and indignation. We need massive mobilization over the issue. We need a declaration of war. The declaration of war on the evils of hate and racism must be loud and constant.”

Glen S. Fukushima, Chair
Dale Minami, President
CAPA21