#StopAsianHate

Valerie Lopez, Vice President, Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, CisionI’ve re-written this post several times. I don’t have the words to truly convey what I’m feeling right now. Anger, anxiety, fear, hopelessness are just a few of the emotions I’m grappling with. Xenophobic and racist remarks are nothing new to me or my family. Being looked at and treated as a ‘perpetual foreigner’ has always been part of our daily experiences. We’ve dealt with it and it’s made us stronger. But the increased fear I have for my elderly parents, for myself as woman, is not something I thought we’d still have to face in 2021. What encourages me is the outpouring of support from friends and colleagues. Thank You.What can people do to #StopAsianHate? It can’t be performative. You have to mean it and live it. It’s educating yourself and your network about the history of anti-Asian racism. It’s speaking out/intervening when you see and hear xenophobic, racist remarks and microaggressions hurled at the Asian community. There have been so many times in my life when I wish someone would have stood up for me. And I will always remember those who did.We need to stand together and condemn hate against not only the Asian community, but all communities.Looking for Anti-Asian Violence resources, check out this guide. http://bit.ly/38XmWKK