Washington, D.C. - Over the last couple of months, we have witnessed some of the worst forms of violence in recent history. More importantly, it has become evident that the ongoing violence that has ensued continues to disproportionately target marginalized communities.
 
We witnessed the ongoing impact of homophobia and transphobia in the wake of the #PulseShooting on June 12, 2016 when the lives 49 of our queer and trans brothers and sisters, many who were Latinx, were swiftly taken away.
 
We witnessed the ongoing impact of Islamophobia in the aftermath of the shooting in Orlando as our Muslim brothers and sisters were scapegoated to fuel anti-Muslim bigotry as an opportunity to advance gun reform policies that would heighten discrimination and profiling.
 
We witnessed the ongoing impact of xenophobia in the U.S. Supreme Court’s 4-4 non-decision in the case known as Texas v. United States that continues to deny administrative relief from deportation to millions of immigrant families across the country.
 
We witnessed the ongoing impact of police brutality in the killings of Delrawn Small, Alton Sterling and Philando Castile as well as the hundreds of other Black lives taken as a result of police violence.
 
We witnessed the ongoing culpability of our criminal justice system with the non-indictment of police officers involved in the killings of 12-year old Tamir Rice, Sandra Bland, Freddie Gray, Eric Garner, Jamar Clark, Michael Brown and Trayvon Martin.
 
We witnessed the ongoing criminalization of a woman’s right to abortion and basic reproductive health services in cases like that of Purvi Patel who will continue to serve time in prison despite being wrongly convicted of feticide and criminal neglect of a minor.
 
Unfortunately, these are only some examples of ways state and systemic violence have continued to prevent efforts towards achieving progressive changes within our communities. However, as a result of the model minority myth, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) continue to be used as a racial wedge to divide people of color, and we are demanding an end to the positioning of AAPIs as tools of white supremacy that support systems of whiteness and propagate anti-Blackness.

“APALA has always utilized an intersectional framework in all the work that we do. I am incredibly excited for the launch of the #NotYourModelMinority Pledge because it reinforces important intersections that exist across all marginalized communities,” said National President Johanna Puno Hester. “I am taking the #NotYourModelMinority Pledge because as a mother, I am forced to think about how the injustices of this world not only impact me but more importantly, my daughter. I refuse to be a bystander because I want to envision a future where my daughter and future generations after her can live in a country that is just and free.”   
 
The #NotYourModelMinority Pledge is a call to action for the Asian American and Pacific Islander community as well as our co-conspirators to help shift the narrative and culture associated with the broader AAPI community. By taking the #NotYourModelMinority Pledge we are committing ourselves to a future where Black lives; people of color; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals; differently-abled people; Indigenous communities; people of various spiritual beliefs; working-class and immigrant communities; and women are freed from state sponsored and institutionalized forms of discrimination, racism, and violence.
 
In our current political moment, we have been given a choice to stand on the side of freedom and justice.
 
Now we ask: What side will you stand on?
 
Take the #NotYourModelMinority Pledge now: http://bit.ly/NYMM-Pledge
For information on the full campaign: www.notyourmodelminority.org
Interested in becoming an organizational partner? Click here: http://bit.ly/NYMM-CoConspirator
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Washington, DC - The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance stands in solidarity with millions of individuals across the nation and the globe to mourn the victims of the Pulse gay nightclub shooting in Orlando on June 12, 2016. Our thoughts and prayers go out to these individuals, their families, those injured, and all communities who are affected.

It is especially heartbreaking that this act of violence has occurred during the month dedicated to uplifting the LGBTQ community, a time of celebration and unity, and the month of Ramadan, a period of peace and self-reflection.  

APALA condemns rhetoric that serves to further divide our communities and reminds all Americans that the acts of one individual do not represent all Muslims. The constant attempts to use institutionalized polices and rhetoric, such as the term “radical Islamism”, to scapegoat the Muslim community will only fuel anti-Muslim bigotry and lead to additional policies that normalize violence against AAPIs and other communities of color.

Moreover the 49 victims of this massacre targeting the LBGTQ community, including many whom were Latino, depicts the type of fear our queer and trans brothers and sisters have to live with every day because of their identity. This tragedy cannot intimidate LBGTQ people to continue to live in terror, but instead we must all be resilient and band together to stop hateful acts of homophobia and transphobia in America.

Sunday’s horrific shooting was, sadly, not an isolated incident. This year alone, we have seen 134 mass shootings and many more hate crimes throughout the country, patterns of violence that cannot continue. A taxi driver was shot in Pittsburgh, and a store owner in New York City was attacked – two instances of hate crimes all motivated on basis of the victims’ faith. APALA strongly cautions against the compounding of additional hate crimes and the pitting of people of color against each other as both our brothers and sisters in the LGBTQ and Muslim communities understand what it means to be targeted. Together, we are stronger and call for all political, religious and civic leaders to unite against prejudice and violence directed at any group.

The tragedy in Orlando marks one of the worst mass shootings in U.S. history and comes at a time where excessive gun violence highlights the dire need for policy change. APALA decries the wide availability of firearms and explosives, along with policies that standardize profiling and surveillance of marginalized communities. We join the national call to strengthen our gun control laws to ban assault weapons and bolster background checks and federal encouragement. 
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“The continued targeting of marginalized communities, from Charleston and Colorado, and acts of terror, from Boston to Brussels, remind us of the deadly force of fear and hate. We stand united against the demonization of entire communities, and denounce all acts of homophobia, Islamophobia, transphobia, and xenophobia,” states APALA National President Johanna Hester.

“We have far to go to in addressing the deep rooted hate, especially towards marginalized people, that continues to plague this country,” reflects APALA Executive Director Gregory Cendana. “We must support each other in these tough times. It’s a shame that mass shootings, hate crimes and other forms of violence are still as common as they are today. And lastly, we must continue to love, to heal, and to grow.”

APALA remains committed to creating spaces where all people can live without fear of being targeted for their sexuality, sexual orientation, their faith, the color of their skin or any other self or perceived identity.
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Click HERE to read the Muslim Alliance for Sexual and Gender Diversity (MASGD) Statement.
Click HERE to read the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA) Statement.

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