The killing of six Asians in Atlanta in 2021, and many incidents of violent anti-Asian hate incidents in California, including the senseless death of Vicha Ratanapakdee in San Francisco, underscore and highlight the many stereotypes associated with Asian identity. The flames fueled by racist rhetoric have had unforgettable and unforgivable consequences.
Our office in the San Francisco Bay is home to more Asian Americans than most US states, and we are proud that many of our close community are Asian American or Asian Pacific Islanders. Many of our student advisees, like Elizabeth Tan, are young Asian American environmental leaders and work to condemn Asian hate.
Shark Stewards is an organization that works with Asians in the USA and across the Pacific from California to China to educate and not point fingers at other cultural practices, including the consumption of unsustainable products like shark fin soup. Shark Stewards is committed to supporting the diversity of our region and our organization. That includes connecting our communities across the Pacific to work for a fair and sustainable world.
It is important we remember the underpinnings of discrimination against Asians in California, from the treatment of Chinese settlements during the Gold Rush to the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII. It is critical that we recognize the contributions Asian immigrants and American-born Asians contribute to our City, our State and our Cause.
As a grass roots group of individuals across the spectrum of race and nations we condemn discrimination and violence, including hateful rhetoric towards any group. We support our Asian community here in the USA and across the Pacific from California to Hawaii to China.