It’s important to remember that in addition to National Mental Health Awareness Month, May is also Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Educating ourselves on AAPI history and celebrating the extensive contributions AAPI communities make to our daily lives are steps we can take to combat Anti-Asian violence. We need take action. While there’s been a spike in Anti-Asian hate over the past year, violence and discrimination against AAPI communities isn’t new. The Page Act of 1875, the destruction of Denver’s Chinatown in 1880, The Chinese Exclusion Act, 1930s restrictions on Filipino immigration, World War II Japanese-American internment camps, the targeting of predominantly Arabic and Muslim men post 9/11, travel bans, and the recent shootings in Atlanta are only a few examples of the oppression our AAPI siblings have and continue to face. We ride hard for racial justice here at The Therapist of Color Collaborative. We will not leave this violence unchallenged. 

Here are a few resources that can serve as starting points on how to combat Anti-Asian violence:

1. For Colorado Specific resources, click here

1. The Asian Pacific Development Center in Aurora created this guide, which includes upcoming trainings, self-defense classes, and toolkits in a variety of languages.

1. For National resources, start here:

1. Stop AAPI Hate.org 
2. Act to Change 
3. Asian American Leaders Table
4. AAPI Emergency Response Network

These are just a few places to begin, but there are many different ways we can get involved. We can follow and support AAPI creators, or donate our time and money. We can create spaces for our AAPI friends and family to find support, and refer folx to local resources. Read, watch, listen, and learn. While not all of us have the same amount of power in the systems we live in, it is imperative that we do what we can. So let’s get working. Forward together, not one step back.

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