Chrysalis stands in solidarity with the AAPI communities against the increasing incidents of hate crimes over the past year.

According to data from Stop AAPI Hate, nearly 3,000 reports of anti-AAPI discrimination were filed between March and December of 2020. Research from Cal State San Bernardino showed a 149% increase in anti-Asian hate crimes last year. These numbers have continued to grow in 2021, most notably in places like Los Angeles with some of the largest Asian populations in the United States.

As Chrysalis stated in May of 2020, we have long been committed to social justice and challenging inequities. And in light of this violence in our communities, we want to share the following updates and resources:

Chrysalis Updates & Response

  • Read this message from Chrysalis President & CEO Mark Loranger.
  • We recognize that the economic impact of the pandemic has hit communities differently, and we tailor our approach to provide individualized support to each of our clients and their circumstances. Prior to the start of the pandemic, the unemployment rate for Asian Americans was 2.8% — lower than that of whites, Blacks, or Latinxs. But Asian American unemployment soared to 15% in May 2020, and it was still 10.7% in August 2020 — well above the rate of 7.3% for whites and the Latinx rate of 10.5%; only African Americans had a higher jobless rate of 13%. By December 2020, the Asian American unemployment rate had fallen to 5.9%; however, in the final three months of 2020, almost half of jobless Asian Americans had been out of work for at least 27 weeks – a longer term than any other ethnic group.
  • We are reimagining the role of our Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Steering Committee as leaders within the organization in helping shape our internal and external response during this movement as well as revisiting our DEI Action Plan published in September 2019. Additional investments are being made in DEI-focused training for staff and Board members.
  • We will be joining the movement to #StopAsianHate and to amplify the voices of Asian American activists and organizations fighting for justice on our social media channels.
  • During this time, additional spaces are being created where staff can come together and have honest conversations about how we are doing and how we can best support each other.

 

Anti-Racist Resources & Action