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Media advisory

Asian American Leaders and Advocates Will Address the Need to End Gun Violence Against and in AAPI Communities Across the Nation

April 30, 2021
Gun Control

Lisa Lederer, 202/371-1996

May 4, 2021, noon ET / 9 am PT

Xenophobic political statements about China and Chinese people have contributed to rising incidents of racism against Asian Americans during the COVID–19 pandemic. From March 19, 2020 to February 28, 2021, Stop AAPI Hate reporting center received 3,795 incidents of hate. On March 16, 2021, a 21-year-old white gunman killed eight people, including six Asian women, in three spas in the metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia. On April 15, 2021, a 19-year-old white gunman killed eight people, including four Sikhs, at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis, Indiana.

In 2020, gun sales in the United States surged 40% from 2019 to 39,695,315. Another 4.1 million guns were purchased in January 2021, alone. First-time gun owners from the AAPI community, which historically has had the lowest rate of gun ownership across demographics, have been part of this surge.

Gun violence has impacted all communities across the nation. No one is immune. In a nation with 400 million civilian-owned guns, the answer is not more guns. All communities must unite in the efforts to end the gun violence crisis to keep our children and families safe. 

Who:

Moderator: Christina Oriel, Managing Editor of the Asian Journal

Speakers will include:

  • Po Murray, Korean American, Chairwoman, Newtown Action Alliance
  • Mike Song, Korean American, father of 15-year-old Ethan Song who was killed by an unsecured gun
  • Jennifer F. Tseng, MD MPH, Chinese American, Utley Professor and Chair of Surgery, Boston University School of Medicine, Surgeon-in-Chief, Boston Medical Center
  • Qudsia Raja, Vice President of Policy and Equity Initiatives, National Domestic Violence Hotline
  • Caroline Fan, Founder and President of the Missouri Asian American Youth Alliance
  • Jasmeet Sidhu, Sikh American, Senior Researcher, Ending Gun Violence, Amnesty International USA
  • Han Ko, Korean American, business owner and activist who experienced both the Rodney King Los Angeles Upheaval and the Michael Brown protests in Ferguson, Missouri
  • Gloria Pan, Chinese American, Vice President, Gun Safety, MomsRising

What:

Open press call for media

When:

Tuesday, May 4, 2021 at 12:00 PM ET / 9:00 AM PT

Why:

To convince the AAPI community to join the efforts to end the gun violence crisis in our nation.

To Join:

Join Zoom Meeting

https://momsrising.zoom.us/j/99488607103

Meeting ID: 994 8860 7103

Passcode: 009799

This event is sponsored by MomsRising and Newtown Action Alliance.

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MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, decrease discrimination against women and moms, and to build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes women — particularly moms and women of color — and so many others. MomsRising advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. MomsRising maintains a Spanish language website: MamásConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org — and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.