HIAS Appalled By Atlanta Killings

All of us at HIAS are heartbroken by the murders that took place yesterday in Atlanta. We are appalled by the increase in racially motivated hate crimes targeting Asian American and Pacific Islander, or AAPI, persons. While the investigation into these killings has just begun, it seems that misogyny also motivated these murders. As we have seen time and time again, hateful attitudes and speech can lead to horrific violence.

Anti-Asian hate crimes and discrimination have soared to historic highs across the United States since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Incendiary and xenophobic rhetoric and violence against AAPI individuals, families, communities, and businesses damage our society. Moreover, these actions are antithetical to the ideals and aspirations of the United States, even as they have been a recurring and unsightly part of American history.

We stand in solidarity with the victims of this senseless tragedy and everyone in the AAPI community.

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HIAS is the international Jewish humanitarian organization that provides vital services to refugees and asylum seekers in 16 countries. We advocate for the rights of all forcibly displaced people to rebuild their lives and seek to create a world in which they find safety, opportunity, and welcome.