Dear Friends,

This week, on Tuesday, March 16, a lone gunman murdered eight people in Atlanta, Georgia, six of whom were Asian American women. The anguish that these murders have caused, particularly for Asian Americans, cannot be understated, and we are feeling the ripple effect of this grief within the Germantown Academy community as well.

As we try to process our grief about these senseless and brutal acts against our fellow citizens, we must also consider the increasing data that tells us that these incidents of harassment, shunning, discrimination, civil rights violations, and violence targeted against Asian Americans, rooted in longstanding and historical xenophobia, are only increasing.

Asian Americans are experiencing these incidents in public spaces and online, and women especially seem to be a primary target. Just since the onset of Covid-19 in March 2020, there have been almost 3,800 incidents of anti-Asian hate, and these reports come from all 50 states and the District of Columbia.These growing patterns of hate against Asian Americans serve as a reminder of how intricately our destinies as human beings are tied together and our responsibility to one another to ensure that we all thrive. When people are afraid to leave their homes to go to work, to grocery shop, to ride public transportation, to take their kids to the park, it is critical that we not only stand with them in solidarity and kinship, but that we also educate ourselves and advocate for their protection.

Chinese American civil rights activist Grace Lee Boggs states, “Love isn’t about what we did yesterday; it’s about what we do today and tomorrow and the day after.” We, at Germantown Academy, stand with our Asian American community members and are working to prove that love is an action. We have included resources in this letter for your own education and to help you talk with your children about these topics. There are additional resources and opportunities for education and dialogue to come.

*If you or your family members have been directly impacted by anti-Asian hate, we are here to help. Please do not hesitate to contact us for assistance.

Sincerely,

Equity & Inclusion Leadership Team
Rich Schellhas 1760
Anika Walker-Johnson
Jarrett Anderson
Carol Peery Ayers 1760
Michael Ferrier
Melissa Fikioris
Tim Ginter
Jonas Jeswald
Dr. Molly MacKean
Karen Mason
Sarah Na
Dr. Leigh Serra
Sue Szczepkowski
Jay Wright



Additional Resources

Reporting Anti-Asian Violence

• Stop AAPI Hate
• Stand Against Hatred

Mental Health Resources

• Asian Mental Health Collective (includes a listing of Asian mental health professionals)
• Predictable Parenting for Unpredictable Times: Promoting the Success & Wellbeing of Asian and Asian American Students through Covid-19 (For Parents)
• Germantown Academy Counseling Services

Building Awareness and Understanding:

• Addressing Anti-Asian Violence with Transformative Justice by Michelle Kim, YES! Magazine
• Addressing Anti-Asian Violence with Students
• How to Talk to Kids about Violence Crime and War
• Talking to Children After Racial Incidents
• Let's Talk! Supporting Asian and Asian American Students through COVID-19
• How to Support Asian American Colleagues Amid the Recent Wave of Anti-Asian Violence
• Asian Americans are Still Caught in the Trap of the 'Model Minority' Stereotype and It Creates Inequality for All (Adults)
• The Self-Gaslighting of an Asian-American
• This is What No One Tells You About Being Asian in America in 2021
  (Suitable for grades 7 – 12)
• Hate is a Virus (Suitable for grades 7 -12)
• Anti-Asian Violence Resources) (Suitable for grades 9 – 12)
• Asian American Racial Justice Toolkit (Suitable for grades 7 – 12)

Curricular Resources:

• How to Talk to Asian American Youth About Racism from Apex
• Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center
  (All Ages)
• The Model Minority Myth
• Book Dragon (Books for the Diverse Reader)
  (All Ages)
• Asian Enough Podcasts (Suitable for grades 9-12)