UFCW 770 Condemns the Violent Attacks on AAPI Communities and Stands in Solidarity with our AAPI Union Siblings

Los Angeles– The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 770 strongly condemns the surge in violence against Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community members across our nation. Our Union affirms its absolute support for our AAPI union siblings and calls on our membership to stand in solidarity with their Asian American coworkers and the AAPI community at large.

Today, we mourn the senseless deaths of victims of the Atlanta shootings Daoyou Feng, Delaina Ashley Yuan, Hyun Jung Grant, Soon Chung Park, Suncha Kim, Yong Ae Yue, Xiaojie Tan, Delaina Ashley Yaun, and Paul Andre Michels. Our heart goes out to their relatives and friends.

UFCW 770 is outraged by the rising hate crimes perpetrated against AAPI community members throughout the country. These attacks are wrong and must be confronted with unity and solidarity among our communities.

Unfortunately, the murder of elders and women of Asian descent, in Atlanta, Georgia and around the nation, are not isolated events. These hate crimes against the Asian American community, and the Black, Immigrant, Jewish, and Islamic community, are a symptom of a system of oppression that marginalizes, excludes, and destroys anything that does not align with white supremacy.

The Covid pandemic has exacerbated racial harassment and discrimination against Asian Americans. This, in great part, is due to the racist rhetoric and false narratives instigated by the Trump administration. According to Stop AAPI Hate –an advocacy group–, 2,800 incidents involving racial harassment against Asian Americans have been reported since last spring. This represents an 867% increase in Asian hate crime victims last year.

Our Union is committed to fighting for justice and equality for all workers. We must all do the work to educate ourselves and fight against all expressions of racism, discrimination or other forms of abuse. Our Union calls on all our members to stand in solidarity with their AAPI coworkers.

All people have a right to a peaceful and safe life. To our AAPI union siblings: we care about you and we are with you. To the Asian American community we say: we care about you and we are with you. And as we say in the labor movement, “An injury to one, is an injury to all.”

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