The killing of eight people, including six Asian women, near Atlanta on Tuesday has sparked a wave of grief and outrage across the U.S. and calls for an end to the hate and violence targeting Asian Americans over the past year.
Seattle-area tech companies and personalities from across the community joined in condemning Tuesday’s attack and the surge in hate crimes.
The response is similar to the way companies such as Microsoft, Amazon and others reacted last summer in the days and weeks following the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis.
Microsoft shared a series of tweets just last week calling out racial discrimination and violence directed toward the Asian American Pacific Islander community.
Microsoft condemns hate, racial discrimination, and violence in all forms. #StopAsianHate pic.twitter.com/RIVsoLxiv7
— Microsoft (@Microsoft) March 12, 2021
On Wednesday, the same day it was holding an event on diversity and inclusion, the events in Atlanta had the tech giant, CEO Satya Nadella and President Brad Smith expressing anger and sadness and reiterating the need to bring people together.
I am saddened by the tragedy in Atlanta. The violence against the API community is traumatic – and many are experiencing fear, grief, frustration and anger. In order to move forward as a society, it is important for us to choose unity. https://t.co/QFf2pZFRfK
— Brad Smith (@BradSmi) March 17, 2021
The Guardian reported that from March 19, 2020, to Feb. 28, 2021, Asian Americans from all 50 states reported nearly 3,800 hate-related incidents, including “everything ranging from verbal abuse to physical assaults, from getting coughed on to getting denied services because of their ethnicity.”
The information, considered a fraction of hate incidents that actually occur, was in a report released on Tuesday by Stop AAPI Hate, a not-for-profit coalition tracking incidents of violence, discrimination and harassment.
Here are more reactions, including Xbox chief Phil Spencer:
Hate has no home on Xbox. Team Xbox is appalled by the violence and racism against Asian communities. For all Asian players and peers, I want you to know that we see you, we hear you, and we will and must do more together to #StopAsianHate.
— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) March 17, 2021
Amazon and AWS CEO Andy Jassy:
The increasing anti-Asian violence in this country is pretty shocking and deeply concerning. At Amazon & AWS, we stand in solidarity w/ the Pan-Asian community. #StopAsianHate https://t.co/7IpJMP6ePm
— Andy Jassy (@ajassy) March 18, 2021
Boundless co-founder and CEO Xiao Wang:
I'm just really sad that anti-Asian hate crimes and tragedies continue to rise. This is horrendous.https://t.co/j6U9PuLE10
— Xiao Wang (@xiaowa) March 17, 2021
Convoy co-founder and CTO Grant Goodale:
Watching the news of the heinous attacks in Atlanta, I'm both saddened and angered that the racist, misogynist rhetoric of the last four years, and its normalization by those in power, has ended the lives of 8 more Americans. Convoy and I stand against hate. We all must.
— Grant Goodale (@ggoodale) March 17, 2021
Textio co-founder and CEO Kieran Snyder:
Up again in the middle of the night. Go donate here https://t.co/kk41mYSQ12#StopAsianHate
— Kieran Snyder (@KieranSnyder) March 17, 2021
Female Founders Alliance founder and CEO Leslie Feinzaig:
Our newsletter today was a message of hope, after a very dark year, things are getting better. But we decided to press pause.
Yesterday's shooting is a reminder that for many people things are NOT getting better. #StopAsianHate #StopAAPIHate
— Leslie Feinzaig ???? (@LeslieFeinzaig) March 17, 2021
Ada Developers Academy CEO Lauren Sato:
If we are looking for racism in the words of the attacker, we have missed the entire point.
Look in
– every omission from a textbook.
– the make-up of our government.
– the leadership of the Fortune 500.
We have always been invisible & therefore disposable.#StopAsianHate— Lauren Sato (@LaurenSato) March 17, 2021
Former Placed founder and CEO David Shim offered to match every dollar up to $10,000 donated to a Go Fund Me in support of the AAPI Community Fund.
"Together, it is our responsibility to condemn these violent acts and create lasting social change. We must amplify AAPI voices and find ways to uplift, empower, and protect the AAPI community."
I'll match every dollar donated up to a total of $10,000. https://t.co/tCO4sNg5Q1
— David Shim (@davidshim) March 17, 2021
Send a copy of your donation (screenshot, email, etc…) to stopasianhate2021@gmail.com and I'll match before the end of the week.
— David Shim (@davidshim) March 17, 2021
Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce:
President and CEO Rachel Smith issued a statement of solidarity with the Asian American community.
“Our hearts go out to the family and friends of the victims of yesterday’s mass shooting in the Atlanta area, the majority of whom were of Asian descent. The surge of violence and hostility toward the Asian American community across our country, including recent incidents here in our region, is heartbreaking and unacceptable,” Smith said.
“We must fight racism in all its forms and at all turns to make our communities safer and more inclusive. We condemn these acts and we stand in solidarity with our Asian American colleagues, friends, and fellow residents.”
