Self Help Graphics Releases Statement Regarding Monterey Park & Half Moon Bay Shootings
Self Help Graphics & Art is deeply saddened by the recent acts of violence in the nearby community of Monterey Park, California and Half Moon Bay in Northern California, and mourns the mass loss of life from these heinous acts. We share our condolences with the victims’ families, from LA to the bay.
Dystopia, 2019 by Miyo Stevens-Gandara, from the Utopia/Dystopia Portfolio Project.
Self Help Graphics & Art honors the cultural celebrations of the many diasporas in Los Angeles County that are critical parts of the region's (and the US’) arts and culture identity. We condemn the recent act of violence in Monterey Park that has left trauma and mourning over the loss of 11 lives, at a time of celebration during the eve of the Lunar New Year. We denounce the violence at Half Moon Bay that resulted in the loss of 7 lives, taken at community farms, which are typically places of labor for many immigrants from Asian and Latin American communities, who build camaraderie as they work side by side.
The alleged motivations of each of these shootings does not lessen or erase the impact of violence on a gathering rooted in culture and the trauma that will be associated with it for AAPI communities, locally and across our great state. We call on our community to stay aware and stand up against targeted AAPI violence and gun violence. We echo the call on our elected officials to invest in victims support, culturally competent care for non-English speakers and gun control now.
We would like to uplift some of the many organizations doing the work to protect and support AAPI communities, such as: AAPI Equity Alliance, Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California, Japanese American National Museum (JANM), East West Players, Japanese Cultural and Community Center (JACCC), Southeast Asian Community Alliance (SEACA), Chinatown Community for Equitable Development, Langley Senior Citizen Center, Chinatown Service Center, Khmer Girls in Action, Koreatown Youth and Community Center (KYCC), and Stop AAPI Hate. We know there are many other organizations and individuals doing this movement work and we encourage you to tag them in our comments, so that our communities can support, donate and educate themselves to be true AAPI allies. The Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California has set up a fund for the Monterey Park victims. If you would like to learn more and support, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/monterey-park-lunar-new-year-victims-fund. You can also find additional information and resources through the AAPI Equity Alliance’s website at https://aapiequityalliance.org/support-for-monterey-park/.