Beech Acres Parenting Center has the responsibility to acknowledge the ongoing wave of anti-Asian violence within communities across our country.  Consistent with our anti-racism strategy and core values, we are committed to combat discrimination, bigotry, hatred, violence, and xenophobia against Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI).  We are dedicated to ensure that all members of this community are treated with dignity and respect.  We will continue to speak up against acts of intolerance against Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders while recognizing and giving space for all impacted individuals to process, grieve, and heal.  

Although racism and hate crimes against the Asian-American and Pacific Islander populations are deep rooted and date back to the late 19^th century, anti-Asian hate crimes have increased by 1900% in the United States since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.  As an organization, we seek to raise awareness, speak up, and condemn these attacks and anti-Asian racism.  We invite you to learn about the history of Asian-American Pacific Islander discrimination and stand against these hate crimes:

• Read up on the model minority myth, why it exists, and why it’s harmful to other marginalized communities
• For a historical overview on anti-Asian racism in America:
  • Read this article about America’s long history of scapegoating its Asian citizens by National Geographic 
  • Read the book “Chinese in America” by Iris Chang 
  • Watch the PBS documentary “Asian Americans” 
  • Read this article on the importance of Asian & Black solidarity by Michelle Kim
  • Visit https://stopaapihate.org/

May has been recognized as Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month 2021.