Donate Money
Here are a few organizations working on a national level to fight anti-Asian racism and attacks. You can find several more national and local organizations to donate to here.
Stop AAPI Hate
This nonprofit, created in March 2020, tracks and responds to incidents of hate, violence, harassment, discrimination, shunning and child bullying against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the US. It also offers multilingual resources for community members, and advocates for local, state and national policies that reinforce human rights and civil rights protections.
Asian Americans Advancing Justice
This organization's mission is to advance civil and human rights for Asian Americans, to build a more fair and equitable society, through education, litigation and public policy advocacy.
Hate Is a Virus
This grassroots organization launched in April 2020 as a response to the rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans due to the pandemic. It raises money to help a number of community organizations nationwide and runs virtual education events.
Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund
This organization provides legal services for cases that have major impacts on the Asian American community and for community-based organizations; conducts free multilingual legal advice clinics for low-income people and new immigrants; and trains students in public interest law.
Support Asian-owned businesses
Many minority-owned businesses were shut out of the federal Paycheck Protection Program designed to help during the pandemic. You can make a difference by choosing to frequent Asian-owned businesses both locally and nationally. Reader's Digest has collected a list of 30 Asian American owned businesses you can shop from online.
Report an incident
If you're the victim of a hate crime, you should write down every detail as soon as you can, and file a police report, according to the Human Rights Campaign. Asian Americans Advancing Justice has a website where you can report hate incidents (in multiple languages), read reports from others and find legal resources. You can also report incidents on behalf of yourself or someone else in multiple languages on Stop AAPI Hate's site.
If you need mental health support, the Asian Mental Health Collective has a directory of therapists to seek out. You can also call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration free helpline 24/7: 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Learn more about the history of Asians in America
This website of Anti-Asian Violence Resources has a number of news articles that can help you understand what's been happening over the past year or so. But the history of racism against people of Asian descent in America goes all the way back to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which prohibited Chinese laborers from entering the US, and it extends to present day. NBC News has collected a list of anti-racism resources, including books, podcasts and documentaries to help you understand this complicated history.
Seek out volunteer opportunities
Depending on where you live, you may be able to find some opportunities to volunteer your time to help the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. For example, the Oakland Chinatown Coalition is organizing a volunteer foot patrol to build relationships with community members and clean up the neighborhood.
