Statement Condemning Racism and Attacks on Peoples of Asian Descent in the U.S.

The Board of the National Capital Area Chapter of the American Planning Association is sickened by the murders of Asian Americans in the Atlanta suburbs and countless attacks against Asians, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders around the nation in recent weeks and months.

The challenges that racism has inflicted on members of our community should not be ignored or disregarded.  The rise in acts of violence against the Asian-descent communities along with the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 crisis speaks to the impact that structural racism has on all of our communities of color.

As planners, we are asked to understand the past, while fixing problems and making all communities safer and prosperous. Racism in any form harms all communities and citizens.

We stand with the Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander communities and will work to combat racism in our communities so that this generation and future generations can live and prosper free of discrimination.