Over the past year, hate crimes against Asian Americans across the country have grown by nearly 150 percent. Violent acts and racist dialogue about the coronavirus pandemic have caused Asian Americans to fear for their lives and the wellbeing of their communities.

Similar to the injustices that we addressed with the Black Lives Matter last June, our emotions have been laid bare and are raw. The pain continues to deepen and points to systemic racism that we as a nation have failed to address. There is still much that needs to be done. We are again challenged to move past pain and frustration while still using these feelings to hold us accountable to move change forward.

At United Way of San Diego County, we accept the challenge and recommit to Live United with communities of color and people of color. We stand with our Asian American and Pacific Islander community members during this painful time, and we will continue to fight injustices and systemic racism wherever they might exist.

Nancy L. Sasaki

CEO, United Way of San Diego County