Letter of Solidarity
Against Anti-Asian Hate Crimes

The dramatic increase in anti-Asian violence and hate crimes is alarming and disturbing. As a community of founders, we have always stood against any form of racial injustice and hate crimes. Today, we, in particular, stand in solidarity with all Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) and join them in their fight for equity and against all forms of violence and discrimination. Their fight is our fight.

As shocking as the recent news stories of racially motivated violent attacks and murders are, they are not isolated incidents. In 2020, anti-Asian hate crimes in the US increased by 145% while overall hate crimes decreased by 6%. Out of the almost 3,800 reports of discrimination received by Stop AAPI Hate, 11% of them involved physical assaults.

Although not widely covered in the media, AAPI community members have long suffered violence and discrimination in this country. Research shows that the damaging myth of the “model minority” has hurt both the Asian and Black communities in particular. Misleading and one-dimensional stereotypes have also held back the careers of many Asians in the entertainment industry and corporate America. Only 1.5% of corporate officers in Fortune 500 companies are Asian American. Under-representation of AAPI community members in visible leadership roles perpetuates their image as the “other,” as opposed to full members of our society. As if these challenges are not enough, Asian American women face the compounded impact of both misogyny and racism.

Against the historical context and the current divisive climate, we commit to doing everything we can to ensure racial equity for all, starting with the following actions:

• Advocate: Speak up and show up in support of our family, friends, and colleagues on social media and in physical gatherings. Dispel disinformation and call out offensive comments. Report anti-Asian assault and crimes (https://stopaapihate.org)
• Learn: Read about recent and historical discrimination against AAPI community members, and ask our AAPI colleagues about their experiences. Identify cultural stereotypes that influence who we hire and promote, and take action to eliminate these biases.
• Collaborate: Join forces with allies across ethnicities who are already doing incredible work fighting for racial equity. Let us unite, not divide.
• Donate or Volunteer: Channel our financial resources, time, and social capital to support organizations advocating for the AAPI community and driving policy changes to create a more just nation for us all.

We recognize that we are fighting against long-standing biases and entrenched prejudices, and perhaps against our own ignorance and complacency. History and the present moment demand change, and our collective capacity to create and scale impact obligates us to act now. Together with the entire AAPI community, we stand as one, and rise as one.

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Stand in Solidarity Against Anti-Asian Hate Crimes

A Message from the StartX Community:

The increased horrific acts of violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders must be stopped. StartX and our community of Stanford alumni and professor founders stand in solidarity against anti-Asian hate crimes and we will not tolerate racial injustice of any kind.

This collaboration of support clearly extends broader than the entrepreneurs at StartX and in Silicon Valley and we ask all those in the tech and biotech industries to stand together to Stop the Violence and Discrimination Against Asian, Black, and Brown Americans. Hate crimes and social injustice cannot be tolerated and we need to amplify our voices in support of our brothers and sisters faced with these atrocities.

As Danny Yu, one of our 600+ StartX Asian founders put it, "Hatred is an affliction that only weakens our nation." It must be stopped now! Please sign this letter of solidarity against Asian hate crimes and discrimination of any kind due to race, gender, or ethnicity. This document will be shared publicly to let all those impacted by these horrible acts of hate and injustice know that we are with you.

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241 Signatures and Growing