Issued February 11, 2021
San Francisco, Calif. - Service Employees International Union (SEIU) International President Mary Kay Henry released the following statement tonight decrying continued violence against the Asian-American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community:
“SEIU members know that an attack against one of our communities is an attack against us all. The rising attacks against our Asian-American Pacific Islander family is horrific. We join the families in mourning those who have been killed or harmed and demand justice on their behalf.
“At our 2020 convention, we passed a resolution condemning racism and xenophobia against the AAPI community during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. The killing of 84-year-old Vicha Ratanapakdee and the violent cutting of 61-year-old Noel Quintana reminds us of why we need to continue to hold those accountable who fan the flames of hate and misinformation.
“Members of the AAPI community are valued leaders within our union, particularly as healthcare workers from home care to nurses, doing work that has been undervalued and dismissed. For centuries those who benefit from current power structures have divided working people against each other based on race and ethnicity. This racism that was allowed to go unchecked for too many years is directly linked to the intensifying rhetoric and violence across the country. We stand in solidarity with Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders in saying this must end.”