The murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor were unjust and tragic. We express our deepest condolences to their families for their personal losses.
Yes, Black Lives Matter and they always have. It is long overdue that our nation, state and local communities embrace the concept that all people have an inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
The March to Justice is long and burdensome, but the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities will walk in solidarity with those seeking systemic changes to ensure that there is equity in police encounters through non-violent, civil disobedience. Our message is simple: We will not tolerate the senseless and needless harm being inflicted upon our communities by some members of law enforcement regardless of the race and ethnicity of those officers.
The protests in Salt Lake City on May 30 lay bare the powder keg of emotional turmoil underlying race relations in Utah and reflect the national fatigue and collective dismay at additional deaths at the hand of those sworn to protect us. We remember the many times when our local governments have demonstrated indifference to similar killings of members of our communities. These recent killings served as a catalyst for local action.
As unjust as these deaths are, the protests must not compound tragedy with additional harm. We cannot allow those with a separate agenda to hijack a peaceful protest through violence. Those who turned to violence were not associated with the original peaceful protest organizers and their actions drowned out the call for reform in a sea of orchestrated anarchy.
The AAPI community must not allow complacency to become complicity with an unjust system that treats members of communities of color as disposable commodities. But institutional change does not spring from violence and property theft or destruction. Only through visible, meaningful reform of government institutions can we hope to reduce the likelihood of further injustices and we call upon our government officials to take action with expediency and transparency.
Our law enforcement agencies must be part of the solution and we believe that they sincerely want the trust and support of our communities. As with all human organizations, law enforcement must be vigilant in eliminating those elements within its own culture that stand in the way of meaningful progress. Individual officers must have confidence that reporting bad behavior will not result in reprisal or retribution. We encourage the creation of whistleblower protections for officers to report wrongful behavior without fear of retaliation.
We call on all Utahns to express their concerns, not with baseball bats, but with ballots. If the government does not enact the reforms we desire, our responsibility is to act through the ballot box. Find candidates who share our values and vote out of office those who do not.
Civic engagement is the most effective tool an electorate has to wield, but we have not effectively used it to ensure equity and equality. We must also participate within government at all levels including on boards, commissions and as appointed officials.
Lastly, we will continue to make our voices and demands heard — on the streets, at the ballot box and in every chamber of government. From the governor’s office to community boards, we vow to advocate for equitable treatment of all people and encourage our friends to join us. Together we will right the institutional wrongs.
Organizations:
Asian American Student Association at the University of Utah
Asian & Pacific Islander Democratic Caucus
Asian Association of Utah
Chinese Railroad Workers Descendants Association
Connect 2 Korea, Utah
Filipino American National Historical Society, Utah Chapter
Korean American Federation of Utah
The Korean-American Seniors Association of Utah
Japanese American Citizens League, Mt. Olympus Chapter
OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates - Utah
Pinoy-American United Student Organization
Salt Lake Chinese Choir
Salt Lake City Council
Salt Lake City JACL
The Utah Asian Journal
Utah Asian & Pacific Islander Democratic Caucus-President
Utah Korean Language School
Utah Pacific Islander Civic Engagement Coalition
Utah Pacific Islander Health Coalition
Individuals: Emilio Manuel Camu
Terence Chen
Shu H. Cheng, Ph.D.
Abby Dizon-Maughan
Susan Doi
Jason Dong
Shelley Doi-Taketa
Jake Fitisemanu Jr
Laura Gaddie
Marlene F. Gonzalez, attorney at law
Timothy L. Hall
Feli Anne Hipol
Dean Hirabayashi Hubert Huh
Tom Huynh
Boo Ja Hwang
Jani Iwamoto
Amanda Lau
Sunny Kang
Sharlene Kiuhara
Fan Kwan
Karen Kwan
Michael Kwan
Eunice Lane
Yu Li Lin
Darin M. Mano
Karie Minaga-Miya
Dr. Jeanette Misaka
Edith Mitko
Faye Mitsunaga
Floyd Mori
Judith Oki
Lan Pham-Ngu
Verona Sagato-Mauga
Siu-Lin Santee
Margarita Satini
Michelle Suzuki
Christopher Taketa
Andy Tran
Raymond Uno
Yoshiko Uno
Yong Woo Kim
Ze Min Xiao
Margaret Yee
