After last Tuesday’s mass shooting in Atlanta we ask all of SURJ NYC to hold space for the victims - Hyun Jung Grant, Xiaojie Tan, Delaina Ashley Yaun, Paul Andre Michels, Daoyou Feng, Soon Chung Park, Suncha Kim, Yong Ae Yue. Elcias Hernandez Ortiz was also shot but survived.
The motive for this attack, one of nearly 4,000 incidents of anti-Asian racism reported in the last year, lies at the intersection of racism, sexism, xenophobia, and anti-Asian sentiment. Though it’s not known whether the women targeted engaged in sex work, the fact that the shooter referred to them as a "temptation he wanted to eliminate" reflects the dangerous fetishization and racialized misogyny Asian women face in America. This gendered racism can be seen throughout society, often leaving Asian women, especially those like massage parlor workers and others engaged in low wage work, subject to violence.
In response to the attack, many cities, including Atlanta and New York, have increased police presence in Asian communities. But with NYC reporting a ninefold increase in anti-Asian hate crimes last year, it’s clear policing does not to provide an effective or just response to violence against sex workers, body workers, and immigrants. Furthermore, the police and media, as agents of white supremacy, tend to downplay race violence and refuse to acknowledge hate crimes.
We encourage everyone to read Red Canary Song’s statement in response to the shooting, which specifically rejects the call for increased policing and advocates for the decriminalization of sex work in order to provide safety for sex workers, massage workers, and sex traffic survivors.
In NYC the decriminalization of sex work made headway last month as the Walking While Trans ban was repealed. The repeal is just a small step of progress, with decriminalization becoming a major issue in both the upcoming mayoral and DA races.
We must provide safety for all workers, sex trafficking survivors, and immigrants. We can combat sex worker criminalization and anti-Asian violence via bystander trainings and supporting Asian-owned businesses. And we can move money and continue to attend actions, both online and in person.
In solidarity,
SURJ NYC