On May 6, 2021, NYHealth hosted a webinar on supporting the mental health and safety of Asian New Yorkers in the wake of escalating anti-Asian violence.
Asian Americans are the fastest-growing population in New York City, comprising 16% of the City, or 1.3 million people. Many Asian New Yorkers have been working on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic as health care and essential workers; at the same time, many are being subjected to violent racial attacks and scapegoated for the very pandemic they are helping to fight. The surge in anti-Asian violence has led to 3,800 incidents nationally since March 2020, with 1,100 incidents in New York City alone.
Improved access to mental health, safety, and support services are vitally needed to address trauma and recovery for members of the Asian community. In April, the Asian American Federation launched the Hope Against Hate Campaign, a multi-faceted initiative designed to combat anti-Asian violence by establishing a safety ambassador program, culturally competent victim support services, expanded mental health services, and de-escalation and self-defense trainings in various languages.
Joo Han, Deputy Director at Asian American Federation, spoke about the Hope Against Hate Campaign, shared practical resources, and discussed the role we all can play in ensuring the safety of Asian New Yorkers.
Resources:
- Speaker slides
- Hope Against Hate Campaign
- Anti-Asian Bias Reporting Form
- Stay Safe from Hate safety booklet (available in English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Tagalog, and Vietnamese)
- Video series: Self-Defense Strategies to Keep Yourself Safe in the Streets
- Webinar: A Year of Hate: Where Do We Go From Here?
- Asian American Federation 2021 NYC Mayoral Forum