#STOPASIANHATE

Statement Published: March 19, 2021

Woolly Mammoth wants to honor the memories of Xiaojie Tan, Daoyou Feng, Delaina Ashley Yaun Gonzalez, Paul Andre Michels, Soon C. Park, Hyun J. Grant, Suncha Kim, and Yong A. Yue and offer heartfelt condolences to their families and loved ones. This horrific event in Atlanta is unfortunately the most recent example of the systemic anti-Asian racism that has permeated US culture for centuries.

Woolly Mammoth strives to be a theatre that sparks dialogue and ignites social change. The assaults on the AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) community are an urgent issue that demand a response and action. We are frustrated that much of the mainstream media is not explicitly calling the event a hate crime, despite the Asian victims clearly being targeted for their race.

We at Woolly are reflecting on the ways that Asian stories and Asian American artists are vastly underrepresented in the American Theatre. Our own institution’s history of producing work that centers the Asian experience is few and far between. And while the future holds potential to course-correct, we acknowledge that this inadequate representation has contributed to harmful beliefs that have been perpetuated in and outside of our organization. We recognize that we have work to do to break down these systems of white supremacy and oppression – not only to end the hate and violence that causes such fear and harm in the Asian and Asian American community, but also to end the invisibility of these artists and their work on our stages.

In an effort to publicly support #StopAsianHate and hold ourselves accountable to being an anti-racist organization, we want to use our platform to show our solidarity and support for those who are most impacted in this moment, and highlight local and national resources for the fight against anti-Asian American hate and violence. While this list is far from exhaustive, we encourage you to explore the organizations, articles, workshops, and other opportunities to provide aid listed below as you consider how – both during and beyond this moment – you can show your support through action:

LOCAL RESOURCES

Support

  • List of Local Asian-Owned businesses
  • Asian Support Initiative in DC

Networks and Organizations

NATIONAL RESOURCES

Donate

The Arts

Advocate

  • Call Your Representatives – Research to see if there is any pending legislation in your area  that supports and protects the AAPI community, then call your local elected officials to ensure they are supporting the bill. It is also worth looking into your representatives voting record on items like House Resolution 908, which denounced racism against Asians in America.
  • Petitions

Learn

Heal

If you need to report a hate incident either for yourself or on someone’s behalf, you can do so at: stopaapihate.org