Thousands Unite To Honor Atlanta Shooting Victims, Saying No To Hate!

On March 16th, 2024, the third anniversary of the Atlanta spa shootings, hundreds of Asian Americans and allies are expected to come together in events and gatherings.

These events and gatherings will be held across the country to honor victims of hate, demand action, and build unity and solidarity in the face of racism and discrimination.  This year’s event, “Stand Together: Remembering 3/16” will feature Asian American leaders, activists, artists, and community members addressing anti-Asian hate, voter engagement, multiracial solidarity, and mental health. 

”Unity is our strongest response to racism, hate, and violence. The anniversary of the Atlanta Spa shootings are a significant day for Asian American communities — to honor the lives lost and show the power of our communities by standing together,” said Justin Zhu, co-founder of Stand with Asian Americans, a lead organizer of events in San Francisco and New York City and a sponsor of other events including in Atlanta. 

Today, according to Pew, 58% of Asian Americans report experiencing discrimination, and Asian American communities face critical issues including workplace discrimination, mental health concerns, and lack of political representation. The national commemoration of the Atlanta spa shootings represents how Asian American communities are committed to turning shared experiences and trauma into power. 

Events will be held in Atlanta, New York City, San Francisco, and Los Angeles with a national livestream on AsianJusticeMovement.org. Additionally, Hudson Liao, Founder of Asians Are Strong, will be announcing demands related to the death of Ms. Wu on behalf of the Asian Justice Movement.  

Expected highlights from events include:

• On Thursday, March 14, the Atlanta event will feature a press conference with Georgia AAPI legislators and advocates at the Georgia Capitol. This will be followed by a larger event on Saturday, March 16 at the Korean Community Center in Norcross, featuring keynote speaker Vilma Kari, a Filipina American NYC hate-crime survivor, with comments and reflections from Mike Webb, family member of one of the Atlanta spa shooting victims; community leaders and activists; local and national government leaders; youth panelists and artistic performances; and a silent vigil. 

• The San Francisco event will feature musical performances, speakers on mental health and combating workplace discrimination, and voices of activists and survivors of anti-Asian hate.

• The New York event has planned speakers who are survivors of anti-Asian hate, community leaders and activists who will discuss issues from community safety to mental health, and musical performances and dances.

• The Los Angeles event plans to include a panel, small group discussions and story sharing. 

Event organizers, sponsors and supporters include Stand with Asian Americans, the Asian Justice Movement, the Georgia AAPI Caucus, Advancing Justice–Atlanta, Dear Community, the Korean Cultural Center-Atlanta, Anti-Asian Hate Crimes Coalition, Asian Pacific American Dispute Resolution Center, Asian Youth Center, Rosemead Park & Recreation, Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment, OCA – Greater Los Angeles, LA County Asian American Employee Association, Together Against Crime Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Justice, Community Relations Service.

What: National Anniversary Events for Atlanta Spa Shootings

When: Saturday, March 16th, 2024.

• Georgia: Korean Community Center 5900 Brook Hollow Pkwy, Norcross, GA (5 pm – 8:30 pm ET)

• Los Angeles: Rosemead Community Recreation Center 3936 N. Muscatel Ave, Rosemead, CA (9:45 am-12:30 pm)

• New York: 128 E 28th St. Ground Floor, 10016 (2 pm-4:30 pm)

• San Francisco: Hotel Kabuki 1625 Post St, San Francisco (2 pm-5 pm)

For additional details, please contact Kayla Butler (kbutler@fenton.com) 

Speakers: 

San Francisco:

• Helen Zia, journalist, activist, founder of Vincent Chin Institute
• Jennifer S. Cheng, poet and essayist
• Amihan, musician, and spoken word artist
• Hudson Liao, Founder, Asians Are Strong
• Justin Zhu, Co-Founder, Stand with Asian Americans

New York:

• Esther Lee, Anti-Asian Hate Crime Advocate
• Karen Murison, Main Street Patrol
• Eugena Oh, Regional Director, The Asian American Foundation
• Audrey Park, Violinist

Atlanta:

• Members of the Georgia AAPI Legislative Caucus
• Erika Moritsugu, Deputy Assistant to the President and AANHPI Senior Liaison
• Vilma Kari, NYC hate-crime survivor and her daughter Elizabeth Kari
• Mike Webb, family member of Xiaojie Tan, Atlanta 3/16 victim
• Hon. Sangpyo Suh, Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Atlanta
• Video Remarks from U.S. Senators from Georgia Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock, and Acting Secretary Julie Su, U.S. Dept. of Labor
• Local AAPI Community and Youth leaders

Los Angeles:

• Hon. Mike Eng, former mayor and state assemblymember
• Paul Kim, Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney 
• Esther Young Lim, LA County DA’s Office AAPI Advisory Board Chair
• Paul Chang, former Co-Chair White House Initiatives for AAPI Communities 
• Blake Chow, LAPD Assistant Chief 
• Orlando Martinez, LAPD Hate Crime Coordinator

Visuals: Hundreds of attendees; musical and dance performances including orchestras and dragon dances, press conference with elected leaders in Atlanta. 

The latest information can be found on AsianJusticeMovement.org. 

Stand with Asian Americans

Stand with Asian Americans (SwAA) is a national organization dedicated to empowering Asian Americans. We equip Asian Americans with the resources needed to live and work without fear of racial discrimination and violence. Anyone can get involved to use their ingenuity and talent to galvanize the next generation of Asian American activism. Please visit https://standwithasianamericans.com/ to learn more.

Instagram: @standwithasianamericans

Twitter: @StandwithAAs

Asian Justice Movement (AJM) 

The Asian Justice Movement is a national coalition of Asian American grassroots organizers. Responding to the outbreak of visible anti-Asian violence during the pandemic, AJM organized the first-of-its-kind nationally coordinated rallies and protests to fight Asian hate and remember the victims of violence.

Instagram: @asianjusticemovement 

Twitter: @AsianJusticeMvt

Photo credit: by Suma Hussien.