March 20, 2021 9am, United Chinese Americans (UCA) and Chinese American Parents Association of Northern Virginia (CAPA-NoVA) jointly organized the Nationwide Vigil for Atlanta Mass Murder Victims. 500+ people from the communities across the country and overseas participated in this event virtually or in-person locally. Participants honored the memories and reflected upon the eight lives lost in the tragic Atlanta shootings including six women of Asian descent. The Asian communities shared the deepest griefs in the wake of the tragedy and expressed anger and frustration with the rising anti-Asian hate, crimes and discrimination since the pandemic. With an undercurrent of solidarity, community leaders delivered heart-felt speeches and called for joint actions to #StopAsianHate. Vigil-goers held signs of #StopAsianHate and the American flags.
Standing before a candlelit crowd in front of the Lincoln Memorial at the national’s capital, Yuyan Zhou, CAPA-NoVA President spoke on behalf of the local community. Yuyan said, “Members in the Asian American community have felt increasingly anxious and fearful as we are watching those anti-Asian attack incidents across the nation rising to nearly 4000”. She called for “urgent awareness to combat racial violence”, and asked everyone to “be in this together to build a community and a home that belongs to all of us”.
Beyond grief and anger, the vigil night bought out strong feelings of the Asian communities and our allies to stand together and confront the racial violence.
Read the full scripts of Yuyan’s speech below:
Good evening my dear friends,
My name is Yuyan Zhou， I am the President of the Chinese American Parents Association of Northern Virginia (CAPA NoVA). Tonight we are here to honor the memories of the innocent eight lives lost in the tragic Atlanta shootings, including six women of Asian descent, I can’t imagine the pain that their families are all feeling right now. Our hearts and prayers go out to you, and we want you to know that we are here with you!
Our Asian American community has felt increasingly anxious and fearful as we are watching those anti-Asian attack incidents across the nation rising to nearly 4000. These unthinkable tragedies have brought us here, at the nation’s capital, to raise the urgent awareness to combat racial violence. Enough is enough, let’s #StopAsianHate. As a nation, we must remember, we are all Americans. United we stand, divided we fall.
Thanks to everyone who is joining us here in DC tonight. This is a moment that we all shall remember, even at our twilight years. Strangers became friends, friends became allies, as we stood together, side by side, fought for the same cause and stood for the same value. As a community, take this as our first step. The long March starts from here, and we will be in this together, build a community and a home that belongs to all of us.
Yuyan Zhou
President of CAPA NoVA
