The oppression of any life is an injustice for us all.
We stand in solidarity with the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities against xenophobic rhetoric, violence, and acts of racism.
Read the full statement from One Drop CEO and founder, Jeff Dachis.
To our One Drop family,We are deeply troubled by the surge in verbal and physical attacks that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) are experiencing in our country.
Anti-AAPI hate crimes reported to police have risen nearly 150% since the pandemic began, with many more crimes going unreported [1]. The recent shootings in several Atlanta spas and targeted attacks on women and seniors in New York City have brought ongoing xenophobic rhetoric, violence, and virus-shaming back into the headlines.
Today and always, we stand with the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. We unequivocally condemn such acts of hate and acknowledge that racism against AAPI people and other racial and ethnic minorities has existed in our country throughout history.
In the wake of COVID-19, ingrained stereotypes have forced AAPI communities to face indiscriminate blame for the pandemic solely due to their racial identities. False narratives—perpetuated by our government, media, and fellow Americans—buttress our collective anxieties about public health and further widen the health equity divide. In turn, Asian American and Pacific Islander people face compounding medical, financial, and psychological consequences.
One Drop is committed to being part of the solution, which starts within our organization. We believe in promoting a company culture in which individuals of diverse backgrounds can feel empowered to have difficult conversations and speak out against social injustice. To that end, One Drop has a proactive diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) program to create learning, growth, and accountability opportunities for our employees. In turn, we can better serve our members and the greater global community.
It’s also important that One Drop supports organizations that fight anti-AAPI racism specifically. We are donating $10,000 to the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, a national organization working to protect and promote civil rights for AAPI communities in the United States.
We recognize our efforts to promote greater equity and build safer communities will never be perfect. However, they will always transcend inaction and silence.
Over the last 12 months, each of us has known isolation, uncertainty, and fear—for our livelihood, loved ones, and health. And in the age of the 24-hour news cycle and social media, we absorb the full impact of this collective trauma in real time. In the days, months, and years ahead, please remember our shared humanity and choose compassion in the face of fear.
The oppression of any life is an injustice for us all. We are still in this together. And together, we must stop hate.
With love,
Jeff Dachis
One Drop | CEO and Founder
To report an anti-AAPI hate incident, visit www.stopaapihate.org.
This statement uses the term, Asian American, to refer to Americans whose ancestry derives from Asia. We recognize this singular classification's shortcomings; the people of Asian ancestry are numerous and diverse, springing from myriad languages and cultures. We also acknowledge that not all victims of hate crimes, past or present, have United States citizenship or identify as American. All life is valuable, and all people deserve fair and humane treatment without regard to ethnicity or citizenship status.