APIAVote Addresses The Recent Spate Of Gun Violence In The United States
WASHINGTON D.C. (January 25, 2023) – Christine Chen, Executive Director of Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote), made the following statement addressing the spate of recent gun violence in the United States.
The communities of Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay will forever be changed by the mass shootings they experienced these past few days. It is heartbreaking that these two incidents are not so extraordinary, but just two more examples of a much wider tragedy long plaguing our country. The epidemic of gun violence in America has been the direct source of countless suffering for victims, their families, and the communities in which the shootings occurred. Twenty-four days into the new year and we have already seen 39 mass shootings. This is unacceptable, and is in fact, preventable.
As we grieve and work to support those affected, we must also not let these tragedies be for naught. The time to join together to bring about true change, demand action of our politicians and help end this horrific epidemic is now. Policy should reflect the will of the people. Our Asian American Voter Survey has consistently shown that an overwhelming majority of Asian American voters believe our country needs stricter gun laws. Asian Americans are not the only ones who feel this way, this view extends far beyond our own communities. In fact, surveys by Pew Research indicate that over half of all Americans support stricter gun laws.
The United States experiences more death and injury from guns than all other comparable countries combined. Elected leaders must stop opposing needed gun reform and must start doing the hard work of actually addressing America’s gun violence. Otherwise, tragedies like the ones in Monterey Park, Half Moon Bay, and the 39 other mass shootings in 2023 will continue to happen again and again.
Resources Related to Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay Shootings:
Monterey Park:
Half Moon Bay:
- APF is launching fund to support nonprofits going to Half Moon Bay to provide in-language and culturally appropriate support
- Points of contact for Half Moon Bay:
- Aarti Kohli, aartik@advancingjustice-alc.
org (cc cameronl@advancingjustice-alc. org) - Cyn Choi, [email protected]
- Aarti Kohli, aartik@advancingjustice-alc.
- APIAVote is in touch with an organization in Half Moon Bay that needs translation and interpretation assistance on the ground in Mandarin and Cantonese. If you want to help, email [email protected]
