•     Be an ally in the fight against Asian American racism.

            •     When we discuss racial injustice, include issues confronting Asian Americans.

            •     Advocate for law enforcement to create task forces and liaisons to address concerns emanating from the Asian American community. 

            •     Historically there have been incidents of tension between African Americans and Asian Americans and the need for increased engagement between these two marginalized communities. Challenge attempts to generate conflict between them.

            •     Challenge Asian American stereotypes that downplay the issues confronting that community. Particularly the “model minority” myth that downplays the important problems the community faces. Asians are often touted as possessing greater intelligence and success, especially compared to other racial-ethnic communities, while downplaying important problems the community faces.

            •     Write letters of outrage to politicians who make anti-Asian statements or express prejudicial sentiments. Write op-eds and letters to the editor in local papers.

            •     When an incident occurs in your community, publicly advocate for prosecutors to charge hate crimes in violent attacks against Asian Americans.

            •     Attend rallies and protests in support of the Asian community. Advocate for investment in education and community resources to get at the root causes of Anti-Asian xenophobia in the ongoing conversation on race.

Rev. Dr. Alonzo Johnson, coordinator of the Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People, was recently quoted in a Presbyterian Outlook article using a Galatians text to remind Christians of their role in combatting hatred against Asian Americans.

Galatians 3:26-28 “reminds us that there are no scapegoats for the world’s problems,” said Johnson, “It reminds us that we are in this together, and the scripture flies right in the face of American exceptionalism — the idea that the hordes are coming to take things away from us, the idea that we are not all one, that we are not all equal, and we are not all important.”

“We are called to remember that we all belong to God, and in that, we are made in Christ’s image,” Johnson continued. “The Galatians piece reminds us that always, we are connected, that no matter what, we are connected to one another, we carry the cross for one another, we share the struggles of one another.”

Amen.