NEW YORK, March 17, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Asian American Business Development Center, U.S. Black Chambers and the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce have joined together to issue an open letter to America’s CEOs along with a “CEO Pledge” to address the wave of rising hate crimes, discrimination and harassment of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
“At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic last year, we saw a backlash and targeting of the Asian American community who were unfairly blamed for the virus,” said John Wang, founder and president of the Asian American Business Development Center (AABDC). “Tragically, this climate of hate has continued in 2021, with vulnerable elderly targeted in California and New York City recently, and indications that the community continues to be stigmatized by racist acts and words.”
Stop AAPI Hate has recorded up to 2,800 incidents of hate crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.
AABDC, U.S. Black Chambers and U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce believe that the CEOs of America’s corporations have a responsibility to speak up and to provide guidance and protection to their employees, customers and partners who are impacted.
The open letter to CEOs notes that the 2021 Edelman Trust Barometer found that 86 percent of respondents are looking for CEOs to lead on such issues as the pandemic’s impact, joblessness due to automation and broader societal issues, like climate change and the continuing struggle for racial justice.
The letter calls on all employers with the leadership of their CEOs to make racial equity and hate crimes against all minorities a top agenda item. The letter also encourages the senior leadership of companies to have “hearing sessions” to address concerns of their minority employees and to speak up (by way of verbal or written statements to their employees) condemning the racial violence.
In a companion document “A CEO Pledge”, the three business groups urge CEOs to adopt promises including a strong condemnation of the hate crimes, and a commitment to work with the Asian American community “to be part of the solution and to be a visible ally with Asian Americans and other underrepresented groups.”
The letter and the CEO Pledge have been sent to influential business groups CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion, the Business Roundtable and The Conference Board and we call on their members to join us in supporting A CEO Pledge.
An increasing number of America’s most well-known corporations have been speaking out to support Asian American communities.