WilmerHale stands in grief and solidarity with the Asian American and Pacific Islander community in the face of the surge in anti-Asian violence across the United States.

We condemn the unconscionable incidents of harassment and violence targeting AAPI individuals since the outset of the pandemic, of which the Atlanta area shootings in mid-March are only the latest and most shocking example. These incidents themselves tap into a legacy of prejudice against the AAPI community in the United States that long predates COVID-19, and demonstrate the way animus can be magnified when race and gender discrimination intersect.

While there is something terribly wrong when it takes grievous injury to sharpen the popular will to confront hate and discrimination, it is clear we have reached an inflection point beyond which change must happen. We are proud to join with our AAPI friends, colleagues and community members in support of National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), Asian Americans Advancing Justice, and the many other organizations that are leading the way.