Statement Against AAPI Violence

PMAA denounces the ongoing violence and aggression against Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI). There have been 3,800 reports of hate incidents targeting members of AAPI communities across the country since the COVID-19 pandemic began, according to the advocacy organization Stop AAPI Hate. We recognize this number is likely higher, as many cases go unreported. The recent attack in Atlanta, including the murder of six Asian and Asian American women, highlights the alarming, and sadly growing, trend of bias and hate crimes targeting the AAPI community.

Any attempt to scapegoat, blame, or punish Asian Americans is cowardly and unacceptable. We fully support the AAPI members of our community and stand in solidarity with them against these despicable acts.

At PMAA, we believe systemic racism, misogyny, and white supremacy are fundamentally incompatible with the ethos of public service. They stand at odds with the constitutional promise of equal protection of the law. Sadly, there is a long history of exclusion and racial injustice towards the AAPI community as part of American history. Fortunately, today, more than ever, people are aware of this past, its implications for the present, and are committed to removing its toxic influence from our shared future. 

At PMAA, we will continue our efforts toward diversity and inclusion:

  1. Continuing to make diversity a critical criterion in our leadership selections at PMAA, membership recruitment, and strategic partnerships;

  2. Increasing the percentage of BIPOC (inclusive of the AAPI community) that learn about, apply for, and successfully become PMFs; and

  3. Supporting our membership in taking anti-racist action in their communities and workplaces, including providing education and promoting related efforts and participation.

To that end, we provide the following resources to help our membership learn more: 

  • PBS News Hour compiled a number of resources, including ways to directly support AAPI groups doing critical anti-hate work, as well as the families and communities of the most recent victims. 

  • The Barnard Center for Research on Women lists upcoming bystander intervention training, lectures, and educational resources in numerous languages. 

  • Vox.com has a historical overview on the history of anti-Asian bias in the US as well as a recommended reading list from AAPI historians and scholars.

The Presidential Management Alumni Association

StatementPMAA Administrator