#StopAsianHate: AAPI Community Statement on Indianapolis
(April 21, 2021)
As members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community and the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA), we grieve for the victims and those in the Indianapolis community affected by last week’s horrific shooting, including four of our brothers and sisters from the Sikh community. We honor the lives of the eight individuals killed due to this senseless act of violence: Matthew R. Alexander, 32; Samaria Blackwell, 19; Amarjeet Johal, 66; Jasvinder Kaur, 50; Jaswinder Singh, 68; Amarjit Sekhon, 48; Karli Smith, 19; and John Weisert, 74.
Our condolences are with the families and friends of those impacted by yet another senseless act of violence. The impacts of such violence and trauma extend well beyond the families and immediate community members affected.
While a motive is not yet confirmed, we recognize that these murders occur in the context of a history of acts of hate against the Sikh American community, a rise in anti-Asian hate and violence, and a wave of gun violence across the country. Sikh Americans experienced an increase in hate crimes following 9/11 and suffered one of the deadliest hate crimes at a house of worship when a white supremacist attacked the Sikh gurdwara in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. We call on law enforcement to conduct a complete and thorough investigation of this incident.
We stand in solidarity with the Sikh community, in Indianapolis and across the country, as we move towards healing. Together, we must #StopAsianHate and violence in all its forms.
For more information about the Sikh American community, please visit NCAPA member, the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF).
Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF)
Asian American Psychological Association
Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote)
Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS)
Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO (APALA)
Asian Pacific Partners for Empowerment, Advocacy and Leadership (APPEAL)
APIA Scholars
Asian Real Estate Association of America
Center for Asian American Media
Center for Asian Pacific American Women
Council of Korean Americans
Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (EPIC)
Japanese American Citizens League
Laotian American National Alliance
LEAP (Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics)
National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA)
National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum
National Asian Pacific Center on Aging (NAPCA)
National CAPACD – National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development
National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA)
National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA)
National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC)
OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates
Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF)
South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT)
South Asian Bar Association of North America
Organizations as of 5pm ET, 4/21/21.
Based in Washington, D.C., the Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund (APIASF) is the nation’s largest non-profit organization devoted to providing college scholarships for Asian Pacific Islander Americans (APIA). APIASF works to create opportunities for students to access, complete, and succeed after post-secondary education; thereby developing future leaders who will excel in their career, serve as role models in their communities, and will ultimately contribute to a vibrant America. Since 2003, APIASF has distributed more than $110 million in scholarships to deserving APIA students. APIASF manages three scholarship programs: APIASF’s general scholarship, APIASF’s AANAPISI scholarship, and the Gates Millennium Scholars/Asian Pacific Islander Americans funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
