The Association of Black Cardiologists (ABC) and our cardiovascular partners are stunned and saddened by the mass murder of eight women, six of Asian descent, in Atlanta. The killings highlight the horrific rise in hate crimes and violence against Asian Americans since the pandemic began. While this population, like Blacks and Hispanics, has long been subject to overt and subtle racism, this increase is unprecedented, driven by a year-long effort to vilify and blame Asian Americans for the pandemic. Data from Pew Research shows that a third of Asian adults have experienced verbal attacks during the pandemic, more than any other race or ethnicity, while Stop AAPI Hate documented 3,795 racially motivated incidents, including brutal attacks, against Asian Americans from March to February. That figure is likely significantly higher, given that many were not reported.
News reports tell us of a 75-year-old Asian American man who was robbed and seriously hurt on his morning walk; an 84-year-old Thai man who died after being shoved to the ground; racial and sexual epithets hurled at Asian women. People of Asian descent here and throughout the world are not to blame for the pandemic.
Therefore, ABC strongly denounces these incidents of racism and violence. Such episodes and the fear they engender, coupled with the ravages of the pandemic, amplify the biological wear and tear due to chronic stressors that result in various illnesses and cardiovascular disease. Some people are terrified to leave their homes, leaving them isolated and inactive, other contributors to heart disease.
We pledge to work together with those in the healthcare community to advance policies that address these deplorable incidents and to rebuff the misleading rhetoric that Asian Americans are to blame for the pandemic. The only blame for the past year goes to a coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2.
The ABC stands in solidarity with the Asian diaspora in denouncing and eliminating racism globally.
About the Association of Black Cardiologists (ABC)
Founded in 1974, the ABC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating the disparities related to cardiovascular disease and achieving health equity such that all people can live long healthy lives. Membership is open to all interested in the care of people with or at risk for cardiovascular disease, including health professionals, lay members of the community (Community Health Advocates), corporate and institutional members. Today, the ABC’s public and private partnerships continue to increase its impact in communities across the nation. For more information, visit www.abcardio.org and connect with ABC on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
