Upwardly Global Condemns Attacks on Asian American Communities
We stand with Asian communities and with all Americans of good will in condemning attacks on Asians and Asian Americans, including hate crimes targeting elders. A new study from California State University shows that anti-Asian hate crimes spiked dramatically in 2020, increasing nearly 150% over the previous year. Timing suggests that attacks are linked to divisive political rhetoric around the COVID-19 pandemic.
Upwardly Global believes that as a nation, we rise—or fall—based on our ability to embrace our inherent diversity, building opportunity for all, regardless of background. As many in our community and nearly a quarter of Upwardly Global’s program participants identify as Asian, these attacks are deeply personal to us.
“As the inscription on the Statue of Liberty reminds us still today, diversity is our nation’s greatest strength. We may speak different languages and celebrate different holidays, but we all believe in the same American Dream,” said Rosalyn Chen, Vice Chair of Upwardly Global’s Board of Directors. “At a time when my community is the target of racial hatred, I want us to remember our common humanity and our shared conviction in the promise of America.”
Upwardly Global lives these values as we work to scale our program and change systems to support some 2.2 million low-income immigrant and refugee professionals living in the U.S., opening opportunity to contribute their knowledge and skills to this country. We are motivated every day by tangible examples of how our diversity drives our economic strength, enhances innovation, and adds meaning to our lives.
We are deeply interconnected. Inclusion and welcome uplifts us all, just as hate diminishes us.
Upwardly Global, founded in 2000, is the first and longest-serving organization focused on advancing the inclusion of immigrant and refugee professionals into the U.S. workforce. Upwardly Global’s innovative skill-building and networking programs coach internationally trained professionals in rebuilding professional careers and U.S. employers in accessing their talents with inclusive hiring practices. To date, Upwardly Global has placed more than 7,500 people, adding $358 million to the economy each year. Learn more at www.upwardlyglobal.org.