Everyone deserves to live in a world that affords them safety, dignity and respect.

HIMSS Stands in Solidarity With the Global Community of Asian Descent

Everyone deserves to live in a world that affords them safety, dignity and respect. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, anti-Asian hate crimes have increased by over 1,900% around the globe, including violent attacks on the most vulnerable members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community in the U.S.

The racism that people of Asian descent face must not be accepted and cannot continue to be ignored. As one HIMSS, we stand united against racial inequality and injustice.

While the rise in violence against the community of Asian descent has increased exponentially, racism against the AAPI community in the U.S. did not begin with COVID-19. As early as the middle of the 19th century, prohibitive legislation drove marginalization efforts and incited harassment toward the AAPI community. By 1882, the Chinese Exclusion Act prevented further Chinese immigration to the U.S., spurring large-scale hostility and brutality. It is important to acknowledge that this longstanding history of discrimination exists in the fabric of our nation, and that HIMSS is committed to working toward a more inclusive future.

HIMSS condemns all acts of racism and xenophobia, including violence against the AAPI community in the U.S. and against the community of Asian descent around the globe. We must stand up for all individuals regardless of race, creed or national origin. We will never tolerate a world in which any community feels abandoned, misrepresented or susceptible to acts of malice. We owe it to our staff, members, communities and everyone everywhere to condemn these acts of violence, which represent a blatant disregard for basic human rights.

As a mission-driven member association dedicated to transforming the health ecosystem, HIMSS strives to build a global collaborative that promotes health and wellness, and to amplify diverse voices and perspectives. In 2019, we launched the HIMSS Global Health Equity Network to accelerate diversity and inclusion to improve healthcare access and delivery, create an inclusive workforce, decrease disparities in underrepresented groups, and advocate for true health equity for all.

If you have questions or would like to work with HIMSS to build safer global communities, reach out to us at ghen@himss.org.

For more resources, and to take action, visit StopAsianHate.info or StopAAPIHate.org.

#StopAAPIHate #StopAsianHate #HateIsAVirus