Standing with the AAPI Community
We mourn the eight people who were killed in last week’s attack in Atlanta, and the entire biopharmaceutical industry condemns this horrific act of violence. We stand with our Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) colleagues, friends and family.
What happened last week is not an isolated event, but part of a disturbing uptick in violence, harassment and hate speech targeting the Asian American community since the onset of the COVID-19 crisis. With derogatory terms like “China virus” as part of the COVID-19 discussion, one in three Americans say they’ve witnessed others blaming Asian Americans for the outbreak. There was similar discrimination against the global Asian community during the SARS outbreak nearly two decades ago. Let me be clear: this brand of dishonest scapegoating is not just harmful rhetoric; it has tragic consequences and violates everything our industry believes in.
Asian Americans have shown up for their fellow citizens during the pandemic despite facing increased discrimination and baseless attacks. Their contributions to their communities include serving courageously on the frontlines of this pandemic, whether as scientists and researchers, health care providers, food service workers, store owners and operators, or in other essential roles. Asian Americans are a valued part of our industry and their work is vital, and we would not be where we are in our remarkable fight against COVID-19 without this community’s contributions.
I believe we have a duty to listen, offer our support and act whenever we see injustice. I am proud of the steps PhRMA is taking to fight racism within our industry and in our world. I encourage everyone to join me as we make system-wide changes and make sure everyone can lead free, safe and healthy lives.
No American should fear for their safety because of who they are or where their families are from. It is not any one community’s obligation to make that belief come to life; it belongs to all of us.
Steve Ubl is President & CEO of PhRMA