There has been a disturbing and heartbreaking surge in violence against Asians, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders across the US. Since the pandemic, there have been more than 3,800 reported cases of hate crimes against Asian Americans, a spike of 150 percent from the year prior. An 84-year-old immigrant from Thailand, Vicha Ratanapakdee, was among the Asian elders fatally attacked. Far too often, these cases are ignored and perpetrators of these crimes are not held accountable.

Although authorities have not determined the attack in Atlanta on March 16, 2021 as a hate crime — which resulted in eight deaths, six of whom were of Asian descent — it is clear that these individuals were targeted because they were among the most vulnerable in our country: Asian women.

Thai Theatre Foundation unequivocally condemns these horrific acts of violence in the strongest sense. Hate and bigotry have no place in a place as diverse as the US. We value our community and believe that equity, diversity, and inclusion are what makes us strong. We stand firmly with our AAPI kin, BIPOC and LGBTIQ+ community facing fear, intimidation, discrimination and hate incidents. This must end.

We grieve with the families of the victims and our Asian and AAPI community. We are living in extraordinarily difficult times. We must listen and support one another. We must come together in unity, rise up, and continue to call out acts of violence and injustice against our community and others.

To support and strengthen contemporary Thai theatre, and foster collaborations between Thai and American theatre makers, Thai Theatre Foundation will continue to show up for our Asian and AAPI community during this time and beyond. We are committed to uplifting Thai/Thai-American voices, advocating for our visibility and empowering artists to be agents of change, as we strive towards collective liberation.