Members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in New England are gathering to remember the six women killed in Atlanta and call for an end to hate incidents.
Rallies are scheduled in Connecticut and Massachusetts this weekend as part of a national day of action to Stop AAPI Hate.
Amihan Matias is organizing a rally in Springfield, Massachusetts, on Saturday. She said as a Filipino American just the process of putting together the rally has been meaningful.
“The Asian and AAPI women who have been planning and organizing this, it’s been incredibly supporting and healing for us to be in each other’s company and to be able to share how this has impacted us,” Matias said.
Matias said it’s also a day to celebrate the women as mothers, grandmothers, friends and daughters.
“They had real lives, they belonged to people and I hate the fact that sometimes in these situations they just get relegated to a name and an age,” Matias said.
Matias said speakers from AAPI community leaders will share how they face challenges with racism, xenophobia and sexism.