In a time of physical distancing and a worldwide response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we continue to witness the pandemic of racism and hate taking the lives of Black, Brown, and Queer people. The murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and Tony McDade; the skewed media and social media coverage; the Zoom-bombing for the purpose of spewing racist, sexist, and homophobic speech are the most recent examples of long-standing systematic racial injustice and oppression. The strain our communities is further compounded by the many losses brought on by COVID-19. There is an individual and collective toll on us all due to the accumulation of these events and many communities of color and their allies have been pushed to their breaking points. We are in the midst of a collective grief response, as demonstrated by the anger we see reflected in the protests and cries for justice in the cities across the country. The loss of life, of agency, and of connection can feel overwhelming.
These collective traumas have very real psychological consequences, such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic disorder, and the exacerbation of other underlying mental health and substance abuse issues. We also recognize the particular impact witnessing these traumatic events has on members of our Black and African-American community. By sharing and acknowledging our grief and hurt we can each help each other bear the pain and emotional weight. Take the time to check on those you care about, take the time to care for yourself, and reach out if you need support or assistance supporting someone else. Please call CAPS 24/7 if you are in distress at 310 825-0768.
Please visit the UCLA RISE Program website for a list of resources.
Support for our AAPI Community
At the onset of the pandemic, the Asian/Asian-American community was targeted with violence, unjustly blamed for the spread of the COVID-19 virus. A report issued by the Stop AAPI Hate Reporting Center documented 3,795 cases of Anti-Asian incidents from March 2020 through February 2021. Sadly, the violence has continued and in some parts of our nation even increased in recent weeks. The hate has been spread across every age range, with even the elderly and young children being impacted. CAPS stands against anti-Asian hate and violence, not in isolation, but in solidarity with the ongoing hate and violence against Black, Indigenous, Latinx, immigrant, sexual/gender and religious minority communities, and we reaffirm our support to the health, healing, and hope of our community.
In addition to our regular services, we want to make available other resources that may be of help during these challenging times:
Asian Mental Health Collective
Asian American Mental Health Collective directory by APISAA therapists
Free bystander intervention training to stop anti-Asian/American and xenophobic harassment