An Open Letter: Members of California’s AAPI Community Call Out Racialized Misogyny and Hypersexualization in American Society We, the undersigned, are calling out a legacy of hypersexualization and fetishization of Asian American and Pacific Islander women. Because it’s time to talk about it. The white supremacist terrorist attack in Georgia, where the gunman targeted three Asian businesses and killed mostly Asian women, highlights the sexualized racism Asian women have endured for years, including right here in California. And when sexual addiction, not racism, is cited as the root issue, it shows just how pervasive fetishized and hypersexualized stereotypes of Asian women are within our culture. Over the last year, nearly 3,800 anti-AAPI hate incidents have been reported to the Stop AAPI Hate reporting center. Of those incidents, roughly half occurred in California, making our state the first in the nation for hate incident reports. And the evidence shows that women are disproportionately targeted, making up 63% of all recorded occurrences. Media and law enforcement in Georgia, and across the nation, have been slow to name this most recent attack as both sexist and racist, furthering the trauma Asian women continue to experience. We have been hypersexualized and fetishized for centuries. It’s become a practice that has been so normalized, we are forced to carry this trauma on our own, day after day. This racist sexualization is a particular kind of dehumanization for Asian women. From sexual come-ons ignorantly intended as a joke or even a compliment, to toxic stereotypes that reinforce submissiveness, to violent assaults, Asian women are locked in a society that has profited off of and perpetuated our hypersexualization. The stereotypes perpetuated throughout our culture, the criminal justice system, the media, and in Hollywood — they impact our everyday lives and how we navigate our way through society. Repeated portrayals of either a “China Doll” or a “Dragon Lady” as well as forced submissive, hypersexual, or exotic representations, have contributed to an intersection of racism and misogyny uniquely dangerous to Asian women. Worse, it is so normalized in our culture, our institutions remain complicit in what can ultimately lead to violence. The racialized misogyny experienced by Asian American and Pacific Islander women dehumanizes us and is rooted in white supremacy and hate. It’s time to call out hate when we see it. It can no longer be ignored or tolerated. We’re calling out the hypersexualization of Asian women in movies. We’re calling out harmful stereotypes in our schools. We’re calling out racist comments in our workplaces. We’re calling out the headlines in the media that dismiss racist behavior against Asian women. We’re calling out for our friends, families, and colleagues to join us in our anti-racism work. We’re calling for an end to the widespread rhetoric that spurs violent acts of hate. We’re calling out for help in fighting back against a patriarchal, misogynist system and societal mentality that exploits and victimizes women in our communities. Jodi Hicks CEO, Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California Betty Yee Fiona Ma, CPA Shirley N. Weber California State Controller California State Treasurer California Secretary of State Karen Kwan Carol Liu Ling Ling Chang Representative, Utah House of California State Senator (Ret) California State Senator (ret.) Representatives, Minority Whip Mariko Yamada Diana Colvin Ellen Kamei California State Assemblymember Mayor, Town of Colma Mayor, City of Mountain View (Ret.) Farrah N. Khan Jocelyn Yow Juslyn Manalo Mayor, City of Irvine Mayor, City of Eastvale Mayor, City of Daly City Letty Lopez-Viado Lily Mei Marico Sayoc Mayor, City of West Covina Mayor, City of Fremont Mayor, Town of Los Gatos Melissa Ramoso Rachelle Arizmendi Malia Vella Mayor Pro Tem, City of Artesia Mayor, City of Sierra Madre Vice Mayor, City of Alameda Pat Gacoscos Tammy Kim Sheng Thao Vice Mayor, City of Union City Vice Mayor, City of Irvine Council President, City of Oakland Amourence Lee Diedre Thu-Ha Nguyen Dr. Suely Saro Council Member, City of San Council Member, City of Garden Council Member, City of Long Mateo Grove Beach, Council District 6 Flor Nicolas Mai Vang Margaret C Abe-Koga Council Member, City of South Council Member, City of Council Member, City of San Francisco Sacramento Mountain View Marie Chuang Priya Bhat-Patel Angelo Farooq Council Member, Town of Council Member, City of Riverside School Board Member, Hillsborough Carlsbad Riverside Unified School District Deborah J Ikeda Genevieve Shiroma Josina Morita Trustee, State Center Community College Commissioner, CA Public Utilities Commissioner, Metropolitan Water District Commission Reclamation District Maybelle Manio Naomi Nakano-Matsumoto Sue Chan Board President, Jefferson Elementary Trustee, Fremont Union High School Trustee, Ohlone College School District District Wendy Ho Zima Creason Annie Chang Long Trustee, San Jose-Evergreen Community Board Member, San Juan Unified School Trustee, City of South Pasadena Library College District District Board of Trustees Virginia Chang Kiraly Melahat Rafiei Michelle Chiu President, San Mateo County Harbor Board Member, Democratic National Committee President, Asian American Bar Association of Commissioners of the Greater Bay Area Aisha Wahab Allison Joe Alvina Yeh Mayor Pro Tempore, City of Hayward Chief of Staff, Vice Mayor Jay Schenirer Executive Director, Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO Angela Lai Annie Lam Ashley Cheng President (2018), Sacramento County Bar Founder, APIs Mobilize Executive Director, Charity Cultural Services Association Center Cally Wong Carol Kim Cherie Querol Moreno Director, Asian Pacific Islander Council of Political Director, San Diego County Executive Editor, Philippine News Today San Francisco Building & Construction Trades Council Claudine Cheng Darlene Chiu Elsa Agasid President, APA Heritage Foundation Executive Director, Global SF Commissioner, San Mateo County, CA Commission on Aging Erin Kothari Francis Cheung Genevieve Jopanda Director of Operations, RISE Partnership President, AAPA Chief Of Staff, California State Treasurer Ivy Lee Jacintha Knapp Jan Yanehiro Former Trustee, San Francisco City College Co-Founder, Democratic Rountable Council Journalist/Consultant Board Janice Li Jennifer McCormick Jennifer Wada Board Director, BART CEO, American Freight Logistics Principal, Wada Government Relations LLC Jenny Bach Jinky Dolar Katherine J. Lee Secretary, California Democratic Party President, OCA Sacramento Chapter Board member, Pacific Asian American Women Bay Area Coalition Linda Akutagawa Linda Tenerowicz Lisa Thong President & CEO, LEAP (Leadership President, Fem Dems of Sacramento Board Chair, APIs Mobilize Education for Asian Pacifics) Lorna Randlett Maeley Tom Mary Anne Foo CEO, Leaders Forum Founding President, Calif. APIA Legislative Executive Director, Orange County Asian Caucus Institute and Pacific Islander Community Alliance (OCAPICA) Michelle Woo Mona Pasquil Rogers Nan Santiago Editor, Medium President, Asian Pacific Islanders Legislative President, ALLICE (Alliance for Community Caucus Institute Empowerment) Nanci Nishimura Nancy Bui-Thompson NAPAWF Bay Area Chapter Co-Chair, Leaders Forum President, Board of Directors, Elected to Chapter Core Leader, NAPAWF Bay Area the Board of Directors, Sacramento Chapter Municipal Utility District Nilda Valmores Pamela Wu Priscilla Huang Executive Director, My Sister's House Board Member, Asian American Journalists Co-founder, Asian Americans in Action Association (AAJA), Sacramento Serena Chen Stephanie Nguyen Thuy Vu President, Asian Pacific American Executive Director, Asian Resources, Inc Co-founder & President, Global Mentor Democratic Caucus of Alameda County Network Yen Marshall Amy Yukiko Monk Angelica Ramos-Allen National Executive Director, Asian Pacific Co-chair, Women's Caucus of the Hawaii Communications Director, National Islander American Public Affairs (APAPA) Democratic Party, Democratic Party of Women’s Political Caucus of California Hawaii Women's Caucus Annie Chou Bouapha Toommaly Caroline Zheng Chief of Staff, Dave Min Director of Finance, Daily Kos Harvard College Organization of Asian American Sisters in Service Caryl Ito Catrina Reyes, Esq. Cindy Wu API Advocate Vice President of Advocacy and Policy, Executive Director, LISC Bay Area California Academy of Family Physicians Danielle Lam Denise Diana R. Shiba, MD. Director, Mastercard Founder, Bun Mee Vietnamese Sandwich President, Los Angeles County Medical Eatery San Francisco Association Dominique Lee Emily Ann Ramos Emily Murase COO, Planned Parenthood Mar Monte Chair of the Mountain View Rental Housing Board Member, San Francisco Japanese Committee American Citizens League Farah Bala Felicia Sze Grace Chan McKibben Founder & CEO, FARSIGHT Managing Partner, Athene Law, LLP Executive Director, Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community Grace Lin Grace Yu, MD Hyepin im COO, PPPSGV District 7 Board Member, CAFP Board of President, Faith and Community Directors Empowerment Jennifer “Jae” Pi’ilaniwahine Requiro Jennifer Pae Jenny Wong Board Member, Asian & Pacific Islander Deputy Political Director, Way to Win Berkeley City Auditor, City of Berkeley American Health Forum Jessica Hsiang Ng Kelly Fong Rivas Leslie Francis Managing Director, Mercury, LLC Chief Of Staff, Mayor Darrell Steinberg, City VIce President, Kaiser Permanente of Sacramento Lily Quan Lisa Matsubara Lisa Tran CEO, Q Homes