A Message to Our Employees and Communities from President and CEO Teresa Bryce Bazemore
There is a long and ugly history of racism against Asian Americans in this country that has manifested in discrimination and violence before, yet is rarely given the attention it deserves in the broad public consciousness.
Hate crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) have skyrocketed over the last year — partially fueled, it seems, by false narratives about the origins of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. The deadly and senseless, but clearly targeted, attack on women of Asian descent in Atlanta, following on crimes against Asians that are happening with greater frequency and intensity in our own communities, is amplifying a sense of fear and anguish brought on by festering bigotry.
As an organization, we stand for diversity, equity, and inclusion, and against the racism, discrimination, intimidation, and violence that our AAPI communities are now experiencing.
I am grateful to the Bank’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion team for quickly assembling tools and resources that we can each use to take an individual stand against anti-Asian and anti-AAPI racism and lift up the voices of those affected by it.
FHLBank San Francisco | April 6, 2021