Photo: Kevin Bathman

I would like to speak on behalf of my colleagues of Asian descent. Asian Americans disproportionately contribute to the country’s health care community. Although only 6% of the U.S. population is Asian American, nationally 18% of our physicians, and 10% of our nurse practitioners are Asian American. Nationally, nurses of Philippine descent represent 4% of all RNs - in California, 25% of active RNs are of Asian descent.

During an international health care crisis, every provider should be appreciated, valued, and respected. Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, and Asian American nurses have disturbing coronavirus case and mortality rates. Philippine nurses, in particular, have paid a high price to practice during this pandemic.  While constituting only 4% of all U.S. RNs, they have suffered 31.5% of COVID-19 nursing deaths.

In addition to the coronavirus, the virus of racism is also endangering our colleagues. Stop AAPI Hate collects data on verbal and physical abuse incidents nationwide and notes the steady rise in hate crimes. Harassment and assault incidents against the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community have increased over 1200% in under a single year. The 3/16/21 Atlanta massacre is but one example of the danger our colleagues now face. Rather than receding, this hatred and violence is expected to escalate.

We owe it to our colleagues to partner with them in denouncing such racism. We must all step up and be actively anti-racist. I pledge my solidarity with the AAPI nursing community and hope you will as well. There are actions we can take:

Racism is the most dangerous virus now, creating a public health problem. Asian nurses are not expendable. If you harm one nurse, you harm the entire nursing community. To all my AAPI colleagues - I embrace allyship and I stand with you.

For additional reading:

• American Academy of Nursing, Statement: Anti-Asian Discrimination is a Public Health Crisis, 3/4/21, available at https://www.aannet.org/news/press-releases/position-statement-anti-asian-discrimination
• American Academy of Nursing, Statement: Racism Affects Health and Wellness and Ii Must Be Addressed, 6/x/20, available at https://www.aannet.org/news/press-releases/position-statement-on-racism
• Galloway, Gracie, He Had a Bad Day? No, It Was Anti-Asian Racism, and We Cannot Be Silent Any Longer, The Fayetteville Observer, 3/25/21, available at https://www.fayobserver.com/story/opinion/2021/03/25/he-had-bad-day-no-anti-asian-racism-and-we-can-silent-no-longer/6982657002/
• Koschmann, Kara S. et al. “I Can’t Breathe”: A Call for Antiracist Nursing Practice, Nursing Outlook, 8/15/20, available at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7428668/
• National Nurses United, National Nurses United Condemns Ongoing Racist Attacks on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, 2/19/21, available at https://www.nationalnursesunited.org/press/national-nurses-united-condemns-racist-attacks-on-asian-americans-and-pacific-islanders
• Robinson, Georgia, I AM NOT A VIRUS: How Inner West Artists Are Fighting Back Against Racism, Inner West Independent, 3/22/21, available at https://cityhubsydney.com.au/2021/03/i-am-not-a-virus-how-inner-west-artists-are-fighting-back-against-racism/
• Stop AAPI Hate, Press Release: Stop AAPI Hate: New Data on Anti-Asian Hate Incidents Against Elderly and Total National Incidents in 2020, 2/9/21, available at https://templatelab.com/press-statement-stop-aapi-hate/
• Tracy Jan, Asian American Doctors and Nurses are Fighting Racism and the Coronavirus, The Washington Post, 5/19/21, available at https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/05/19/asian-american-discrimination/