The escalating number of violent assaults against Asians in America seems to have reached its apex with the mass murder in Atlanta of eight people, six of whom were Asian American women. While most of the world is enraged both by the act itself and the deliberate statement by one of Atlanta's police saying the gunman was "just having a bad day," there is no reason to think that we have seen the end to this "season of hate."

Positively Filipino condemns in unequivocal terms all manifestations of hate against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) which includes our Filipino American communities nationwide.

We stand solidly alongside not just our AAPI brothers and sisters but with all communities of color who find themselves at the receiving end of unchecked mental health issues rooted in white supremacist insanity and who are now united in seeing to it that all racist violence must stop.

Likewise, we stand staunchly with women victims of sexism and misogyny, who are fighting for gender justice and equality.

Racism and sexism are twin scourges that are deeply rooted in American society, but history has also shown that they are not the formidable forces that they are believed to be.

Evil thrives when there is no effective force to counter it. And that force is a united front consisting of individuals forming communities, and communities working together as allies.

Each one of us can do our part. Trite as it may sound, it's true that we are all in this fight together and it is only by working together that we will win.

On a happier note, our webinar last Monday with five dynamic "Filipino Women Warriors in the Pandemic Front Line," was a big hit. Here's the recording, in case you missed it. http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/webinar-video-filipina-power-warriors-in-the-pandemic-front-line