Over the past year, there has been a wave of anti-Asian language, hate speech, and physical assaults on streets across the country. This has been fueled by media reports, statements by politicians, and posts on social media, often related to the origins of COVID-19. Our Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander communities have been deeply harmed by these attacks and, most recently, brought to grief by the horrific murders in Atlanta.
Such bias and bigotry are not new, but they have found fertile terrain in a country beset by disinformation, xenophobia, Sinophobia, and white supremacy. As a public library, we exist to expand knowledge and create deeper connections. It is, therefore, central to our mission to battle those forces of hate. We seek to combat cultural bias and bigotry by promoting diversity in our collections, programming, policies, and hiring practices, to ensure that our diverse communities see themselves represented on our library shelves, in our offerings, and among our ranks. The board and staff of the Dobbs Ferry Public Library is doing that work, and remains committed to expanding it further.
We stand in solidarity with our Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander patrons, neighbors, and friends.
Below are some important organizations fighting for Asian American rights. We applaud their work and encourage everyone to engage with them as they begin planning next steps and actions in the wake of the attacks in Atlanta.
- Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC www.advancingjustice-aajc.org
- Stop AAPI Hate https://stopaapihate.org/
- National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum https://www.napawf.org/
- 18 Million Rising https://18millionrising.org/
- APIA Vote https://www.apiavote.org/
- APIA Health Forum https://www.apiahf.org/
- National Council of Asian Pacific Americans https://www.ncapaonline.org/
Board of Trustees
Dobbs Ferry Public Library
Ali Moss, President
Linda Stutz, Vice President
Jeffrey Golde, Secretary
Liberty Barrett
Matthew Ghiorse
Tiffany Gordon
Alison Hendele
Kelly Koster
Chris Torino
Elizabeth Hobson, Library Director