Dear Friends of the HRM,

I am reaching out to our Hudson River Museum family as we again find our nation confronting racist violence against members of our community. We emphatically stand against and condemn anti-Asian racism and the hate incidents occurring across the United States. We grieve because of this week’s targeted attacks in the Atlanta area that killed eight people, including six women who identified as Asian.

The ACLU has reported that throughout the course of this pandemic, violence against Asian-Americans has risen dramatically. Members of this community have been baselessly blamed for the current pandemic in both overt and more insidious ways, with a resulting increase in aggression and even deadly attacks. The attacks come amidst a painful nationwide rise in violence, discrimination, and xenophobia directed against the Asian, Asian-American, and Pacific Islander community. These trends are only the most recent and visible manifestations of systemic, damaging, and often overlooked racism and injustice.

We decry these recent acts of violence, and must also address the fact that these events are part of a longstanding and pervasive discrimination that not only harms Asian-American people, but also greatly diminishes our society overall.

The HRM is committed to reflecting the diversity of our community. Let us all make time to consider how we can best advance the fight against prejudice, xenophobia, and false narratives, and be a collective force against the agents that continue to ignite racially-based hatred and violence. In this season’s Border Cantos | Sonic Border, we explore the topic of migration and extend a genuine invitation to all who wish to contribute their own or their extended families’ stories to the exhibition, whether recent or from several generations ago. As the mosaic of responses grows to become a community-built expression of welcome, we learn that answering “Where are you from?” is not only complex, but often beside the point. Perhaps the more germane question is: “Where do you feel a strong sense of belonging?” We commit to the work that makes it comfortable for you to say, “Right here.”

At this moment, we send care and support to our friends, colleagues, and communities of Asian descent, and their families. We thank you for being an integral part of our history and story.

Yours,

Masha Turchinsky
Director and CEO