Dear Friends of Nomi Network,
I write to you deeply saddened and disturbed as I process this week’s shooting in Georgia, in which six Asian women were among eight killed. This tragedy is layered on top of a year where we have seen an unprecedented, rising number of reported hate crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) in the United States. As an Asian American woman, I stand with my AAPI sisters as we hold space for our collective trauma and grief.
This targeted shooting resonates deeply with us as an anti-trafficking organization since many massage parlors operate as a facade for illicit sexual activity and human trafficking. Massage workers, regardless of if they are victims of trafficking or working by choice, routinely experience sexualized violence from customers. While we do not know these particular victims’ stories, this tragedy underscores how women whose bodies are commodified for sex or labor are subject to exploitation, erasure, and death.
In the wake of this tragedy, I am reminded that modern slavery, racism, and misogyny are inextricably intertwined. Fueled by systemic inequity, they enable violent extremism, as exemplified by yesterday’s shooting. They all devalue the intrinsic value of a human being and prey on the most vulnerable. We are called to dismantle systems that allow these evils to thrive and lay a foundation for those that protect and value human life. This is Nomi Network’s mission and a call to which my team and I have dedicated our lives. I hope and pray that you would continue to fight with me for a world where every woman can live to see her full potential.
In solidarity,
Diana Mao
President and Co-Founder
Nomi Network
Please find below a list of resources on how to act in solidarity with the AAPI community in this time:
Solidarity Resource Library + Action Guide
Bystander Intervention Training To Stop Anti-Asian/American and Xenophobic Harassment