Dear PCMA Capital Chapter Member,
On behalf of your Board of Directors, I would like to bring to your attention the rising incidents of violence and discrimination towards people of Asian descent. Last March when eight people, six of whom were Asian-American woman were murdered in Atlanta, it brought to the forefront in the United States this rising level of violence and discrimination. It is unfortunately not a phenomenon isolated in America. According to several studies, there is a significant increase of acts of hate towards Asians worldwide.
Asians are not the only group to have suffered from rising discrimination especially during what has become a remarkably infamous 12 months during the pandemic. Racism towards Asians though does include different undertones due to cultural traits. Asian immigrants have long held the characteristics of being culturally insular and stoic, leading many Asians to ignore or paper over any “slights.” The recent “scapegoating” of Asians for the pandemic may be a turning point culturally for Asians as well as how the world perceives discrimination towards people of Asian descent. As an Asian-American, I truly hope this is the case.
As I alluded to earlier, we have witnessed so much racial and social unrest over the past year. Some have posited this is a natural consequence of the pandemic, as has happened during past pandemics. All of these issues seem so overwhelming but together as a group, as the PCMA Capital Chapter, we can do our part to raise awareness of hateful discrimination and contribute to the solutions for these issues.
As a longtime member of PCMA and the PCMA Capital Chapter, I know we are incredibly supportive of one another as a community. It’s time we let everyone else see that. Please know that your leadership, especially through our dedicated Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Taskforce, is working hard each and every day to make our community as inclusive as possible. I am grateful our Board of Directors has chosen to raise awareness of discrimination towards people of Asian descent. As we cross-over into May, which coincidentally is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, I hope you will join me in supporting our Asian colleagues and friends.
Sincerely,
Marcus R. Eng, CMP, DES
PCMA Capital Chapter President-Elect
