Soar Over Hate
In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month, we are sharing the story of your $25,000 investment in Soar Over Hate, an AAPI-led, boots-on-the-ground nonprofit in New York City providing critically needed resources and support to the AAPI community amid skyrocketing hate crimes.
In their own words, Soar Over Hate is “supporting the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community in the face of escalating anti-Asian violence.”
That horrific violence—heinous murders, vicious attacks, verbal and sexual harassment, and blatant discrimination—has continued to skyrocket across the country. According to most recent data from Stop AAPI Hate, 10,905 hate incidents were reported nationwide from March 2020 through December 2021 alone.
Founded after the Atlanta spa shootings in 2021, Soar Over Hate focuses on providing safety, community, and self-care in New York City, where the rise of anti-AAPI hate crimes is particularly staggering, and California.
Their team, which includes Korean, Chinese, Taiwanese, Vietnamese, and Japanese representation, has distributed more than 27,000 personal safety alarms in New York and California since March 2021. They have also hosted free self-defense classes, as well as at least ten community resource events. They also just had their 2022 Care Fair, which included community resources such as a self-defense class and puppy therapy, as well as hot meals and snacks by local AAPI-owned businesses.
In addition to community events, their Heal From Hate program matches AAPI community members who have experienced a hate incident with a culturally competent, AAPI-identifying therapist. It provides ten free therapy sessions.
Whether it be making therapy sessions accessible, teaching self-defense, or promoting self-care, Soar Over Hate continues to flourish in bringing urgently needed resources and support to their community.
The Soar Over Hate team often references the words of Grace Lee Boggs, which beautifully illustrate the immense impact they are making: “The only way we will survive is by taking care of one another.”
Thank you for supporting their vital work through Together Rising.