We stand with Asians and Asian-Americans
American Family President and CEO-Elect Bill Westrate shares his perspective on the rise in violence and discrimination against Asians and Asian-Americans since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic last year.
Earlier this week, eight people – including six women of Asian descent – were murdered in Atlanta. While the gunman claims his motives
were not racially-motivated, the immediate aftermath of his actions did shine a spotlight on a disheartening trend.
According to reports from CNN, BBC News and many other outlets, there has been a sharp increase in violence and discrimination against Asians and Asian Americans in our country since March 2020. This report from Stop AAPI Hate outlines this disturbing development.
Of course, the rise in anti-Asian sentiment and associated hate crimes is mostly attributed to rhetoric regarding the origins of the coronavirus as it spread across the world. In some respects, it reminds me of the abuse, discrimination and discomfort felt by Muslims and/or people of Middle Eastern descent, following the events of Sept. 11, 2001 – and still to this day, I’m sure.
This is not okay, and I want to make sure Asian and Asian-American people across our enterprise and in our communities know our enterprise and leadership team stand with and for you during these difficult times.
Go to Bill's LinkedIn page to read the entire post.
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About the American Family Insurance group
Based in Madison, Wisconsin, American Family Insurance has been serving customers since 1927. We inspire, protect and restore dreams through our insurance products, exceptional service from our agency owners and employees, community investment and creative partnerships to address societal challenges. We act on our belief in diversity and inclusion by constantly evolving to meet customer needs and preferences. American Family Insurance group is the nation’s 13th-largest property/casualty insurance group, ranking No. 254 on the Fortune 500 list. The group sells American Family-brand products, primarily through exclusive agency owners in 19 states. The American Family Insurance group also includes CONNECT, powered by American Family Insurance, The General, Homesite and Main Street America. Across these companies the group has more than 13,200 employees nationwide