Anti-Asian sentiment has skyrocketed—soaring 150% in 2020 alone—since the COVID-19 outbreak. Hateful rhetoric has fanned the flames of ignorance, anger, and fear as the pandemic has raged. This is not the first time Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) families in the United States have suffered. Our history is littered with examples of AAPI prejudice. Anti-Asian violence must stop, and it is up to all of us to become part of the solution.
We can start by looking inward and asking what steps we will take to stop the spread of anti-Asian prejudice and violence, and to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in our communities.
We mourn alongside the families of eight people killed senselessly on March 16th in the Atlanta area — six of whom were women of Asian descent. But it is not enough to mourn this latest tragedy; we must act.
Prime Buchholz stands in support of the AAPI community—and all underrepresented groups—in word and in action. Under the leadership of our DEI Council, we’ve worked to diversify job candidate sourcing and hiring; find new ways to engage, develop, and support our employees; help clients incorporate DEI into their investment portfolios; encourage investment managers to improve their DEI practices, and engage with our community in meaningful ways. We recognize that effecting change is the responsibility of each of us, and education and training are paramount. To this end, we have rolled out a comprehensive, firmwide DEI training and development program that runs all throughout the year.
That said, we have a lot left to do. We pledge to remain vocal and vigilant in our efforts to build a nation that is safe and free for all populations; to continue educating ourselves and others on dangerous biases; and to promote DEI—across our firm, industry, and community.
We stand as a committed ally. We hope you will stand with us.