WASHINGTON — March 16 marked two years since the 2021 Atlanta spa shootings in which a gunman targeted Asian-owned businesses, killing eight people, including six women of Asian descent.
A letter from President Biden was delivered to community members in Atlanta on Thursday morning by Erika L. Moritsugu, deputy assistant to the president and Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander senior liaison.
The letter, which was also distributed in Korean and Chinese, reads as follows:
“Two years ago today, eight innocent people — mothers, sisters, aunts, friends, and neighbors — were gone in an instant. Families had to bury a piece of their soul. This community across Atlanta was devastated but not broken. On this day of remembrance, Jill and I keep you and your loved ones in our hearts.
“To the families of the victims, though the grieving never truly ends, we hope you find purpose in what will never be lost: the love you had for them and the love they had for all of you. And to this entire community, as Vice President Harris and I shared with you during our visit to Atlanta shortly after the darkness, I want you to know that the entire nation remains with you. Across the country, people of all backgrounds have gathered to remember the lives lost, honor this community’s extraordinary resilience, and stand in solidarity with our fellow Americans.
“I want you to know that I see you. My administration sees you. And we are determined to end the scourge of gun violence, anti-Asian hate, and all forms of racism and extremism in this nation. We remain determined in the belief that out of solace there is strength, from fear there is hope, and from darkness comes light.
“Let us remember who we are. We are the United States of…
Read the full article here