AARC condemns the violence and hate crimes against Asians, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders

The Association for Assessment and Research in Counseling (AARC) stands in solidarity with our Asian colleagues, students, and their loved ones in condemning the violence and hate crimes against Asians, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders. As members of the counseling community, we stand with those who actively promote the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion, globally and in our local communities. The recent surge of hate-based attacks and assaults on Asian Americans over the past year has tragically culminated into the horrific mass shooting of eight people in Atlanta, of which six were Asian American. We all must continue to advocate and speak out against racism that has too long infected our country.

Last year in response to the brutal killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, AARC chose action and dedicated an additional $20,000 in funding towards research programs that specifically investigate racial disparities and oppression in areas such as assessment design, bias in diagnosis, and health care access and care surrounding COVID-19 and discrimination. The first round of grant proposals selected and funded are being conducted by strong scholars with impactful work coming from them.

In keeping with this initiative and push towards action, AARC allocated an additional $20,000 in research grants for this year. AARC will continue to fund research that has a direct effect on influencing public policy and further the counseling profession. The formal call for proposals will be coming out later this spring.

In solidarity,
Executive Council of the Association for Assessment and Research in Counseling