CLEVELAND — EDITOR'S NOTE: The video in the player above originally aired on March 19, 2021.
As a result of the recent uptick in violence against Asian Americans, several Cleveland groups came together Sunday to rally and march peacefully to support the city's Asain-American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community.
On Sunday afternoon, AsiaTown Cleveland along with OCA Cleveland, ASIA Inc., OPAWL and APAPA Ohio held a rally to support the AAPI community in a big way.
Earlier this week, the groups asked community members from across Northeast Ohio to join them in solidarity and march for the victims of the spa shootings in Atlanta in March 2021; six of those victims were immigrant Asian women.
Stop Asian Hate March in Cleveland.
"Gather with us to hear from local AAPI leaders and allies about what we can do, right here in Cleveland, to stop anti-Asian hate. And show your support for our residents, workers, businesses, and community members. In a year where we have all been told to “go home,” we hold this space to show our community that this is our home," a post from AsiaTown Cleveland says.
Sunday's march wasn't the first event held in the area to support the AAPI community. Last week, AsiaTown Cleveland also held a vigil in Solon to remember the lives that were lost.
During the event, several women of Asian descent spoke about discrimination they have experienced in the past.
“Recently, my aunt came up to me and told me to not go out much because she was scared I was going to get attacked, and this really hit me hard because I realized there is an ongoing pandemic right now – but she is telling me not go out – not because of the pandemic – but because she is afraid I was going to get attacked," Mai Lor said.