Hyve Solutions and Hyve Design Solutions Family,


Hate and racism against the Asian and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community has existed for generations. It is not new. The recent scapegoating of Asians and Pacific Islanders for the Covid-19 pandemic has only emboldened racists to act more openly. To quote Will Smith: “Racism is not getting worse, it’s getting filmed.” Let’s not think anti-Asian and Pacific Islander hate happened overnight. My family, like many families have lived in the US for generations, but our faces are forever the faces of foreigners, and to some, the faces of foreign enemies.


During WW II, my parents, American citizens, along with their parents and siblings were forced into internment camps. They and 120,000 others of Japanese descent spent over 3 years behind barbed wire and within sight of armed guards at all times. The Chinese Exclusion Act preceded this unfair treatment further back in 1882. This act prevented the immigration and naturalization of Chinese people. These types of racial barriers to Asian and Pacific Islander citizenship continued on for many years. My grandparents were not allowed to become American citizens until the 1950’s.


My family worked hard to assimilate in order to prove they were true Americans and in the process, we gave up much of our Japanese culture. I don’t have a Japanese given name. I was not taught Japanese. Our parents and grandparents believed that our loyalty and our hard work would show our value to this country. But we cannot assimilate our faces and our skin color which leaves us exposed in the face of anti-Asian and Pacific Islander rhetoric and violence. Worst of all, much of this rhetoric came from a number of US elected officials.


We as a company and a community strongly condemn these racist actions and all racist rhetoric. Like all communities under attack, the Asian and Pacific Islander community feels justifiably vulnerable and at risk. My family and I now take more precautions as we leave our homes and we’re very aware of our surroundings and who is nearby. Many other Asian and Pacific Islander families across the country are doing the same, knowing they cannot take their safety for granted.


As with all communities under attack, it’s important to speak up and say something. It’s especially important that our allies do the same. I am very thankful for our Black employees who were among the first to demand that we make a statement showing support and unity for the Asian and Pacific Islander community. That is allyship in action and it is a wonderful gift of support during this difficult time.


We as a company and community must stand together in allyship against all forms of racism and discrimination and hate. Our support, caring voices and action can make a difference.


Thank you all for your support. It is a gift.


Steve


Steve Ichinaga

President, Hyve Solutions & Hyve Design Solutions


The following resources are provided to raise awareness and support of the Asian American Pacific Island community.

Learn how you can stand in solidarity and help stop hate crimes against Asian Americans. Click here.

Kids Meet a Survivor of the Japanese Internment Camp. Watch here.

Readout of the Department of Justice's Efforts to Combat Hate Crimes Against Asian American and Pacific Island Communities.

Read McKinsey's COVID-19 and Advancing Asian American Recovery and learn about the impact of the pandemic on Asian American communities.

The Smithsonian's Asian Pacific American Center works toward educating on AAPI heritage. Learn about the Immigration History Initiative here.

Read PBS's How to address the Surge of Anti-Asian Hate Crimes

Interview: Actress Margaret Cho on why racism is a 'deep well of shame' for some Asian Americans. Watch here.

Introduced in the 1960s by publications such as The New York Times Magazine and U.S. News & World Report, watch a lesson on the exploration of the model minority myth.

Asian Americans health-care workers describe racist incidents | Voices from the Pandemic. Click here to watch.

'We're Tired' -- Jeremy Lin speaks on the rise of hate-fueled attacks on Asian American, Pacific Islander communities. Learn more.

How the 1982 Murder of Vincent Chin Fueled Asian Americans to Fight for Justice. Click here to learn more.

Learn about how today's actions build on a centuries-long tradition of Black and Asian American solidarity when it mattered the most.