Statement of Solidarity with the Asian American and Pacific Islander Communities

In light of the recent horrific and deadly attacks in Atlanta, GA, the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP), Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges (AANMC), and Naturopathic Medical Student Association (NMSA) reiterate our unwavering stance against racism, xenophobic rhetoric, and misinformation around the pandemic. We fervently condemn the recent, devastating, and targeted assaults in Georgia, which appear to have been racially motivated and left 8 people dead. We believe that health and wellness are unequivocal human rights and we recognize that our country is once again facing the reality that these rights have not been extended to all of its citizens.

The AANP, AANMC, and NMSA support and stand in solidarity with Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) in the fight for these rights. Systemic racism towards and imprisonment of Asian peoples is significant in American history and cannot be ignored. Furthermore, we acknowledge the monumental emotional distress and trauma caused by anti-Asian violence and hateful rhetoric the AAPI community continues to endure. According to a 2020 Pew Research Center survey, 31 percent of Asian Americans reported having experienced an increase in racial slurs or racist jokes since the beginning of the pandemic. This conduct is unacceptable, and can not and will not be tolerated in our community.

The naturopathic medicine profession has a long history of learning from and honoring the medical knowledge gleaned from traditional Chinese and Asian medicine. We remain firm in our oath of “First Do No Harm,” which includes standing up and speaking out against systemic and institutional racism and the injustice and rampant, persistent discrimination that the AAPI community continues to face.