Gun manufacturers have created a cycle of violence and fear that they benefit off while harming our Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.
On one end, the gun industry profits off arming racist and anti-Asian extremists with deadly weapons. On the other end, the gun industry chases profits by blatantly exploiting fear within AAPI, Latino, and Black communities to market gun purchases as a safety solution. Specifically, the gun industry uses Asian Americans’ fear of hate-driven violence - which their industry has facilitated - to market guns and ammunition to AAPIs. But increased gun ownership comes with deadly consequences for AAPIs - especially our young people.
Mass shootings like what we saw in Atlanta and Monterey Park have created distress in our community. Our Corporate Accountability Campaign has one simple demand: for Wells Fargo to stop financing the gun industry.
AAPI Victory Alliance, in partnership with Newtown Action Alliance, Moms Rising, Chinese for Affirmative Action, and Hope and Heal Fund, hosted the second annual convening of the AAPI Against Gun Violence Coalition on June 20-21, 2023 in Washington, DC.
March 17, 2023:
AAPI Victory Alliance sent a letter to the CEO of Wells Fargo Bank demanding that Wells Fargo stop financing the gun industry.
April 16, 2023
AAPI Victory Alliance and March For Our Lives hosted a rally in San Francisco. You can watch and listen about the rally here.
April 24, 2023
AAPI Victory Alliance sent a follow up letter to the CEO of Wells Fargo Bank to inform them about this campaign.
AAPIs AGAINST GUN VIOLENCE RALLY
AAPI Victory Alliance and March For Our Lives hosted a gun violence prevention rally and march near the Wells Fargo headquarters to show community solidarity and pressure corporations to stop financing the gun industry.
The rally featured the AAPI Victory Alliance and several gun violence prevention groups and leaders as we called on Wells Fargo and other financial institutions to stop funding the gun industry, showing community solidarity and pressure corporations to stop financing an industry whose profiteering has robbed too many lives. Read more about our rally:
San Francisco Chronicle: As AAPI political power grows, leaders want to tackle gun violence
America Bazaar: AAPI holds gun violence prevention rally in San Francisco
ABC News: San Francisco AAPI community rallies, calling out banks supporting gun manufacturers
KCBS Radio: Gun control advocates rally at an SF Wells Fargo with anti-NRA message
AAPI VICTORY ALLIANCE VIRTUAL PANELS
THE DATA IS CLEAR: GUNS DON’T MAKE US SAFER!
Risk of accidental death, injury and suicides increase when guns are in the home. According to an Everytown study in 2022, there has been a 168% increase in firearm suicide among young AAPIs in the last decade – the biggest increase out of all demographic groups. It is so surprise that the rate of AAPI ownership is now at its highest level.
84% of Asian Americans and 74% of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders worry about being victims of mass shootings.
IS YOUR BANK LOADED?
In the fall of 2018, Guns Down America researched the links between the gun industry and the top 15 consumer-facing banks (by consolidated assets) in the United States.
The research reviewed media archives, Securities and Exchange Commission records, campaign finance reports, and internet sources from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2018 in order to identify relationships and examples of mutual support between the banks, the gun industry, the NRA, and NRA-backed members of Congress.
The campaign grades the banks a 100-point scale, calculated by weighing how each bank compares with its competitors.