Stop Asian Hate

The news of the rise of hate crimes against the Asian-American community has been sad and concerning to listen to, including here in the Bay Area. We’ve all watched with horror these last few days, as the news of the shootings in Atlanta have unfolded.

As a native Korean who moved to this country in 2016, America has been my adopted country for many years now. My co-founders and I moved the headquarters of Sendbird to the U.S. and began a life here. While there is always a feeling of separation and sometimes alienation when one leaves their home country to live abroad, America’s value of embracing diversity and giving opportunity to people from all backgrounds made the transition easier. In the years since, we’ve built not just the business, but our lives here, sending our children to local schools, embracing local friends, and becoming a part of the community. That makes it especially saddening to see so much hate and intolerance rise up in a country that is envied across the world as a true melting pot and meritocracy of ideas.

As a company with employees in six countries across three continents, we knew early on that our success depended not just on hiring talented individuals, but creating a culture where diverse ideas, cultures, and experiences could meld together and thrive. That’s why we made global citizenship one of our seven core values. We strive to live up to that value every day, in the way we hire, we build, and we grow.

My heart goes out to all victims, families, and those affected by the hate-fueled violence against Asians and Asian-Americans over not just the last few days, but sadly, weeks and months. I know every Sendbirdian in their words, actions, and in their hearts, strongly rejects these acts. I hope and pray that through universal condemnation and rejection of hate and violence, and through a message of tolerance and respect, we can come together, across cultures, to work towards building a stronger community that affords safety and respect for all.