We support the Asian American and Pacific Islander community

Following a year of xenophobic rhetoric and racist attacks amid the pandemic, Asian Americans have faced racist violence at a much higher rate than ever before. Last year, reported hate crimes against Asian Americans rose by 150%. Many of these, specifically against the elderly and Asian-owned businesses, have occurred in our own communities.

And while we see anti-Asian violence happening nationwide, the appalling uptick in recent attacks has been particularly focused in the Bay Area. We watched in horror and disbelief as 84-year-old Vicha Ratanapakdee was shoved to the ground while taking his morning walk in San Francisco and subsequently died of his injuries.

The senseless violence continued this week in Atlanta when a gunman targeted three massage parlors to carry out the senseless murder of 8 people, including 6 Asian Americans. This act, which can only be described as domestic terrorism, adds to the horrifying count of recent and unprovoked attacks.

We are heartbroken and angered by these continued acts of injustice and violence against the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. They are not just individual acts of hatred, but rather more evidence of deep-seated, systemic racism. Over the past few weeks, we’ve given our employees space to grieve and process these devastating events, but we recognize that we have the opportunity and responsibility to do more—and to be active contributors to the solution. Zendesk proudly stands with the AAPI community against racism, xenophobia, and all forms of discrimination. We cannot and will not be silent.

What we’re doing now

Last year, in the wake of the police brutality that led to the Black Lives Matter movement, and to acknowledge the deep and lasting impacts of institutionalized racism in America, we committed to taking sustained and concrete action as an anti-racist organization. However, being anti-racist means acknowledging the varying forms of racism and prejudice that multiple identities experience. Zendesk will continue to expand on these efforts to drive support for the AAPI community.

Here are some of the actions and resources we are currently making available to our employees and the wider community.

• Support for our employees in critical moments

  
  Last week, we hosted an Empathy Circle focused on xenophobia, racism, and violence against the AAPI community. We are also encouraging our employees to make use of the resources available to them, including a Combating Anti-Asian Racism Community Circle from Modern Health, our Employee Assistance Program, and access to mental health specialists. Our “Take what you need” time-off philosophy includes making space and time for employees to grieve and heal in their own way.

• Ongoing investments in global diversity, equity, and inclusion

  
  Last year, we published a formal Global Equity Policy to employees: A zero-tolerance stand against racist and discriminatory behaviors in the workplace. We believe that fostering belonging is the responsibility of all our employees and, by formalizing this policy, we’ve taken a concrete step in building a culture of respect and accountability.
  In 2020, 89% of our people managers completed Equity, Justice, and Allyship training focused on racism and privilege. This year, we are continuing to invest in ongoing education that will ensure our people managers are equipped to handle and support these difficult and important conversations with their teams and colleagues.

• Corporate giving

  
  In addition to our ongoing Social Impact commitments, the Zendesk Neighbor Foundation will distribute a $500,000 grant to organizations that support the AAPI community.

I want to reiterate the statement I shared in June 2020, that we are on a journey to do and be better. While we continue to make these important steps, we know there is still a long way to go, and we cannot overcome centuries of systemic global social injustice alone. Thank you to our employees, partners, and customers for being on this path with us and helping us all to strive to be better.