NYPH statement on anti-AAPI violence and institutional racism

Posted by Andreas Benzing , April 7, 2021 - Industry News, Policy

The recent violence targeting Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders is simply unacceptable. Sadly, it is only the latest manifestation of the destructive force on our communities of institutional racism. As design, engineering, and construction professionals, whose work is to create homes, offices, and communities that enhance human dignity and comfort, we have an obligation to speak up for civil rights and to act to dismantle systemic racism. New York Passive House therefore pledges to take action to root out institutional racism wherever it grows. We ask all our members to join us in our strong commitment to centering inclusion in professional practice and championing climate justice in our high-performance architecture and engineering field.As an immediate action, the Board of Directors calls on the NYPH membership to help operationalize NYPH’s commitment to inclusion, equity, and diversity through active participation in a new working group in formation.We also recognize that our colleagues who identify as AAPI are deeply affected, not only by anti-Asian violence, but also by the sense of responsibility they may feel today to explain the social constructs (model minority myth, etc.) endemic to the AAPI experience. We ask our members to consider deeply how to be supportive allies to our AAPI-identifying colleagues.Passive House is an open-source idea that seeks to benefit all people. It is up to all of us to come together to create a better world of fairness, equity and kindness, and to strike down every sign of institutional racism.New York Passive House Board of Directors***