Bystander Intervention Training to stop anti-Asian/American and xenophobic harassment

Free Bystander Intervention training to stop anti-Asian/American and xenophobic harassment in the wake of the coronavirus.

In response to the rise in Anti-Asian/American and xenophobic harassment, we at Hollaback! partnered with Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC to adapt our free bystander intervention training as well as offering a de-escalation training to meet this moment.

Unfortunately, anti-Asian and Asian American racism and xenophobia is not a new phenomenon. It has been part of American history for a long time, and we have seen it manifested against different Asian/American and Pacific Islander communities in many ways over the years. As the coronavirus pandemic escalates, we have seen more harassment, discrimination, and even violence directed at these communities. The Asian Americans Advancing Justice affiliation has been documenting hate crimes and hate incidents since 2017 at www.StandAgainstHatred.org, which is available in English, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese.

We would like to invite you to attend our free bystander intervention trainings:

We’ve had a tremendous demand for these trainings, and our first three trainings completely sold out. We’re adding a number of additional free trainings. Please note you must register in advance for all trainings. They will be capped at 1,000 people.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. The training is currently only offered in English but we are seeking funding to expand it into other languages.

Bystander intervention to stop anti-Asian/American harassment and xenophobia workshop description:


The one-hour, interactive training will teach you Hollaback!’s 5D’s of bystander intervention methodology. We’ll start by talking about the types of disrespect that Asian and Asian American folks are facing right now — from microaggressions to violence — using a tool we call the “spectrum of disrespect.” You’ll learn what to look for and the positive impact that bystander intervention has on individuals and communities. We’ll talk through five strategies for intervention: distract, delegate, document, delay, and direct; and how to prioritize your own safety while intervening. We’ll have time at the end for practice, and you’ll leave feeling more confident intervening the next time you see Anti-Asian/American harassment online or in person.

Training dates and times:
  • Thursday, May 21st at 7:00pm ET / 6:00pm CT / 5:00pm MT / 4:00pm PT / 1:00pm HST. Register Here.
  • Saturday, May 30th at 2:00pm ET / 1:00pm CT / 12:00pm MT / 11:00am PT / 8:00am HST. Register Here.
  • Wednesday, June 3rd at 2:00pm ET / 1:00pm CT / 12:00pm MT / 11:00am PT / 8:00am HST. Register Here.
  • Wednesday, June 10th at 4:00pm ET / 3:00pm CT / 2:00pm MT / 1:00pm PT / 10:00am HST. Register Here.
  • Thursday, June 18th at 7:00pm ET / 6:00pm CT / 5:00pm MT / 4:00pm PT / 1:00pm HST. Register Here.
  • Thursday, June 25th at 4:00pm ET / 3:00pm CT / 2:00pm MT / 1:00pm PT / 10:00am HST. Register Here.

Bystander intervention 2.0: conflict de-escalation training workshop description:

If you’ve already taken our Bystander Intervention training and you’re looking to go deeper into how to directly intervene and de-escalate conflict: this training is for you. Conflict de-escalation requires patience, a willingness to listen, and an ability to see the humanity in everyone, even those we don’t agree with or who seek to hurt us. Using Hollaback!’s Observe-Breathe-Connect methodology, we’ll learn how to identify potential conflict before it escalates using our “pyramid of escalation” and how to assess whether intervening is the right action for you. We’ll talk about specific biases that are increasing conflict, harassment, and violence during COVID19 — and the role of implicit and explicit bias in conflict. We’ll also learn how to connect with others by validating and de-escalating their feelings — even if we don’t understand them or agree with them.  We’ll have time at the end to practice using real-life scenarios.

Training dates and times:
  • Friday, May 22nd at 2:00pm ET / 1:00pm CT / 12:00pm MT / 11:00am PT / 8:00am HST Register Here.
  • Tuesday, May 26th at 2:00pm ET/ 1:00pm CT / 12:00pm MT / 11:00am PT / 8:00am HST Register Here.
  • Thursday, June 4th at 2:00pm ET/ 1:00pm CT / 12:00pm MT / 11:00am PT / 8:00am HST Register Here.
  • Thursday, June 11th at 7:00pm ET / 6:00pm CT / 5:00pm MT / 4:00pm PT / 1:00pm HST Register Here.
  • Thursday, June 18th at 2:00pm ET / 1:00pm CT / 12:00pm MT / 11:00am PT / 8:00am HST  Register Here.

Our goal:

These experiences of harassment build up over time for people, and harassment can chip away at a person and at a community. Together, we can contribute to sending the message that hate, including racism and xenophobia, is unacceptable in all of its forms.

Like much of the world, we are all still figuring out how this moment will change us. We will likely be changed in many ways, but we know at this moment we have a historic opportunity to shine a light and work to un-do harassment in Asian/American communities. Let’s seize this moment as we collectively work to stitch together the tattered fabric of ourselves, our relationships, our communities, and our country — into something more beautiful than any of us could imagine.

Want to learn more? See Hollaback!’s guide here which discusses the role bystanders can play, what privilege is, reasons why people don’t take action, and Hollaback! 5D’s of bystander intervention. Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC offers additional resources on their new COVID-19 page.

We are also offering training to help you in building resilience. For more information visit our Resilience training page.

Read What People Are Saying About This Training:

This training gave me new tools to support someone experiencing discrimination. I had always thought my only option was to directly engage with the aggressor, which was terrifying to me. To know I have a lot of other tools I can use will be very helpful.

Erin McIlraith, Oregon State University

I appreciate having clear and effective strategies that can be utilized immediately.

Hoi Ning Ngai, Bates Center for Purposeful Work

Before this training, I doubt I would’ve intervened for fear of making things worse, but now I’m confident that I’m equipped with the skills necessary to diffuse any situation I may encounter.

Blaizen B Bloom

Resources:

How you can help:

To support the expansion of this training, donate. All donations received between now and May 31, 2020 will be dedicated to providing this training to the individuals and communities most at risk.

Please see our financials and annual reports here. You may also find our privacy policy here.

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