FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 8, 2019
Contact: Jenna McDavid, National Director, Diverse Elders Coalition
646-653-5015

The Diverse Elders Coalition mourns the passing of so many lives over the weekend in El Paso, TX and Dayton, OH. The El Paso murders were apparently intended to target Latinos and immigrants by a white nationalist killer. The Diverse Elders Coalition, a coalition of six national organizations that advocate to improve aging in communities of color, American Indian/Alaska Native communities, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) communities, calls upon our nation’s leaders to deter and prevent any future racist incidents of domestic terrorism.

“Now is the time to demonstrate unequivocal opposition to the white nationalism that has devastated the health and wellbeing of Latino and immigrant communities across the United States,” said Dr. Yanira Cruz, President and CEO, National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA). “Our national leadership must stand up against dehumanizing policies that treat immigrants and potential immigrants as somehow less deserving of rights, protections, or humane treatment than U.S. citizens.”

“So many lives were cut short over this past weekend,” stated Larry Curley, Executive Director, National Indian Council on Aging (NICOA). “We want young people from our communities to have the option to live long, healthy lives and become Elders one day. We stand with the Latino and immigrant communities who were targeted by this attack. An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us.”

Michael Adams, Chief Executive Officer of SAGE, remarked: “SAGE joins our sister organizations in the Diverse Elders Coalition in condemning these heinous, violent acts of racism and domestic terrorism.  Many of our LGBT community members are Latinos and immigrants. In this time of rising violence and hate-filled rhetoric, some of it emanating from the highest levels of our government, it is time that individuals, organizations and communities who stand for justice and inclusion over hatred say – enough.”

The Diverse Elders Coalition and its six members are dedicated to improving the lives of diverse older adults across the United States and its territories. When our communities live in fear – or in poor physical and mental health because of a political climate that is hostile toward immigrants, LGBT people, and people who speak limited English – our work is that much more difficult. We ask our Federal, state, and local leadership to denounce these acts of violence that target our families and our communities as well as the hateful rhetoric that has led to the rise in violence against us.

National Asian Pacific Center on Aging (NAPCA)
National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA)
National Indian Council on Aging, Inc. (NICOA)
SAGE
Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC)

Founded in 2010, the Diverse Elders Coalition (DEC) advocates for policies and programs that improve aging in our communities as racially and ethnically diverse people; American Indians and Alaska Natives; and lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender (LGBT) people. Learn more at www.diverseelders.org.