The Board of the Council of Professional Geropsychology Training Programs (CoPGTP) has long been outraged by the increase in racism, xenophobia, and violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islander (AAPI) older adults. As Geropsychologists, we work with older adults who have borne the burden of systemic oppression and systematic hate and violence. While Indigenous, Black, Brown, LGBTQ, disability, and religious minority communities have been the target from the start, other groups have experienced these forms of oppression, persecution, cultural erasure, and dehumanization at multiple points in our nation’s history. The violence perpetrated against AAPI older adults and the ongoing brutality facing our Black, Brown and intersectional trans communities are the manifestations of these toxic systems that continue affecting families, communities and generations to come. In light of the violent events that punctuated this past year, including the murder of George Floyd and the Atlanta shootings targeting Asian American women, we in CoPGTP felt a need to speak out against systemic hate.

Geropsychology is a field that serves, values, and advocates for older adults. As a result, we cannot in good conscience remain silent in the face of this continued violence. We see the toll of such violence in the lives of the diverse older adults we serve and are acutely aware of how trauma can impact people across the lifespan and even across generations. However, we also witness the strengths and resiliency of these individuals, many of whom have survived under constant surveillance, the threat of violence and/or deportation, and have navigated racist, ableist and xenophobic policies throughout their lives.

During times of extreme duress and collective grief, we must not turn on each other nor turn away from the harm being perpetrated. We must come together to recognize our shared humanity, speak out against hate, push through our discomfort, and listen closely to hear the needs of our aging communities. Now is the time to find our voice and, more importantly, to amplify the voices and the needs of those rarely heard. While society at large continues working to address systemic societal problems, we can simultaneously examine our own discipline more closely. We at the Council of Professional Geropsychology Training Programs are committed to doing this work in order to empower current and future generations of Geropsychologists to serve aging communities with dignity, humility, and deep compassion for their lived experiences.