Dear ADTA Community,

The ADTA is aware of the growing stereotyping and aggression targeting Asian and Asian-Americans as the COVID-19 virus is up-front in our society and fears abound. As public officials continue to refer to this unprecedented epidemic as the “Chinese virus” we see how easily fear can lead to xenophobia and targeting people who look different. Please watch this video,  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRDXsH8p4mk , or refer to the “List of incidents of xenophobia and racism related to the 2019-20 coronavirus pandemic” to see how pervasive and stigmatizing this behavior is to the Asian community.
 
We are reminding our members that the section of our Code of Ethics, cited below, calls for us to address such targeting. Promoting social justice to help create a just society requires us to confront privilege and racism with truth and equity. We raise our voice to support our Asian and Asian-American members and Asians around the world who are confronted by this racism and aggression. Such racism is intolerable in a world where global humanity is challenged more and more to cooperate in order to grow and thrive and, in some circumstances, just to survive.
 
We send energy of love and healing to all our members, their family and friends and to everyone suffering from COVID-19 and its subsequent sequelae.
ADTA Code of Ethics
 
6.0 Advocacy and Promotion of Social Justice
 
Dance/movement therapists promote social justice with a recognition that a just society contributes to individual, family, and community health. (See 2.3. Multicultural Competence)
 
6.0. a. Dance/movement therapists cultivate awareness of and address oppression and disparities in power and privilege, resulting in barriers to wellness, at individual, institutional, and societal levels. Dance/movement therapists advocate for equitable access to services and culturally competent care.



  Margaret Migliorati, ADTA President




Paul Sevett, ADTA President Elect