We have all been just devastated by the increase in hate crimes against the AAPI community. Even if you’ve avoided the horrific videos, from Atlanta to San Francisco to NYC, surely by now you’ve seen the #StopAsianHate social media posts and hashtags. In 2020 alone, there was a 200% increase in hate crimes against Asian-Americans in the US, and seniors are being assaulted at a higher rate than the rest of the population.
As a human, I find it horrific to witness. As the mother of an Asian-American child, I find it terrifying on a deeply personal level.
Here at Cool Mom Picks, we’re always seeking out ways to help and we’ve just identified a fantastic new initiative taking place this week: The Create to Stop Hate Instagram auction benefitting Stop AAPI Hate, running now through April 10.
This online auction is full of exquisite goods made by Asian-American and Pacific Islander artists, and I want every single one.
Related: We love this jewelry supporting AAPI communities
You can bid on this asymmetrical t-shirt dress by Aloha Picnic in the Create to Stop Hate auction.
Each day, new items (and the bidding deadline for each) are announced via Instagram, ranging from a modern hand-thrown coffee mug from Tome Ceramics to a quirky little take-out box-inspired lamp by Sei Shimura at Sey x Yes, that I 100% want for my daughter’s bedroom.
There’s a signed copy of Ocean Vuong’s On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous that just went up, and if you’ve got a BTS fan at home with a big birthday coming up, consider bidding on the photographs of several BTS members, signed by the photographer, Peter Yang.
There’s coffee from Mostra Coffee to go with that cool mug, and essential oils from Pink Moon to help you focus on some self-care too.
Overall, it’s such a cool collection of items, and I’m so glad to have found it, especially as a way of getting to know more new-to-me AAPI artists and makers.
Related: What you can do to fight anti-Asian racism and xenophobia
Bid on this takeout-inspired lamp by artist Sei Shimura at Create to Stop Hate’s online auction
Prices are pretty good — but hey, bid high. It’s for a great cause. In fact, even if you aren’t able to win one of these items, you can still donate to Create to Stop Hate, to help track and report incidents of anti-AAPI discrimination.
This is not their first batch of items up for auction, and I doubt it will be their last. Follow Create to Stop Hate on Instagram right now so you don’t miss their updates, and be sure to also follow all these amazing artists who are donating to such an important cause.
