Tag Archives: Anti-Asian

Take Action Against Anti-Asian Violence and Racism

Our network partners have worked In allyship and solidarity across marginalized groups and have continued to call on community members to report hate incidents, condemn anti-AAPI and racist sentiments, attend workshops and bystander intervention trainings, and call for greater accountability and policy responses from elected officials. Community groups and activists have also provided support systems and spaces for community members to reflect in the current moment, learn more about the long history of anti-Asian violence in the United States, as well as support those who have experienced hate themselves. Here are some ways you can take action against anti-Asian violence and racism:

Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Chicago is offering various Bystander Intervention Trainings each month. To combat the current rise in harassment and discrimination and to also proactively prepare for the future increase of hate incidents, Advancing Justice | Chicago is partnering with New York-based nonprofit Hollaback! and CAIR-Chicago to plan and implement an aggressive scaling up of locally-led bystander hate incident intervention trainings for community members.

Asian Americans United and VietLeadAdd Your Name: Joint Statement in Response to Recent Anti-Asian Violence! Our hearts go out to the Asian American youths who were harmed by racially motivated intimidation and violence on SEPTA. We recognize that they suffered real physical, mental, and emotional trauma, and that this harm is felt broadly across many in our communities. We know that increased policing and punitive measures will not break this cycle of violence and is not part of the vision for true safety that our communities continuously seek. Add your name to our petition to actually center our young people and ask: What does justice look like for them?https://secure.everyaction.com/ZtLzCsn_ikub0NarCatfEw2

Watch this Facebook live event from Cia Siab, Inc where community members learned how to effectively respond as a bystander and how to form a safety plan from some of the Cia Siab, Inc. staff. Members of the community can also continue to report hate incidents through Cia Siab, Inc’s Hate Incident Form at www.ciasiabinc.org/hateincidentreport.

Organizing to Protect Immigrants, Refugees, and TPS Holders

Our network partners have been advocating for immigrant and refugee rights and protections as they call for pathways for citizenship, organize against ICE, defend asylum, advocate to end deportations and incarceration in our communities, and work to free our community members from immigration jails, prisons, and detention facilities. Here are some of the most recent campaigns that you can take part in to protect our communities from these incidents of anti-Asian violence. 

Adhikaar has previously called upon Congress to act now to protect Nepali TPS holders and affirm immigrants by creating a concrete pathway to citizenship and permanent residency through legislation. Adhikaar launched a TPS redesignation campaign and needs your help! Nepal remains unsafe for return due to the continuing effects of the 2015 earthquake, ongoing and recent political instability, and the current impacts of COVID-19. Their campaign urges the Department of Homeland Security to redesignate Nepal for TPS, which could allow for 35k+ additional Nepalis to become eligible for TPS. Watch this video to understand why redesignation is so important and what you can do. Take action today by signing the petition to call Secretary Mayorkas to redesignate Nepal for TPS

Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW) – “In order to #StopAsianHate, we have to hold to account the way the government enacts anti-Asian violence through deportation. Anti-Asian violence isn’t just between individuals, it’s ingrained in how our country is governed. #seafreedom #stopseadeportation.” Join the Coalition of Asian American Leaders and their partners with the Southeast Asian Deportation Defense Network (SEADDN) in calling for urgent action to end the deportation of Southeast Asian families by signing this petition demanding that visa sanctions against Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos be removed. Sign this petition to demand that President Biden and DHS Secretary Mayorkas lift all visa sanctions

Southeast Asian Freedom Network – SEAFN has worked to lift up the stories of community members who were targeted unjustly by the immigration legal system. Detention and deportation is anti-Asian violence. The Southeast Asian immigrants facing deportation have families, communities, lives ahead of them. They do not deserve to have their lives upended by an unjust immigration system. Join these organizations and pledge to support the end of Southeast Asian Deportation: http://bit.ly/seafreedom. You can also share their toolkit: https://bit.ly/seafreedomtoolkit. We cannot stop until deportations are ended entirely for Southeast Asian immigrants and refugees.

Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Atlanta The Biden administration plans to expand Folkston ICE Processing Center, making Georgia the private prison capital of the U.S. We stand firm with 20 other organizations to demand an immediate halt to all plans to expand! #AbolishICE #ShutDownFolkston #CommunitiesNotCages Read the full press release here: https://drive.google.com/…/1mLiIefWe7GUDndK3jUKy1b…/view

Southeast Asian Freedom Network – SEAFN – Phoeun You, is a 47-year-old Cambodian refugee and crisis counselor from Long Beach, CA. After serving over 25 years in and being found suitable for parole, Phoeun deserves to be reunited with his family! Not transferred to ICE detention! His leadership and hard work has been overlooked because he is a refugee. #StopICEtranfers to #ProtectPhoeun and support #VISIONAct. Use this Toolkit: bit.ly/ProtectPhoeun

Calling on Biden to End the China Initiative

NBC ASIAN AMERICA: “Asian American groups call on Biden to end controversial China Initiative Advocates say the Trump-era national security program to address Chinese economic espionage unfairly targets ethnic Chinese scientists and harms their families.

“Over the past year, Asian American advocacy groups have increased pressure on the Biden administration to end the initiative, which they say unfairly targets ethnic Chinese scientists and brings emotional and financial harm to their families. 

“’The China Initiative impacts Americans, permanent residents, immigrants, international students and visiting scholars,’ said Gisela Kusakawa, a staff attorney for the civil rights group Asian Americans Advancing Justice, or AAAJ. ‘It’s based on the premise that all scientists of Chinese descent or [who] have connections to China should be treated with suspicion.’ A year ago, AAAJ launched the Anti-Racial Profiling Project to persuade lawmakers to end the China Initiative and assist people targeted by the Justice Department. The group has provided legal and advocacy support to more than 70 academics, many of whom lost their jobs.

“Thu Nguyen, the executive director of OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates, a nonprofit advocacy group, said the program has created a climate of fear that could trigger a brain drain in academia. The growing threat of racial profiling in the U.S., she said, has already pushed some talented scientists to look for jobs back in China. The China Initiative, she said, affects not only professors and working scientists but also students, many of whom may hesitate to apply for scholarships or pursue careers in science and technology out of fear of prosecution. In recent months, OCA has been lobbying lawmakers to end the program. In November, the group visited senators and mobilized chapter members to speak out about the issues at legislative sessions.”

Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC: On May 29, 2020, six armed FBI agents raided Professor Shaorong Liu’s home, interrogated him and his wife, and arrested them. Professor Liu, who teaches at the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry of the University of Oklahoma, and his wife were charged with stealing years of research funding, even though they did the research, resulting in over a dozen academic articles and a U.S. Patent.In our latest blog, hear from Professor Liu’s daughter, Di Liu, about the devastating impact being targeted by the government’s racial bias and profiling through the “China Initiative” had on her family.”My parents have lived here in the U.S. for most of their lives. They are proud American citizens. They are not spies. They are academics who have committed their lives to improving life for everyone. Why has this man-made tragedy been forced upon them? What have they done to deserve the scorn, rather than protection of their own government?”Read the full blog here: bit.ly/diliublog. #StopProfilingUs

Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC: A new study shows that over 50% of scientists of Chinese descent working in the U.S., regardless of citizenship, fear they are under surveillance by the U.S. government. Read our Anti-Racial Profiling Project Intern Alex Liang’s latest on the reverberating effects of the “China Initiative” within the scientific community, and the dangers of it coming at a time when the pandemic and climate change have become predominant threats to Americans’ health and prosperity.

Why Ending the Justice Department’s “China Initiative” is Vital to U.S. Security

Stop AAPI Hate Leaders Named to TIME’s Annual TIME100 List of the 100 Most Influential People in the World

Statement: Stop AAPI Hate Leaders Named to TIME’s Annual TIME100 List of the 100 Most Influential People in the World

September 15, 2021 — TIME has named Stop AAPI Hate co-founders, Cynthia Choi, Manjusha Kulkarni and Russell Jeung to the 2021 TIME100 annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

“It is a great honor to be recognized for this award among this list of influential leaders,“ said Manjusha Kulkarni, co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate and executive director of Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council. “This work would not be possible without the bravery and strength of our respondents and the AAPI community at large, and we want to thank them for their willingness to speak out against injustice. This award is a testament to the fact that our advocacy work is being valued, and it validates our fight against Anti-Asian hate.”

The full list and related tributes appear in the  Sept. 27 / Oct. 4 issue of TIME, available on newsstands on Friday, Sept. 17, and now at time.com/time100. The list, now in its eighteenth year, recognizes the impact, innovation and achievement of the world’s most influential individuals.

In March 2020, the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council (A3PCON), Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA), and the Asian American Studies Department of San Francisco State University launched the Stop AAPI Hate coalition in response to the alarming escalation in xenophobia and bigotry resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The coalition is renowned for being the leading aggregator of anti-Asian and anti-Pacific Islander hate incidents, ensuring the AAPI community is not being ignored and advocating on its behalf by providing technical assistance, from rapid response to preventative measures and supporting restorative justice efforts.

“We hope any attention received through this incredible honor sheds light on the issues still at hand,” said Russell Jeung, Ph.D., co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate and professor of Asian American Studies at San Francisco State University. “Since we began tracking data, the reports we receive show a sustained, devastatingly high number of racist attacks against Asian Americans. 2,478 reports were made to our center between April and June 2021, bringing the total number of incident reports to 9,081 since we started collecting data in March 2020.”

“This award encourages us that our work is far from over,” said Cynthia Choi, co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate and co-executive director of Chinese for Affirmative Action. “As anti-Asian hate incidents reach an all-time high, we must continue to hold our leaders accountable and fight for more holistic solutions to combating hate in schools, workplaces and places of business. We need to invest in education, community led safety initiatives that address immediate harm and address root causes, know your rights campaigns, and legislation that reinforces human rights and civil rights protections for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States.”

Follow @TIME for updates about the list on Twitter and Instagram and at Facebook.com/TIME.

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TIME.COM: “In a turbulent year, as the U.S. has seen a surge in racist, anti-Asian attacks—from terrifying assaults on senior citizens to the tragic mass shooting in Atlanta—no coalition has been more impactful in raising awareness of this violence than Stop AAPI Hate. Since its start, the organization has logged more than 9,000 anti-Asian acts of hate, harassment, discrimination and assault across the country.”

“San Francisco State University professor Russell Jeung, who had been an East Oakland, Calif., organizer for Cambodian and Latino youths since the ’90s, founded Stop AAPI Hate in March 2020 with veteran activists Cynthia Choi, co–executive director of Chinese for Affirmative Action, and Manjusha P. Kulkarni, executive director of the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council. They created a place where Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders could file firsthand accounts of racism they had experienced—the types of incidents that have long haunted our communities but gone unreported by government agencies and the media and unnoticed by others.”

“Stop AAPI Hate has become not only an invaluable resource for the public to understand the realities of anti-Asian racism, but also a major platform for finding community-based solutions to combat hate. And its leaders have locked arms with other BIPOC organizations to find restorative justice measures so that civil rights—for all vulnerable groups—receive the protection they deserve.”

View the TIMES.com article here

 

 

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A post shared by StopAAPIHate (@stopaapihate)

 

 

Biden Signs COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act

Thursday, May 20, 2021

Statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland on the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland made the following statement after President Biden’s signing of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act into law:

“Today’s bill signing is an important step toward protecting everyone in our country from acts of hate and intolerance.

“We have seen a substantial rise in hate crimes and bias-related incidents against the Asian-American and Pacific Islander community since the beginning of the pandemic.

“This new law will help speed our response to hate crimes and provide resources to law enforcement to improve hate crime reporting. The law will assist law enforcement in targeting its efforts, which will help to prevent these devastating crimes and to respond efficiently and effectively to crimes, when they occur.

“The Department of Justice is proud to play a central role in implementing this legislation. Investigating and prosecuting hate crimes is a top priority, deeply rooted in the department’s founding. We will use the new law to enhance the aggressive measures we are taking to combat crime motivated by bigotry and discrimination.”

Press Release Number:
Updated May 20, 2021

SEAFN: Tell VICE and Matt Loughrey to STOP

These are our demands for VICE News, Loughrey, and McPhail:

  • Matt Loughrey must immediately stop this project, discontinue all plans to exhibit them, and remove all images from digital media.
  • Matt Loughrey and his business must give all proceeds and profits made from the photos to historical preservation efforts in Cambodia like the Tuol Sleng Museum, the Document Center of Cambodia, and the Bophana Center.
  • VICE News must not only take down the article, but issue an apology to the public and to the Cambodian people.
  • VICE News must work with community organizations to publish a series of articles and videos about issues directly impacting our communities – such as Southeast Asian deportations and detentions, all the ways our communities are building community and power in our healing, and more.

We request a meeting with the editors of VICE to address more of our concerns.

Sign on to this petition to demand VICE News, Loughrey and McPhail end their anti-Asian violence now.

“No one gets to tell us we are human. We were human before you waged war on our countries. We don’t need white supremacy to humanize us, we need them to hold their governments accountable for their atrocities in Southeast Asia and many other countries around the world. We continue to be displaced, we continue to be separated by deportation. They don’t get to kill us and then re-traumatize us over and over again. This is anti Asian violence and it is cruel. And this stops now.” – Chhaya Chhoum, SEAFN co-founder and Mekong NYC director.

Bystander Intervention 101

You have the power to stop identity-based bigotry and harassment. Learn more at a FREE virtual bystander intervention training. This FREE 1.5-hour, interactive training in partnership with Houston Coalition Against Hate teaches Hollaback!’s 5D’s of bystander intervention methodology.

Click this link to register!

Action Alert: Sign Constituent Letter of Support for HF 1691/ SF 2003

 

Our government must pass bold reforms that address this issue so we can accurately count and combat hate in our state. Communities Combating Hate have momentum to make system-wide change to better combat hate in MN. On 3/26/2021, HF 1691 passed out of it’s second MN House committee!

HF 1691/SF 2003 would:

1. Close loopholes that misclassify hateful incidents.

2. Allow victims to report hate incidents to non-law enforcement entities, like community organizations and the MN Department of Human Rights.

3. Provide support for the victims of hate crimes.

Take Action Now by contacting your representatives to take immediate action to combat hate in Minnesota.

In case you missed the press conference with AAL to pass this legislation in MN:

 

 

You, Me & White Supremacy Continues: MARCH 10-APRIL 7

4-part webinar series will touch on the anti-Asian violence that has been in recent news, as well as the longstanding history of sinophobia in the United States that has allowed for this escalation. We will also be doing a brief bystander intervention training that will allow participants to walk away from this webinar with some information about de-escalation and non-carceral options for communities to explore when harm or violence does occur.

Register for the event.

Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW)

AARW, APIs CAN – Asian Pacific Islanders Civic Action Network, and our partners and allies and enraged, devastated, and committed to organizing for long-term community safety.

Full statement text here.

Register for the town hall next week here.