STOP AAPI Hate has created a petition, written with Eisenberg & Baum, LLP Partner Juyoun Han, Esq. and Intern Patrick K. Lin, to end Asian hate crimes and discrimination in New York City.

SIGN THE PETITION: End Asian Hate Crimes and Discrimination (NYC)

“I didn’t like the way he looked at me. . . . If he dies, he dies.” A 36-year-old man was stabbed with an 8-inch knife while walking in New York City’s Chinatown. The victim remains in critical condition.

The Facts:

• Between March and December last year, the organization Stop Asian American and Pacific Islander Hate recorded nearly 3,000 reports of anti-Asian hate incidents nationwide.
• The NYPD also reported a 1,900% increase in anti-Asian hate crimes last year.

Our Demands:

• We Demand Manhattan DA to pursue investigations with the possibility of bringing additional charges of a hate crime: When the motive involves targeting someone because of race, it becomes a hate crime. As such, we call for an immediate and committed investigation.
• We Demand Local and State Government to Commit Funds to Asian Community Groups to Combat Anti-Asian Racism: In California, the state government committed $1.4 million to help Asian Americans report hate incidents and track attacks against Asians. The Asian Community, grass roots movements, and community level Institutions should be financially backed to detect, report, and support the needs of individual members.
• The Public Should Not be Misled by Rhetoric Pitting Minority Communities Against One Another: The battle we must fight is not between the victim’s community versus the accused suspect’s community. It is a battle between everyone versus racism. Throughout American history, the foundations of civil rights were solidified and advanced by movements led by many Black community members.
• Stop the Gaslighting: The model minority myth is a form of unwelcome gaslighting rooted in stereotypes. It perpetuates a characterization of Asian Americans as a polite, law-abiding group who should be content with pull-yourselves-up-by-your-bootstraps immigrant striving. Thus, this mentality deters Asians from speaking up, engaging in public discourse, and fighting for Asian rights. The model minority myth is a falsehood conjured for the purpose of oppressing and subduing Asian voices.
• We demand that the Governor, Mayor, Human Rights Commission/Task Force, Public Advocate, Department of Education, EEOC, Attorney General regularly meet with local community organizations, PTAs, School boards, Workers’ Unions, and advocacy groups.
• We demand that there be public forums, education and training across sectors to detect instances of harassment, cyberbullying, and bias experienced by Asian Community members, and find ways to support those impacted through economic, legal, and political means.

Further Reading:

• Stop Asian American and Pacific Islander Hate (STOPAAPIHATE.org)
• Rise Justice Labs (RiseNow.us)
• Minkwon Center for Community Action (Minkwon.Org)
• Hate Crimes Against Asian-Americans: Community Targeted in Nearly 3,800 Hate Incidents in Past Year (New York Times)
• Study Shows Rise of Hate Crimes, Violence Against Asian Americans During the Pandemic (NBC New York)
• California allocates $1.4 million to track and stop attacks against Asian Americans (CNN)