For Immediate Release
February 14, 2021
SAN DIEGO, CA – February 14, 2021- Californians for Equal Rights (CFER) and Silicon Valley Chinese Association Foundation (SVCAF) jointly condemn the recent surge of anti-Asian hate crimes in California’s Bay Area communities and urge the upholding of the equal protection principle to combat racial discrimination.
In recent weeks, racially motivated violence has victimized over a dozen of elderly Asian-American residents in San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose. Many of these senseless crimes were committed by disengaged minority youth from underprivileged communities. Sadly, these assailants targeted vulnerable seniors who are also economically disadvantaged. The string of unfortunate events amplifies the disastrous consequences of racial tribalism and divisions.
“SVCA foundation condemns the recent violence against the Asian community. We are extremely concerned about the deterioration of community safety in recent years and the insidious policy of racial division, which has underlined these racially motivated attacks,” commented Jason Xu, SVCAF’s President, “We urge all community groups, lawmakers, and elected officers to work together to improve public safety!”
“Painful tribalism is rooted in our society’s growing tendency to pit groups against each other on the basis of race, sex, ethnicity, or color,” said Frank Xu, CFER’s President, “Concerning movements in public education including the sweeping introduction of critical ethnic studies will only exacerbate our racial divisions.”
Hate crimes against Americans of Asian Descent are rising, constituting a concerning trend. According to data from the San Diego District Attorney’s Office, among all identified hate crimes in 2021 so far, 25% of them targeted Americans of Asian Descent, as compared with 10% in 2020 and 0% in 2019 and 2018.
Neither symbolic proclamation nor one-sided partisan condemnation serves any purpose in alleviating violence and discrimination targeting Americans of Asian descent. Such hypocritical remarks, as exemplified in the AAPI Legislative Caucus’s statement, only inflame social tensions and shift the blame away from true policy failures plaguing our communities.
We must transcend our political and racial divisions to strive a fair and honest process to advance equal treatment. This unifying principle of equality and non-discrimination underscores practical and long-term policy solutions to improve public safety and revive our diverse communities.
Contact:
Wenyuan Wu
wenyuan.wu@cferfoundation.org
(786) 393-8028
About Californians for Equal Rights (CFER): CFER is a non-partisan and non-profit organization established following the defeat of Proposition 16 in 2020, with a mission to defend and raise public awareness on the cause of equal rights through public education, civic engagement and community outreach. In 1996, California became the first U.S. state to amend its constitution by passing Proposition 209 to ban racial discrimination and preferences. Prop 209 requires that “the state shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting.” CFER is dedicated to educating the public on this important constitutional principle of equal treatment. www.Cferfoundation.org.
About Silicon Valley Chinese Association Foundation (SVCAF): SVCAF is a nonprofit grassroot organization working to promote the involvement of Chinese communities in public affairs and public policy in the United States. As an integral part of the Chinese communities in Northern California and with strong ties across the United States, SVCAF is making meaningful progress in providing education to the Chinese communities on the legal and political systems in California and the nation. SVCAF is also encouraging active civil engagement and political participation by the Chinese communities, while actively promoting recognition and respect of their contributions. www.svcaf.org/.
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