Sacramento Councilwoman Announces Plan to Fight Anti-Asian Hate Crimes
Sacramento councilwoman Mai Vang is pushing back against the recent surge of anti-Asian hate crimes with a resolution.Sacramentans reported a total of 57 hate crimes in the previous year, eight of which were specifically anti-Asian.These figures saw a new addition on Feb. 22 after someone left a dead cat in the parking lot of a Chinese American-owned butcher shop.The incident, which was caught on camera, is being investigated as a hate crime.
During a news conference on Tuesday, Vang announced her plans to introduce a resolution that would condemn anti-Asian hate and establish strategies to keep the Asian American community safe.“I want to affirm to our Asian American community, our businesses, our families, our elders, that you are not alone. We are not alone, and we are here together to say we will not be targets of any form of hate,” Vang said, according to the Sacramento Bee.The councilwoman also urged the city to help the Asian American community with appropriate data collection. It is believed that many incidents across the country have gone unreported.“When you have a society that doesn’t acknowledge the harm and trauma of Asian American experience, then what ends up happening is that you create a climate that excuses hateful acts,” Vang added.
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The conference was held outside Mad Butcher Meat Company, a butcher shop that was victimized last month. Owner Kelly Shum, who has endured discrimination for years, said seeing the dead cat was the final straw. “I felt sick. It’s disgusting and so dehumanizing,” Shum told KCRA. “My entire life, even from elementary school, there was always this idea that Chinese people eat cats and dogs. Now, that’s suddenly the stereotype for all Chinese people.” Last week, a Grant Union High School teacher also made headlines after making a "slant eye" gesture while running an online class. “What seems like harmless gestures … is an invitation to target and attack Asian Americans without consequences,” said Sacramento API Regional Network co-director Lee Lo, who attended the conference.
Officially proposing my resolution against Anti-Asian hate tonight.
This may be a symbolic gesture — but it symbolizes a growing coalition of community members, faith leaders, elected officials, and folx from every background coming together to #StopAAPIHate. Let’s do better. — Councilmember Mai Vang (@CMMaiVang) March 3, 2021
If the resolution passes, Sacramento will follow in the footsteps of Woodland and Yolo County, which passed their own legislation against anti-Asian hate. “You attack the Asian Pacific Islander community, you attack all of us,” declared Darrell Steinberg, Sacramento's current mayor. Do you have a hate incident to report? Help us document the recent rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans by going to STOP AAPI HATE to report an incident. Please stay safe out there. Feature Images via Mad Butcher Meat Company
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