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TIMESLEDGER | QNS.6 COM | MARCH 13-MARCH 19, 2020
City lawmakers unite to call for
solidarity as attacks increase
against Asian Americans
(From l. to r.) City Councilman Donovan Richards, State Assemblyman Rodneyse
Bichotte, State Senator John Liu, State Assemblymen Ron Kim, Clyde Vanel and
Congresswoman Grace Meng address the rise in incidents involving bias, violence
and potential hate crimes against the Asian-American community amid the coronavirus
outbreak. Photo by Dean Moses
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
Local lawmakers are standing in
solidarity with the Asian American
community as extreme anti-Asian xenophobia
is on the rise across the city
following the global coronavirus outbreak.
State Assemblyman Ron Kim was
joined Monday by Assembly members
Yuh-Line Niou, Rodneyse Bichotte and
Clyde Vanel, Senator John Liu, Congresswoman
Grace Meng, Councilman
Donovan Richards, and a representative
from Public Advocate Jumaane
Williams’ office.
Kim and his colleagues denounced
the rising tensions and targeting of
Asian Americans in New York such
as a woman with a face mask being
assaulted, a subway passenger being
sprayed with Febreze, and other troubling
incidents. They also decried the
normalizing of images with Asian faces
by the media.
“While we are working overtime in
Albany to provide the necessary funds
and tools to protect all New Yorkers
from the coronavirus, it is disheartening
to see increasing incidents of
verbal assaults and vicious attacks
against Asian Americans,” Kim said.
“We must not let this virus become the
trigger for a wave of pre-existing racist
sentiments against Asian Americans.
The virus does not see race, walls, or
boundaries. Now is the time for solidarity,
compassion, and empathy —
not hatred, violence and ugliness.”
The racist behavior is in some ways
more frightening than the disease itself,
Liu said.
“Everyone is working hard to overcome
the unprecedented spread of coronavirus,”
Liu said. “At the same time
we all also have to be ever vigilant
against negative stereotypes as well as
outright racism and violence.”
The legislators reinstated the evident
truth that the energy and efforts
of the city and state should be focused
on the virus itself, which can and
has been spread by anyone, and not
against any single face or community.
Since the coronavirus outbreak, Asian
American businesses in many industries
throughout New York, particularly
in the service and retail sector,
have also suffered dramatic declines
in revenue.
Meng noted that concern and fear
about the illness is not an excuse to discriminate
against Asian Americans.
“Any type of discrimination, regardless
of the form it takes, is unacceptable,
and must never be tolerated,”
Meng said. “As I have been saying,
people must not panic about coronavirus.
People should be vigilant and
prudent, and listen to our health professionals,
but still go about their daily
routines.” Niou is calling for unity and
remaining educated on the growing
public health emergency.
Niou is calling for unity and remaining
educated on the growing public
health emergency.
“Together we must stop the spread
of the unfounded harmful stereotypes
and hateful words that people are using
to demonize our Asian American
community thoughtful and reasonable
discussions,” Niou said.
As Public Advocate, Williams said,
“We cannot let fear and bigotry overcome
facts amid the rise in coronavirus
cases. Turning our backs on our
fellow community members will only
hurt us as a city. Our office stands in
solidarity with our Asian American
communities and all of our immigrant
communities, especially during these
cases and the hysteria surrounding
them.”
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