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Disability Rights California (DRC) condemns recent attacks and the surge in hate crimes that target the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. We stand with our staff, community partners, and members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community facing increased racism, discrimination, and intensified hatred.

Since the pandemic began, there has been a rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans, spurred by xenophobic rhetoric blaming the community for the virus. Since last March, there have been approximately 2800 incidents reported nationwide. During the past several weeks, a number of individuals, many of them elders, have been targeted based on their race and age, verbally harassed, assaulted, and attacked. The brutal killing of Vicha Ratanapaktee, an 84-year-old Thai American, and facial slashing of Noel Quintana, a 61-year-old Filipino American, were horrific acts of hate, but they were not isolated incidents. They were the result of years of unchecked racism that Asian Americans have suffered in silence for too long.

As a nation, we must continue to eradicate the systems that led to these hateful and violent acts, and work to build communities that are adequately resourced, fostering respectful understanding across cultures. We must end the media silence around these incidents, and call upon news outlets to shine a light on these attacks.

We appreciate President Biden’s recent Executive Order on January 26, 2021, that condemns and combats racism, xenophobia, and intolerance against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States. We call on local, state and federal leaders to join the Biden Administration in taking action to combat hate-based violence.

“The Federal Government must recognize that it has played a role in furthering these xenophobic sentiments through the actions of political leaders, including references to the COVID-19 pandemic by the geographic location of its origin.” President Biden’s full Executive Order can be found here: Memorandum Condemning and Combating Racism, Xenophobia, and Intolerance Against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States

As an organization, DRC stands with marginalized communities, including Black, Latino, Native American, Asian Pacific Islander, immigrant, LGBTQIA+ communities, and people with disabilities within these groups. We are committed to and will continue to fight for equality, civil rights, and justice for all.

Disability Rights California (DRC) is the agency designated under federal law to protect and advocate for the rights of Californians with disabilities. The mission of DRC is to advance the rights, dignity, equal opportunities, and choices for all people with disabilities. For more information visit: https://www.disabilityrightsca.org