Resolution Condemning Anti-Asian Hatred and Violence and Supporting People of Asian Ancestry

WHEREAS, basic human decency requires a respect and acceptance for people of all backgrounds, and the motto of the United States of America is “E pluribus unum,” meaning “Out of many, one”; and   

WHEREAS, America’s professed values include a commitment to liberty, equality and justice for all — values the country has often failed to reach but should never stop striving to attain; and

WHEREAS, America’s diversity is a source of strength and prosperity and California’s vibrant communities benefit from cultural contributions made by people of every ancestry; and

WHEREAS, California is home to 5.9 million Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI), a diverse group that has enriched the state in countless and invaluable ways; and

WHEREAS, as the COVID-19 virus has spread, AAPI groups have reported experiencing microaggressions, being targeted, scapegoated, resulting in hate incidents and violence and even being killed because of their race; and

WHEREAS, scientists have confirmed that the COVID-19 disease does not respect borders and is not caused by ethnicity, and the World Health Organization has cautioned against using geographic descriptors, because they can fuel ethnic discrimination; and

WHEREAS, people of Asian descent have suffered intense discrimination since California’s earliest days, including, but not limited to, the inhumane policies and treatment toward Chinese immigrants in the Gold Rush Era, the Chinese Exclusion Act, the persecution of Filipino American workers, and the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II, the rise in violence against Asian Muslims and Sikhs after the September 11 terrorist attacks, and how we must acknowledge, learn and teach this history to not repeat it; and

WHEREAS, the recent rise of violence against Asian Americans is part of a larger history of violence against communities of color, it is imperative to be in solidarity with all communities that experience racism and oppression by working together to create community centered solutions that stop the violence in all communities; and

WHEREAS, Stop AAPI Hate, a hate-incident reporting website, documented over 3,795 hate incidents against AAPI from March 19, 2020 to February 28, 2021and over 700 of these incidents occurred in the Bay Area of California [insert your region’s data here]; however, experts consider the true number of incidents to be much higher due to underreporting; and

WHEREAS, according to the California Department of Education, there are over 750,000 Asian Pacific, Filipino and Asian Pacific Islander students who attend K-12 public schools which

represents 12% of all California students. The needs of the AAPI students are diverse and quite often overlooked; and

WHEREAS, in many school districts, AAPI students are expressing fear of violence and harassment when returning to in-person instruction; and

WHEREAS, schools not only have an obligation to prepare students academically but to provide the foundation for global citizenship as well as participation in civic responsibility; and to provide inclusive curriculum that highlights AAPI and other underrepresented communities’ histories to help students value themselves and others; and

WHEREAS, schools must help dispel the “model minority” myth, a stereotype that the AAPI community is a monolithic group that erases the economic, academic, and social struggles of our diverse communities and can add to the burden and social and emotional toll that AAPI students can bear; and

WHEREAS, our values of inclusiveness, humanity and respect demand that we support our students and staff of Asian ancestry and the larger AAPI community in this moment of national strife and at all times; and

WHEREAS, President Biden issued a memorandum in January, 2021 to condemn and denounce acts of racism, xenophobia, and intolerance against AAPI communities; that 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; that such statements have stoked unfounded fears and perpetuated stigma about Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and have contributed to increasing rates of bullying, harassment, and hate crimes against AAPI persons;

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Governing Board of the [NAME OF SCHOOL DISTRICT, COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION OR ORGANIZATION] condemns hatred, xenophobia, harassment and violence towards people of Asian ancestry and commits to

creating a supportive, inclusive culture that fully embraces students and staff of Asian descent. Adopted this [day ]of the [month] of 2021.