Washington, DC—Following recent political ads that rely on derogatory and offensive terms targeted to describe the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans National Director, Gregg Orton sent a letter to the Republican National Committee (RNC) and Democratic National Committee (DNC) calling upon each organization to reject harmful and xenophobic rhetoric in political discourse.

NCAPA National Director, Gregg Orton said:

“It’s campaign season again and disappointingly we find ourselves responding to more racism and xenophobia in political ads. This has to stop. The basic premise that all Americans should feel empowered and welcomed to participate in our civic democracy should be nonpartisan. The truth is that when racist or xenophobic language is used by any political party, it is painfully personal for that community, and in context to the AAPI community, reinforces the damaging narrative that we are ‘outsiders’ to the civic engagement process.

NCAPA calls on both the RNC and the DNC to unequivocally reject racism and xenophobia and publicly affirm their commitment to the AAPI community.”

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Based in Washington, D.C., the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans is a coalition of 34 national Asian Pacific American organizations that serves to represent the interests of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities and to provide a national voice for our communities’ concerns. Our communities are the fastest growing racial/ethnic group in the United States, currently making up approximately six percent of the population.