National Civil Rights Organizations Call on Mayors and Governors to Stand with the Asian American Community Amid COVID-19 Hate Incidents

Washington, D.C.— As the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic continue to have devastating effects on American public health systems and the economy, anti-Asian hate incidents also continue to rise. In response, the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA) and Center for American Progress (CAP) submitted a joint letter calling on mayors and governors to commit to addressing the surge of anti-Asian hate incidents within their jurisdictions. This letter was sent to: the National Governor’s Association, the National League of Cities, the National Conference of State Legislators, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the National Association of Counties, and The Council of State Governments.

The National Council of Asian Pacific Americans issued the following statement:

"In the weeks following the coronavirus outbreak, we have witnessed an alarming rise in anti-Asian xenophobia and attacks. While many elected officials have denounced this racism, we believe everyone should be united in overcoming COVID-19 and rejecting hate.

This joint letter is a call to action from national Asian American and Pacific Islander civil rights organizations and the Center for American Progress, to state and local governments to take crucial steps to support the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. Suggested actions include: refraining from using geographic location or groups of people when naming COVID-19, working with local and state legislative bodies to denounce racism, xenophobia, and misinformation surrounding COVID-19, and ensuring that materials related to COVID-19 are translated to Asian languages, and more. We would also like to thank the CAP for their solidarity during these difficult times. We all must come together to overcome COVID-19 and their leadership by example is appreciated."

Danyelle Solomon, the vice president of Race and Ethnicity Policy at the Center for American Progress stated,

“The coronavirus pandemic has been the catalyst for a new wave of hate and violence against Asian Americans. If left untreated, hate, like any contagion, will continue to spread. Elected officials have an important role to play in combating misinformation, mitigating hysteria, and protecting people from violence. We call on lawmakers to act now to denounce acts of hate and work together to ensure the health and safety of their Asian American community members.”