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ICYMI: All 24 Democratic Governors Condemn Racism and Anti-Asian Violence On Stop AAPI Hate Day of Action

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Today, a bipartisan coalition of 26 governors, including all 23 Democratic governors from the states and the Democratic governor of Guam, released a letter in solidarity with the Asian American and Pacific Islander community condemning racism, hate, and violence.


The governors wrote, “Today, and every day, we stand in solidarity, in support, and in shared resolve with the Asian American community. Hate will not divide our states, territories, and communities. We condemn all expressions of racism, xenophobia, scapegoating, and anti-Asian sentiment.”


The governors were also joined by more than 60 Asian Americans who have served in top government positions, who released a separate statement. This bipartisan effort to end attacks against the AAPI community comes on a “national day of action and healing” as anti-Asian violence and rhetoric is on the rise.


Some Republican officials, including Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves and Michigan Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, have spread racist rhetoric surrounding the pandemic, echoing Donald Trump. Their racist, inappropriate comments have had a dangerous impact on the AAPI community, and it needs to stop.


A copy of the full letter can be read here. Read more about the letter below:


Washington Post: In show of bipartisan solidarity, 26 governors and more than 60 former officials condemn anti-Asian attacks


In a show of bipartisan solidarity, 26 U.S. governors and dozens of Asian Americans who have served in top roles across six presidential administrations on Friday issued a pair of statements forcefully condemned the spike in anti-Asian harassment over the past year.


Among the governors to speak out were two Republicans, Larry Hogan (Md.) and Charlie Baker (Mass.), who signed on with all 23 of their Democratic counterparts, as well as the governor of Guam, to a letter that cited a recent university study that found an increase in hate crimes against Asian Americans in 2020, despite such crimes dropping overall.


“What is happening to Asian Americans is simply un-American. We condemn racism, violence, and hatred against our AAPI communities, and we must do more to protect, lift up, and support” them, the governors wrote, using an acronym that stands for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Gov. Tom Wolf (D) helped lead the effort, organizers said.


[…]


NBC News: All 23 Democratic governors sign letter condemning anti-Asian hate, violence


In the wake of the Atlanta-area shootings and the significant rise in violence toward Asian Americans, a bipartisan group of 26 governors released a letter Friday morning in solidarity and support for the Asian American and Pacific Islander community.


All 23 Democratic governors have signed on, as well as the governor of the territory of Guam.


[…]


Since the shootings on March 16, several of those who signed, including Nevada’s Democratic governor, Steve Sisolak, have been holding roundtables with people in the AAPI community and encouraging Asian Americans to continue to speak out about and report hate incidents.


According to Stop AAPI Hate, nearly 3,800 hate incidents against Asians and Asian Americans have been recorded in the past year of the pandemic. A majority of those reported attacks were targeting women.