SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Hundreds of people gathered in Sacramento and Davis and 18 cities in the U.S. plus Canada and Australia to the Unity Against Hate rally on May 15.
The organizers for the International Unity Against Hate Rally invited people of all backgrounds to stand up against hate towards the people who identify as part of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community.
Manny Paiste, who moved to Lodi when he was 6-months old from the Philipinnes, stood among hundreds at the California State Capitol because of a conversation he had with his mom about being afraid of walking around the neighborhood.
“She use to go walking all the time with her dad and we saw her on Mother’s Day and she says, 'we don’t go out anymore, we are all too scared,' so that kind of triggered me personally,” Paiste said.
Kim Liew came from Solano County with her family because she is worried about her in-laws because of many high-profile attacks happening are towards elders
“I’m just telling them to be more aware of their surroundings because really anything can happen and if they need anything honestly just to stay home and have the grandkids help them out because right now you just don’t know if it’s safe to go anywhere," Liew said. "It can happen anywhere.”
Many gathered to listen to community leaders talk about the change needed and celebrate the Asian American and Pacific Islander community through chanting, music and dancing.
“We are standing with you today to denounce the hate attacks against the Asian community,” South Sacramento Pastor Tecoy Porter.
Each leader shared how the Asian and Pacific Islander community has been affected in California's history and ways California could continue to affect change for the benefit of all oppressed communities.
“I’m the first Asian-American to represent Sacramento in the state legislature," State Senator Richard Pan said. "It is in these halls where they passed laws to prevent us from owning property."
Speakers included Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis, State Treasurer Fiona Ma, Senator Richard Pan, Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg, Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert, Sacramento Assistant Chief Prosecutor Thien Ho, Elk Grove Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen, Former Elk Grove Mayor Steve Ly, Dr. Hendry Ton and more.
According to the latest data from Stop AAPI Hate, a national coalition addressing anti-Asian racism across the U.S., 6,603 hate incidents against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders were reported to the organization from March 19, 2020, to March 31, 2021. The data also shows about 40% of the hate incidents reported in the past year occurred in California, with the top reported hate incidents including verbal harassment, shunning, and physical assault. Civil rights violations and online harassments are some of the other hate incidents reported against people of Asian descent.
