WHEREAS, Since January 2020, there have been a significant number of reports of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Communities being threatened and harassed in the United States; and
WHEREAS, The Organization Stop AAPI Hate reported 3,795 incidents from March 19, 2020 to February 28, 2021. The number of hate incidents reported to the center represent only a fraction of the number of hate incidents that actually occur, but it does show how vulnerable Asian Americans are to discrimination, and the types of discrimination they face; and
WHEREAS, there are various types of discrimination such as but not limited to, Verbal harassment (68.1%) and shunning (20.5%) (i.e., the deliberate avoidance of Asian Americans) make up the two largest proportions of the total incidents reported. Physical assault (11.1%) comprises the third largest category of the total incidents. Civil rights violations - e.g., workplace discrimination, refusal of service, and being barred from transportation - account for 8.5% of the total incidents. Online harassment makes up 6.8% of the total incidents; and
WHEREAS according to national trends, women report hate incidents 2.3 times more than men. Youths (0 to 17 years old) report 12.6% of incidents and seniors (60 years old and older) report 6.2% of the total incidents. Chinese are the largest ethnic group (42.2%) that report experiencing hate, followed by Koreans (14.8%), Vietnamese (8.5%), and Filipinos (7.9%) Incident reports come from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Businesses are the primary site of discrimination (35.4%), followed by public streets (25.3%), and public parks (9.8%). Online incidents account for 10.8% of the total incidents; and
WHEREAS, if these statistics did not grab the attention of this nation, the shootings that took place on March 16, 2021 did. 8 innocent Asian Americans were murdered in shootings in three separate attacks across the Atlanta metro region and all but one of these victims were women. We will hold the stories, families, loves, and dreams of all of us impacted by this tragedy close to our hearts and minds; and
WHEREAS, Cook County is committed to support and advance local efforts to increase equity and inclusion to those who have long been excluded from it. We are committed to moving beyond statements of condemnation and toward using the full weight of our resources to name and fight injustices in our communities, corporations and institutions. Not to allow this type of prejudice to fester and lead to the loss of innocent lives; and
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, We stand in solidarity to protect the rights and freedoms of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and fight against the hate, racism and violence that has occurred against the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.