SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A group of lawmakers is responding to an increase in anti-Asian hate crimes with new legislation to protect Asian Americans in California.

Assemblymember Evan Low, D-Silicon Valley, and the rest of the Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus gathered on February 12 to condemn the uptick in violence against Asian Americans throughout the state.

What You Need To Know

  • Lawmakers are responding to an increase in anti-Asian hate crimes with new legislation to protect Asian Americans

  • Last year, more than 3,000 anti-Asian hate crimes were reported throughout the U.S.

  • Assemblymember Evan Low introduced House Resolution 23 to condemn hate crimes against Asian Americans and call for solidarity

  • The resolution passed with 67 other legislators signing on to co-author the text

“We in our community value and respect our elders and it’s those who are most vulnerable in our community that are being targeted and we’re sick of it,” Low said during the press conference.

In January, an 84-year-old man was attacked and killed in San Francisco. Bay Area Assemblymember Evan Low explained that these kinds of tragic events against Asian Americans have only become more frequent since the pandemic began last March.

“We’ve seen that of the rhetoric of the 'Kung Flu' virus or the 'Wuhan virus,' being accused of being Chinese spies when many of them are not even Chinese,” said Low.

Last year, the Stop AAPI Hate center reported over 2,800 hate incidents against Asian Pacific Islander Americans. Low said he introduced House Resolution 23 to condemn hate crimes against Asian Americans and call for solidarity.

Senator Dave Min, D-Irvine, stands in support of HR 23 and explained how his office has received several calls about Asian Americans getting attacked in his district.

“That atmosphere of fear that it creates is really causing people to feel unwelcome, to feel like this society is an unsafe place for them,” said Min.

Both Low and Min acknowledge that as state leaders, they must use their positions of power to speak out when they see racist actions happening in their own communities.

"There is this notion of a model minority that they’re quiet, they keep to themselves, and they’re not going to speak out," Low said. "You may not see them marching out on the street crying for help, but that’s the anguish that we collectively feel."

What You Need To Know

Assemblymember Steven Choi, R-Irvine, is also fighting for his community as a co-author of HR 23. He hopes the resolution will bring greater peace and unity to California, especially since his own family has experienced anti-Asian hate.

“My own brother, my youngest brother, was verbally abused at a restaurant, and if I was there, I would have been the same target,” Choi said.

All three lawmakers noted that they’ve personally experienced several instances of racial discrimination. Min said his parents, who live in the Bay Area, are afraid to leave their home at the moment, and Low added that he’s encountered people who insult his identity.

"Questioning my heritage, asking me if I am a spy for China, so these are the type of realities," Low said. "But here’s this — I am a state legislator and a public official."

Low’s resolution passed with 67 other legislators signing on to co-author the text. The lawmakers hope they’ll see fewer hate crimes in their districts so that Asian Americans can begin to feel safe in California once again.