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City and State NY: What can be done to stem hatred against Asian Americans
City and State NY - Asian Americans are facing twin crises: the COVID-19 pandemic and a wave of hate. . .
City & State reached out to the following experts to hear their thoughts on how to stem the wave of hate against Asian Americans in New York City: Jo-Ann Yoo, executive director of the Asian American Federation; Christopher Kwok, a board member, and Taiyee Chien, a student leader, with the Asian American Bar Association of New York; Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino; Stanley Mark, senior staff attorney at the Asian American Legal Defense And Education Fund; and Russell Jeung, professor of Asian American studies at San Francisco State University and co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate. . .
Mark: Today’s political and economic climate (job loss, small business closure, health care disparities etc.) arising from the pandemic. Asian Americans become the current scapegoats as part of the longer legal legacy of anti-Asian bias as reflected in our statutes and case law. . .
Mark: Law enforcement is not enough. There must be a shift in spending priorities and reinvestment in our communities with political leadership that goes beyond spending for more law enforcement. Instead, areas like education, mental health services, job training, access to vaccinations, more bilingual and culturally competent services in all communities.