HomeMy WebLinkAboutC-1 Staff Report - Resolution Denouncing Hate Crimes and Rhetoric Against Asian AmericansCEREMONIAL ITEM
C-1
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: SERGIO GONZALEZ, CITY MANAGER
DATE: APRIL 5, 2021
SUBJECT: ADOPT RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AZUSA
DENOUNCING HATE CRIMES AND RHETORIC AGAINST ASIAN AMERICANS
AND PACIFIC ISLANDERS, AND REAFFIRMING OUR COMMITMENT TO
ENSURE THEY FEEL SAFE AND WELCOME
BACKGROUND:
Unfortunately, we continue to hear disturbing accounts of incidents occurring throughout the United
States of senseless violence against Asians. As a result, Mayor Gonzales has requested that the Azusa
City Council consider adopting a resolution to denounce these hate crimes and to stand with our Asian-
American neighbors as they are an integral component of that which makes living in Azusa so special.
All of our lives are enriched by those in our presence, particularly in a tremendously diverse country like
the United States.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the City Council take the following action:
1)Adopt Resolution No. 2021-C13, A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Azusa
Denouncing Hate Crimes and Rhetoric Against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and
Reaffirming Our Commitment to Ensure API Americans Feel Safe and Welcome
ANALYSIS:
Recent cases of violence against the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Community include
the deadly assault on Vicha Ratanapakdee who was brutally attacked while on his morning walk in San
Francisco and died from a resulting brain hemorrhage, and the three deadly shootings which targeted
Asian American businesses in Atlanta, Georgia on March 17, 2021, resulting in the deaths of eight
people. Violence and racism toward the AAPI community has undoubtedly been exacerbated by the
COVID 19 pandemic.
Three San Francisco Bay organizations created StopAAPIHate.org to serve as an aggregator of anti-
Asian hate crimes incidents. The coalition has reported the following information:
APPROVED
CITY COUNCIL
4/5/2021
Resolution Denouncing Hate Crimes and Rhetoric Against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
April 5, 2021
Page 2
• Hate crimes targeting the AAPI Community increased nearly 150 percent in major cities.
• 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.
• Three in 10 Asian Americans (31%) report having experienced racial slurs or racist jokes since
the beginning of the pandemic.
• Chinese are the largest ethnic group (42.2%) that report experiencing hate, followed by Koreans
(14.8%), Vietnamese (8.5%), and Filipinos (7.9%).
• States with high Asian American populations report the most incidents. CA (43.8%); NY
(13.0%); WA (4.1 %); and IL (2.8%) have the highest rates
• There has been a documented pattern of recent attacks against the AAPI Community.
• They have received nearly 3,800 reports of hate incidents across the country since March 2020
While there are no reported incidents of these types of crimes occurring in Azusa, in light of these most
recent events across our nation, cities and elected bodies across the country have issued statements
calling for solidarity in standing against violence and racism towards AAPI communities.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with this action.
Prepared by:
Sergio Gonzalez
City Manager
Attachments:
1) Resolution No. 2021-C13
RESOLUTION NO. 2021-C13
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL DENOUNCING HATE CRIMES
AND RHETORIC AGAINST ASIAN AMERICANS AND PACIFIC
ISLANDERS, AND REAFFIRMING OUR COMMITMENT TO ENSURE API
AMERICANS FEEL SAFE AND WELCOME
WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic is a public health emergency that has caused
devastating effects throughout the world and across political and social boundaries, and was not
created or caused by any race, nationality, or ethnicity;
WHEREAS, the World Health Organization recognizes that public health emergencies
often lead to stigma, demonization, discrimination and scapegoating towards certain communities
and groups;
WHEREAS, hate crimes targeting Asian American and Pacific Islanders increased by
nearly 150 percent in major cities despite decreasing overall in the last year and 44 percent of the
incidents reported to Stop AAPI Hate are from California;
WHEREAS, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have been facing bias incidents such
as verbal harassment, physical assault, job discrimination, and destruction of their businesses as
they are being blamed for the outbreak and spread of COVID-19;
WHEREAS, three deadly shootings targeted Asian American businesses in Atlanta, GA
on March 17, 2021;
WHEREAS, violent attacks have particularly intensified against Asian senior citizens and
such xenophobia and discrimination can have a range of adverse physical and mental health
consequences for stigmatized groups and their communities;
NOW THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AZUSA DOES HEREBY
RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. That the City of Azusa will not tolerate xenophobia and condemns the rise
in hate crimes, attacks, and attitudes against Asian American and Pacific Islander communities;
SECTION 2. That the City of Azusa urges residents to join in calling attention to these
harms and denouncing hate to help keep us all safe during this pandemic and beyond;
SECTION 3. That the Council and City of Azusa will commit to protecting residents who
are targets of hate by providing tools and resources for reporting such crimes;
PASSED, APPROVED and ADOPTED this 5th day of April, 2021.
Attachment 1
Robert Gonzales
Mayor
ATTEST:
Jeffrey Lawrence Cornejo, Jr.
City Clerk
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES ) ss.
CITY OF AZUSA )
I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing Resolution No. 2021-CXX was duly
adopted by the City Council of the City of Azusa, at a meeting thereof held on the 5th day of
April 2021, by the following vote of the Council:
AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS:
NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS:
ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS:
Jeffrey Lawrence Cornejo, Jr.
City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Marco Martinez
City Attorney
Best Best & Krieger LLP