County Commission condemns Asian bigotry and violence on Asian American/Pacific Islander Heritage Month

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY – The Miami-Dade County Commission on May 4 unanimously approved a resolution sponsored by Chairman Jose "Pepe" Diaz condemning anti-Asian bigotry and violence, denouncing hate speech, and mourning the deaths of individuals recently killed or injured in bias or hate motivated violence.

“May is Asian American/Pacific Islander Heritage Month and is only fitting to urge the community to reject misinformation and combat discrimination that puts the safety and well-being of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders as well as other minorities in jeopardy,” said Chairman Diaz. “I recognize the value that a diverse population brings to our County, and I take pride in our inclusive and diverse community.”

More than 670,000 people of Asian, Hawaiian, and Pacific Island descent reside in the State of Florida, and of those, over 43,000 are Miami-Dade County residents, according to demographic data collected by the Health Council of South Florida and reported on http://www.miamidadematters.org/.

Due to the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, extremists continue to use the virus to fuel and spread their hateful xenophobic ideologies, and bias-motivated violence targeted against members of the Asian and Pacific Islander community across the nation.

In an effort to combat hate crimes, misinformation about the virus, and racial discrimination, the World Health Organization has cautioned against using geographic descriptors for COVID-19. The Asian and Pacific Islander community is being blamed by some individuals/groups for the pandemic. They have been victims of aggression, violence, and hate crimes.

Stop AAPI Hate, a coalition that tracks different forms of hate against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States, reports that between March 19, 2020 and February 28, 2021, it received nearly 3,800 reports of Anti-Asian hate-driven incidents, including verbal assaults and physical attacks. In 2020, other hate crimes decreased by 7 percent, while crimes targeting people of Asian descent increased by nearly 150 percent, according to a study released by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino.