In honor of women’s history month, in March CAA celebrated women activists who have changed our world for the better. But we need not look only to the past. CAA Co-Executive director Cynthia Choi was profiled in the New York Times for her role at Stop AAPI Hate, and the No Place For Hate agenda to address hate and harassment in public places has continued to uplift the voices of thousands of women and girls.
This past month was also a time of sadness and reflection. On March 16, we observed the first anniversary of the Atlanta shootings, in which eight people including six Asian women, were murdered in a mass shooting event that devastated our AAPI communities.
As we struggle with all that we are up against, CAA continues to channel anger, grief, and frustration to build a world in which all of us — especially women and girls, communities of color, people with disabilities, and vulnerable groups of all ages, genders, and orientations — can feel safe and be safe wherever they go.
Keep reading for more information about our current actions.
One year after the Atlanta shootings, Stop AAPI Hate documents rising hate incidents against women and girls.
One year after the Atlanta shootings, Stop AAPI Hate, a coalition co-founded by CAA, joined thousands of AAPI advocates in honoring this tragic anniversary. In an op-ed published on the morning of March 16, Stop AAPI Hate pressed lawmakers to invest in community safety, education equity, and civil rights solutions.
These demands go hand in hand with the latest Stop AAPI Hate report released weeks before the anniversary. Anti-Asian hate continues to rise among AAPI women and girls, who reported to us 61.8% of the total 11,000 incidents we received between March 2020 and December 2021. For the first time, the report also disaggregated the experiences of non-binary respondents, who experienced more social exclusion and were coughed at or spat upon at a greater rate than others. Click here for more coalition findings.
Community spotlight
In Memoriam: Ron Wallace
At the beginning of 2022, CAA lost one of our most loyal supporters. Over a timespan of more than 30 years, Ron Wallace volunteered his time and energy to CAA as an architect and construction manager — leading renovations on 17 Walter U. Lum Place, and making our San Francisco Chinatown office the warm and welcoming place it remains to this day. During his long and illustrious career in architectural design, Ron also served limited-income families and community-based organizations throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Our thoughts remain with Ron’s family and friends. You can read our full memoriam here.
Screening: The Race Epidemic
The Race Epidemic, a documentary about the rise of anti-Asian and Pacific Islander hate in the United States, screened last month at the Great Star Theater in San Francisco Chinatown. Co-Executive Director Vincent Pan joined a panel of community leaders discussing the government’s role in responding to racist attacks — and the rights of victims and survivors in the face of violence. You can learn more about the film here.
Campaigns
No Place for Hate California continues to pick up momentum.
CAA leadership on the No Place for Hate policy agenda is yielding incredible support. Introduced in the California State Legislature this February, the agenda includes three bills — AB 2549, SB 1161, and AB 2448 — that address hate and harassment in spaces accessible to the general public. With the CAA advocacy team leading the way, the bills are winning official endorsements and support from groups ranging from the LA Metro, the Alliance for Girls, and the California Labor Federation. We have also spread word to the general public, with coverage in APEX Express, California Transit, and Teen Vogue. Click here to learn more about the No Place for Hate policy agenda.
CAA speaks in support of City College of San Francisco (CCSF)
City College of San Francisco (CCSF) is weighing slashing its budget and laying off educators — putting into question the future of its English as a Second Language (ESL) courses. On March 15, 2022, CAA participated in CCSF’s Revenue Unity Coalition Day of Action, held in support of additional funding for ESL and other CCSF programs. At the event, CAA Education Equity Program Manager Sally Chen shared the story of Ivy Zhou, an ESL student who at CCSF has learned how to write a resume, how to interview and how to find a job. But students like her could be among the first to feel the effect of budget cuts. For this reason, CAA will continue to fight for CCSF services. Click here to learn more about CCSF’s Revenue Campaign.
San Francisco Board of Supervisors passes the Family Workplace Ordinance.
In a triumph for working families, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed amendments to the Family Workplace Ordinance, which will give workers the right to flexible scheduling and modified work arrangements around family caregiving responsibilities. CAA testified in support of the expanded ordinance in early March. “Many of our clients are primary caregivers at home, who must face the pressures of being a worker and parent at the same time.” This legislation will make it easier for them, and for thousands of families, to provide for their loved ones. Click here to learn more about the Family Friendly Workers’ Ordinance.
On the front lines
CAA joins San Francisco community leaders in denouncing anti-Chinese campaign tactics
Since the 1800’s, politicians have used racist propaganda to sow anti-Asian sentiment in San Francisco. This fear-mongering tactic resurfaced in the form of a poster circulated by the Recall Chesa Boudin campaign — which drew upon racist and anti-Chinese tropes to depict San Francisco’s current District Attorney.
At a press conference in our San Francisco Chinatown office, CAA Co-Executive Director Vincent Pan joined community leaders to demand that the poster be taken out of circulation.
“Our city has a long and proud history as a home for Chinese immigrants and Chinese Americans; it also has a long and shameful history as a bastion of anti-Chinese policies, language and imagery,” he said to the press. “We must be united to stand against anti-Asian rhetoric and dog whistles whenever and wherever they occur.” Click here for coverage of our press conference.
