Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders’ civil rights have increasingly come under attack in recent years. Hate crimes and hate incidents – in particular, hateful rhetoric against Asian Americans – have also skyrocketed in recent years due to the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical events abroad. Against this backdrop, we continue to face ongoing bias and discrimination in the workplace, at the polls, in our neighborhoods, in schools, and within the political process.
Many in our communities are also targeted due to our actual or perceived race, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or immigration status. News and popular media often portray Asian Americans as “perpetual foreigners” or highlight the model minority myth – both of which dehumanize and deny the reality of our lived experiences. This highlights the importance of intersectional policies that acknowledge the differences in our lived experiences.
Lawmakers must remain cognizant of the specific civil rights challenges that AAs and NHPIs face, and work with us to protect our rights and ensure that our communities are safe.