ASIAN WISCONZINE ONLINE



States, Cities, 200+ National Organizations, and Celebrities to Unite for National Asian American and Pacific Islander Day Against Bullying and Hate



Amid rise in anti-Asian hate, national anti-bullying group Act To Change leads national commemoration to honor legacy of Vincent Chin and promote action, healing, and solidarity Next month, May 18, 2021, marks the third annual Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) National Day Against Bullying and Hate, led by AAPI anti-bullying nonprofit Act To Change. AAPIs have long faced violence, hate, and bullying, and now the COVID-19 pandemic has sparked rising and unprecedented numbers of anti-Asian hate crimes and discrimination.


In recognition of the third annual National AAPI Day Against Bullying and Hate, actor, author, and Act To Change co-founder Maulik Pancholy issued the following statement:


“It’s critical now more than ever that we protect and empower our Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. As anti-Asian hate crimes, xenophobia, and racism are reported at unprecedented and rising numbers, we must remain united and fight against all forms of bullying and hate. Today, Act To Change urgently calls on all leaders and individuals across the country to stand with us on this annual National AAPI Day Against Bullying and Hate, honor the legacy of Vincent Chin, and advocate for a world free of bullying and hate.”


National AAPI Day Against Bullying and Hate is observed during Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and on May 18, the birthday of Vincent Chin, who was murdered in an anti-Asian hate crime in 1982. This year would have been his 66th birthday.


Participating celebrities and influencers in the May 18 virtual event UNITED WE STAND (1pm PT / 4pm ET) include:

 Bretman Rock, global internet superstar

  Tan France, TV personality

  Olivia Munn, actor and activist

  Jeremy Lin, NBA champion

  Liza Koshy, actress, producer and creator

  Congresswoman Grace Meng, NY-06

  Congressman Andy Kim, NJ-03

  Randall Park, actor, director and producer

  Jasmine Shao, content creator and study influencer

  Ashley Park, Tony and Grammy-nominated actor

  Simu Liu, actor, author and activist

  Deepica Mutyala, founder and CEO, Live Tinted

  Momona Tamada, actress and activist

  Bowen Yang, comedian, writer, and actor

  Michang, actor, Fresh Off The Boat

  Prabal Gurung, CEO and creative director

  Aparna Nancherla, comedian and actress   Hari Kondabolu, comedian-writer   Jose Antonio Vargas, founder, Define American

  Bing Chen, president and co-founder of Gold House

  Sheetal Sheth, actress, author and activist

  Maulik Pancholy, actor, author and co-founder of Act To Change

  Leela Ladnier, actress, Mira, Royal Detective

  Sarah Ha, VP, National Community Alliances, Teach For America


 Fast Facts:

 About 1 in 5 students report being bullied during the school year

  Fifty percent of Asian American students report bias-based harassment

  Two-thirds of Sikh American students report being bullied

  Half of Muslim American students report being bullied due to their religion

  1 in 4 Asian American youth has experienced COVID-19-related bullying


 According to a recent report from Stop AAPI Hate, nearly 3,800 anti-Asian racist incidents were reported in 2021, a significant increase from last year’s count of 2,600 hate incidents nationwide over the span of five months. The center noted that women reported 2.3 times more times than men, youth reported 12.6% of incidents, and seniors reported 6.2% of the total incidents. Incident reports have come from all 50 states and the District of Columbia.


Introduced by Senator Mazie Hirono and Representative Grace Meng, the Senate last week voted to pass the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Bill to address the rising number of hate crimes and violence against Asian Americans. Sens. Mazie Hirono, Tammy Duckworth, and Rep. Grace Meng now call on the House to swiftly consider the bill. The legislation would instruct the Department of Justice to expedite review of COVID-19 related hate crimes, expand public reporting efforts, and provide guidance to make reporting hate crimes more accessible at the local and state level, including ensuring reporting processes are available in multiple languages.


If you are a company, organization, or individual interested in becoming a sponsor or partner for National AAPI Day Against Bullying and Hate, visit acttochange.org/2021dayagainstbullying.


To join the conversation on social media, use #DayAgainstBullying and #ActToChange.


### Originally launched under President Obama’s White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, Act To Change is a national nonprofit organization working to end bullying among AAPI youth. It envisions a world where all youth can grow up feeling proud of and supported in who they are.





COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act passes in the Senate. NCAPA Calls for Further Community Investment Outside of Law Enforcement



Washington, DC—The National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA) issued the following statement regarding the passage of Senator Hirono’s S.937 COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act. This afternoon, the bill passed in the Senate with a 94-1 vote. Hirono’s bill improves methods of data collection, review, and response to COVID-19 related hate crimes. This bill comes on the heels of recent tragedies that have harmed Asian American communities, including a mass shooting at a Indianapolis FedEx facility last week that took the lives of eight people, four of whom were Sikh, and the Atlanta shootings last month.


With the recent mass shootings in Indianapolis and Atlanta, our communities are reeling. Our hearts go out to the families who have lost loved ones to senseless and avoidable violence. While passage of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act and the Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act are important steps towards making long-overdue improvements to the government's response to hate crimes, it takes place during an incredibly difficult time for the country.


Protection is paramount. However, we recognize that as Asian American communities are calling for action to stop hate and violence, these calls are happening against a backdrop of police violence against communities of color—especially Black and Brown communities.


We have been humbled by the solidarity and support many have shown in response to anti-Asian hate. But it is difficult to celebrate a system that is willing to respond to violence against Asian Americans, while continuing to perpetuate violence against other communities, including those within our own.


The indiscriminate killing of people of color at the hands of police must stop. Then we need a deeper commitment to invest in our communities, outside of law enforcement based solutions, so that we can address the sources of violence, not just the aftermath.


Based in Washington, D.C., the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans is a coalition of 37 national Asian Pacific American organizations that serves to represent the interests of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities and to provide a national voice for our communities’ concerns. Our communities are the fastest growing racial/ethnic group in the United States, currently making up approximately six percent of the population.



AAPI Victory Alliance on the Killing of Four Sikh Americans in Last Night’s Mass Shooting at a Fedex Facility in Indianapolis


Washington, DC -- Last night, one month to the day since the mass shooting in Atlanta that targeted AAPI victims, four Sikh Americans were among eight innocent lives taken by another deranged gunman in a country that refuses to do anything to stop this from occurring.


AAPI Victory Alliance Executive Director Varun Nikore issued the following statement:


“Our hearts bleed for all of the families of the victims of yet another senseless massacre that has become a daily occurrence in this country. Four Sikh Americans were among the eight victims of the mass shooting in Indianapolis, exactly one month to the day since the Atlanta shootings which explicitly targeted our AAPI communities. In Sikh culture, death is a progression of the soul through a journey from God. We pray that the souls of these victims are at peace and back with the Creator.


“To the families of Jasvinder Kaur, Amarjit Sekhon, Jaswinder Singh, and everybody else affected by this senseless tragedy, our hearts go out to you. The AAPI community stands with you. Justice must be served and we will not stop fighting until every single gutless person, politician, and lobbying group is held responsible for continuing to allow these tragedies to happen. Additionally, the AAPI Victory Alliance demands an immediate investigation into whether or not these shootings were racially biased.


“Most importantly, enough is enough. It’s time to come together and end Hate and gun violence once and for all. We will invest significant resources into toppling those who seek to destroy our families, communities, and identity. The senseless gun violence that we’re seeing in this country is reflective of all of the spineless politicians who are beholden to the gun lobby. Period. End of story. They will be hearing from us -- instead of offering thoughts and prayers, it’s time to mobilize for direct action and vote them out. That is what we’re doing today. We will end the violence, only when we have leaders who have the guts to do so.”