California ramps up efforts to Stop Asian Hate with fresh funding

By Gilda Balan, Correspondent

SACRAMENTO – California continues to lead the way in taking concrete steps to stop Asian hate.

To prevent, intervene, and directly service victims of hate crime in California, $91 million in funding was allotted by the Golden State this week which will be used to fund projects related to ending the scourge.

Among the initiatives is a multilingual campaign to promote the California vs Hate hotline and a webinar open to the public regarding mental health.

The campaign will be in Tagalog (AKA Pilipino), Vietnamese, Korean, simplified Chinese, Hmong, Punjabi, and Tongan and will be seen across more than 30 different outlets to promote the hotline.

The allocated funds will serve the marginalized communities in the state, with millions allotted to the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community.

Funded groups include:

·       Filipino Migrant Center

·       South Asian Network

·       Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach

·       Jakara Movement

·       Pacific Pride Foundation

·       The Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center

·       Asian Americans for Civil Rights & Equality

·       Little Saigon San Diego

·       Khmer Girls in Action

·       Korean Community Center of the East Bay

·       Oakland LGBTQ Community Center

·       API Reentry through Inclusion Support & Empowerment, and

·       Cambodian Town Inc.

Last Friday, Aug. 25, the California Commission on the State of Hate hosted a community webinar to address the mental health impact of hate on marginalized communities, including racial minorities, the LGBT community, and foster youth, with resource information provided by organizations serving persons with disabilities and mental illness.

The information campaign will run on digital media, print, and radio.

California is one of two states that host the biggest communities of Asians and Asian Americans, the other being New York. It is also one of the states where hate crimes against the Asian and Asian American community has been rampant in the last several years, increasing dramatically during the coronavirus pandemic.

Misinformed persons have attributed to Asia as the source of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hate crimes against the community range from graffiti to verbal attacks all the way to physical assaults, often aimed at women, the elderly, even the disabled.

Hate crimes, especially those involving violence, are a federal offense and could result in lengthy prison sentences for the hatemongers.

Suspected hate crimes may be reported to 833-8-NO-HATE or CAvsHate.org.