Honorable U.S. Attorney General Garland and NY Attorney General James:

Today, anti-Asian hate and racism have enveloped the AAPI communities in America.  Since the start of the pandemic, the AAPI community has been scapegoated for COVID-19. Violent attacks, verbal assaults, property damages, and harassment have rendered Asian Americans to live in fear and despair. Almost 4000 hate crime incidents against the AAPI community during this time, not including many unreported cases because of fears, cultural stigma, and other factors. 

The increase in discrimination against Asian Americans has not only annihilating our communities’ life blood, the small and family-owned businesses, it has escalated recently to actual murder and attempted murder sprees. We are bleeding literally and metaphorically. According to a April 16th NBC article that was written by Alexia Fernández Campbell and Alex Ellerbeck, the CDC and DOJ had a plan to stop bias attacks and hate crimes after the SARS outbreak and the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Yet, few concrete actions have been taken by our Federal, State, and local elected leaders to safeguard AAPI communities from COVID-19 related maltreatment and hate crimes. 

The recent disturbing violent racist attacks against AAPI elderly and women nationwide are happening across the nation every day.  Our community continues to live in fear, anger, and disappointment. We question why there is the lack of immediate actions by our government to provide equal protection that is guaranteed by the Constitution to every American. Our seniors and women are afraid to go out because of all the heinous attacks in the public spaces against the most vulnerable members of the community.  Parks, subways, malls, and our very neighborhood have become the killing fields where random bias attacks occur daily across America. Are we not to go on with our daily chores of going to work, school, grocery shopping and other quality of life activities? Are we not entitle to the unalienable rights of Justice, Domestic Tranquility, General Welfare, and the Blessing of Liberty?

The pattern of anti-Asian hate crime seems to be escalating and intensifying. We cannot help but to question what forces are instigating and stirring the flame of hate. We urgently request your department to partner with other Federal agencies to thoroughly investigate if there are any hate groups behind these attacks. According to ABC 7 news, aired on March 26th, 2021, there are some disturbed individuals initiating a “Slap an Asian” campaign in San Francisco, a social media challenge similar to the “Knock Out Game” launched in 2013, which also promoted targeting victims on the street randomly. We urge your department to investigate thoroughly to ascertain if any hate groups are behind these attacks on social media platforms. Many hate groups are hidden in the dark behind the keyboard, we need your help in identifying and stopping them from committing further incitement of violence against the AAPI community.

Sincerely,

New York City Alliance for Unity