COUNTY BOARD TO CONSIDER RESOLUTION CONDEMNING HATE CRIMES AGAINST ASIAN AMERICANS AND PACIFIC ISLANDERS

March 17, 2021
County Board Supervisor Elena Haasl, (608) 346-2724
County Board

The Dane County Board of Supervisors will consider a resolution at tomorrow night’s meeting condemning hate crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI). The resolution will go to the Executive Committee for its consideration earlier in the evening and, pending the committee’s recommendation, will go to the full board.

 

County Board Supervisor Elena Haasl (District 5) sponsored the resolution and said, "It’s horrible that there even needs to be a resolution condemning hate crimes against the AAPI community. 　I cannot stand by while members of my community are being attacked. It's important to bring awareness to the issue."

 

According to the resolution, in major U.S. cities, the rate of anti-Asian hate crimes has increased by nearly 150%. Stop AAPI Hate, a coalition that tracks the prevalence of anti-Asian hate crimes, reported over 2,800 incidences of hate within the past year.

 

President Biden has also taken a stance condemning and combating racism, xenophobia, and intolerance against Asian American and Pacific Islanders in the United States by signing an executive order on the topic within the first week of his presidency.

 

"While it's easy to think of the increase of Anti-AAPI hate incidences as only a nationwide occurrence, it is harming the members of our Dane County community.　 Our youth are being impacted tremendously by this malicious racism," said Haasl. 　"Discrimination against AAPIs has always existed in this country and the racist rhetoric deployed by the past administration has had violent consequences for AAPI communities. It is important to address and condemn this violence as a community, by taking action and putting in work　to make Dane County a safe and equitable place for everyone."

 

The resolution is available here. Members of the public are able to attend the meeting, or register to speak by accessing the information at the top of the agenda.