OCA Applauds the Passage of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act in the House
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
19 May 2021
Contact: Eiley Fong | Senior Communications Associate
202.223.5500 | eiley.fong@ocantional.org
Washington, DC - OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates recognizes the leadership of Representative Grace Meng and Senator Mazie Hirono, the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), and others in advocating for the passage of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act. The Act included key parts of the Jabara-Heyer No Hate Act, which was co-sponsored by Senator Richard Blumenthal and Representative Don Beyer. The passage of the House legislation comes on the heels of the Senate passage last month. Throughout Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, we have uplifted the voices, successes, and history of AAPI communities across the country; we’re proud to note the passage of this legislation in May.
“With both the Senate and House passage of this legislation on hate crimes, the White House must sign these protective and proactive measures into law” states Linda Ng, National President of OCA. “This news came on the birthday of Vincent Chin, who would be 66 today if he had not been brutally beaten and murdered in 1982 due to xenophobia and anti-Asian-fueled hatred. We will continue to advocate and educate our communities, our allies, and others to stop hate that targets our communities.”
If you, your family members, someone you know, or community members have experienced xenophobia, discrimination, or harassment, please report the incident using our hate crime/incident reporting tool at www.aapihatecrimes.org.
OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates is a national social justice organization of community advocates dedicated to improving the social, political, and economic well-being of Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs).
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