SEATTLE, WA (February 10, 2021) – The
National Asian Pacific Center on Aging (NAPCA) condemns continued hate
crimes, racism, and acts of discrimination against Asian American Pacific
Islander (AAPI) older adults and issues a call to action for communities
across the nation. Our call to action: Legislators and government
officials need to hear directly from you. Please call the White House,
contact your federal, state, and local elected officials, and tell them
that they need to act against hate crimes and acts of discrimination
targeting AAPI older adults. You can find your representative’s
contact information here.
“There is no greater form of cowardice
than the act of aggression against our society’s older adults. We call on
President Biden, Congress, state and local legislators to immediately
advance stronger laws and call for stricter enforcement to protect our elders
from hate crimes, acts of discrimination, and abuse,” said Joon Bang,
President & CEO of NAPCA. “Preliminary data through our national
COVID-19 Effects on the Mental and Physical Health of Asian Americans
& Pacific Islanders (AAPI) Survey Study (COMPASS) suggests that
many of the 4,000+ COMPASS participants have reported discrimination in
one form or another (e.g., treated unfairly at restaurants or stores,
threatened or harassed) based on their race. We need elected officials to
publicly condemn those who prey upon the aging population, particularly
those of AAPI descent. We also need our communities throughout the nation
to take a stand against hate and alert the police when they witness hate
crimes directed toward older adults.”
|
|
|
In January, NAPCA, the University of
California San Francisco (UCSF), UNITED SIKHS, Chinese Community Center
of Houston, Hmong Cultural Center of Saint Paul, Greater Boston Chinese
Golden Age Center, and the Philip Jaisohn Memorial Foundation of
Philadelphia began working on the COVID-19 Effects on the Mental and
Physical Health of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Survey Study
(COMPASS) because of the increase in negative experiences felt by AAPI
communities throughout the pandemic. Recent news reports citing
targeted attacks on AAPI older adults are becoming a bigger problem
because of the lack of government intervention. NAPCA will continue to
work with the Leadership Council on Aging, National Council of Asian
Pacific Americans, and the Diverse Elders Coalition to advocate on behalf
of AAPI older adults.
NAPCA offers assistance in the form of
live, in-language Helpline counselors to support people who wish to
contact their government representatives. Bilingual live operators in
English, Vietnamese, Korean, Mandarin, and Cantonese will be available
Monday, Wednesday and Friday between the hours of 8:30 am – 1:00 pm
(PST). | | |
沒有留言:
發佈留言