Anti-vaxxers use racist imagery against Asian American lawmaker

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California Sen. Richard Pan speaks in behalf of his bill.

ASAM NEWS

Asian and Pacific Island legislators in California Tuesday (Sept. 10) denounced racist imagery directed at California State Sen. Richard Pan.

Opponents of a bill authored by Pan (D-Sacramento) and just signed by Governor Gavin Newsom tweeted photos of the Senator along with an image of Chairman Mao Zedong against a rising sun.

The tweet included three Asian American elected officials from other states who also support measures cracking down on doctors who grant medical exemptions for vaccinations.

In another tweet, actor and anti-vaxxer Rob Schneider wrote, “My Congratulations to the People’s Republic of Chinafornia Chairman Mao Jr. @DrPanMD…” Ironically, Schneider’s mother is half Filipino.

California’s SB 276, along with another bill (SB 714), give the state Department of Public Health authority to review medical exemptions to vaccinations issued by doctors. The bills were authored in an attempt to curb the number of unnecessary vaccination exemptions given by doctors.

The California Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus, which advocates for the interests of the diverse API communities throughout California, condemned the racist remarks made against Senator Pan.

“Racist rhetoric and imagery targeted at Senator Richard Pan and other Asian American leaders is dangerous and cannot be tolerated,” Assemblymember David Chiu (D-San Francisco), Chair of the Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus, said. “For too long, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have been seen as perpetual foreigners and generations of contributions from our communities have been ignored. We call on SB 276 opponents to publicly condemn the racism expressed by members of the anti-vaccination movement.”

Pan’s bill has drawn the ire of many anti-vaxxers. Within in the past week, several anti-vax protesters have descended on the capitol building in Sacramento to voice their concerns.

Much of the outrage has been aimed at Pan himself. A few weeks ago, according to Capitol Weekly, an anti-vaxxer shoved Pan when confronting him about vaccines.