FBI Report: 2020 saw the highest number of hate crimes in 12 years.

SCREEN CAPTURE

The surge of anti-Asian hate has spurred protests across the country.

While most of the U.S. remembers 2020 as the year of COVID-19,  the FBI's Hate Crime Statistics for 2020 confirms that for AAPI, it will be remembered as the year of hate. 

The number of reported hate crimes nationwide against Asian and Black people sharply increasedby 6.1% in 2020 as compared to the previous year, according to new FBI data released Monday.

Hate crimes targeting people of Asian descent rose by a whopping 70% last year compared with the number of such incidents in 2019, the FBI said. The increase marks the highest number of reported hate crimes since 2008.

“Last year saw a 6.1% increase in hate crime reports, and in particular, hate crimes motivated by race, ethnicity and ancestry, and by gender identity," said Attorney General Merrick Garland. "These numbers confirm what we have already seen and heard from communities, advocates and law enforcement agencies around the country. And these numbers do not account for the many hate crimes that go unreported.

“These statistics show a rise in hate crimes committed against Black and African-Americans, already the group most often victimized. Notably, they show a rise in hate crimes committed against members of the Asian American Pacific Islander community," said Garland.

The increase of hate crimes against AAPI communities coincided with the outbreak in the United States of the Covid-19 pandemic, which some racists have unjustly blamed on Asian Americans because of the coronavirus’ origin in China. Rhetoric attacking the Chinese government Donald Trump and his allies contributed to the anti-Asian American sentiment.

The 2020 data, submitted by 15,150 law enforcement agencies, provide information about the offenses, victims, offenders, and locations of hate crimes. Law enforcement agencies submitted incident reports involving 7,764 criminal incidents and 10,539 related offenses as being motivated by bias toward race, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender, and gender identity. 

It should be noted that the UCR Program does not estimate offenses for the jurisdictions that do not submit reports. There are more than 18,000 agencies in the United States and more than 3,000 did not submit their crime statistics in 2020 guaranteeing that the number of hate crimes is actually much higher. 

In addition, law enforcement agencies do not apply the same definition of what constitutes a hate crime. The data also does not count incidents of hate that do not meet the standards of a crime that can be brought before a court.

A distrust of law enforcement also contributes to the underreporting of hate crimes.

"A lot of our community members don't know they can report, or they are afraid to report to law enforcement," said Quyen Dinh, executive director of Southeast Asia Resource Action Center, in a CNN interview. "They would rather share with the community groups they feel comfortable with."

Other highlights of Hate Crime Statistics, 2020, follow. (Due to rounding, percentage breakdowns may not add to 100.0 percent.) 

• There were 7,559 single-bias incidents involving 10,535 victims. A percent distribution of victims by bias type shows that 61.9% of victims were targeted because of the offenders’ race/ethnicity/ancestry bias, 20.5% were victimized because of the offenders’ sexual-orientation bias, 13.4% were targeted because of the offenders’ religious bias, 2.5% were targeted because of the offenders’ gender identity bias, 1.0% were victimized because of the offenders’ disability bias, and 0.7% were victimized because of the offenders’ gender bias.

• There were 205 multiple-bias hate crime incidents that involved 333 victims. Offenses by Crime Category

• Of the 7,430 hate crime offenses classified as crimes against persons in 2020, 53.4 percent were for intimidation, 27.6% were for simple assault, and 18.1% were for aggravated assault. Twenty-two murders and 19 rapes were reported as hate crimes. The remaining 27 hate crime offenses were reported in the category of other.

• Of the 2,916 hate crime offenses classified as crimes against property, most (76.4%) were acts of destruction/damage/vandalism. Robbery, burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, arson, and other offenses accounted for the remaining 23.6% of crimes against property. 

• 193 additional offenses were classified as crimes against society. This crime category represents society’s prohibition against engaging in certain types of activity such as gambling, prostitution, and drug violations. These are typically victimless crimes in which property is not the object.

The FBI report and reports from AAPI communities have caught the attention of President Biden. In the first week of his administration, he issued an executive order condemning the surge in attacks against people of Asian descen and ordering all federal agencies to find ways to reduce the incidents. In May, he signed the bipartisan COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, expediting Justice Department reviews of anti-Asian hate crimes and making available federal grants.

“These hate crimes and other bias-related incidents instill fear across entire communities and undermine the principles upon which our democracy stands," said Garland. "All people in this country should be able to live without fear of being attacked or harassed because of where they are from, what they look like, whom they love or how they worship."

EDITOR'S NOTE: For more commentary and references, follow me on Twitter @dioknoed.

H.E.R. set to make her acting debut in 'The Color Purple' film adaptation

H.E.R., aka Gabriella Wilson

 

Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson, better known as R&B singer H.E.R., will make her movie debut in a new film adaptation of the Broadway musical version of The Color Purple.

The 24-year old Filipino American performer and songwriter will play Squeak — a juke joint waitress/aspiring singer — in the film adaptation produced by Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg, reports the Hollywood Reporter.

The Oscar and Grammy winner, has expressed a desire to be a multi-dimensional and multi-faceted performer. In an earlier interview for Variety, she said, “There is so much I want to do.

"People don’t really get to see my comedic and fun side, except for when I’m impersonating my aunt,” she joked. 

“But I definitely want to do a lot more voice-overs, and comedy, but also some serious roles,” said Wilson, whose father is Black and mother is a Filipino.

The new adaptation is based on Alice Walker’s 1982 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel and adapted from the 1985 film and the Tony-winning musical — which starred Jennifer Hudson and Cynthia Erivo, respectively. 

The only other person cast so far is In the Heights star Corey Hawkins. Blitz Bazawule, who was signed on as director.

In the works since 2018, the new film is scheduled to be released in December, 2023.

California must stop turning over incarcerated firefighters over to ICE

Incarcerated immigrants like Phi Pham, above, are fighting California's wildfires
and deportation by ICE.

By Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo and Phi Pham

Earlier this summer, as devastating wildfires were about to erupt across California, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents approached the firehouse at Folsom State Prison.

But they weren’t there to help fight the terrifying blazes that have now burned 1.3 million acres this year and counting.

Instead, they had come to detain Phi Pham, a Vietnamese refugee and incarcerated firefighter who had earned release from state prison.

If not for where he was born, Phi would have been free that day. He would have reunited with his family in Hayward, California, and pursued his dream of becoming a professional firefighter.

Instead, under a cruel state policy, prison officials transferred Phi to ICE. Even as California’s wildfires grow with terrifying speed, he now languishes in an ICE detention center in Colorado.

As a state legislator and an immigrant myself, I am angered by the double-punishment that Phi — and so many other immigrants who served their time, including other firefighters — have been subjected to.

Working with a broad coalition of organizations across the state, I’m proud to author the VISION Act (AB 937), which would protect refugees and immigrants from being funneled into ICE detention when they earn release from jails and prisons.

With a crucial Senate hearing, Thursday, August 26, I am hopeful that my colleagues in the Senate, and soon after, Governor Newsom, will champion this bill.

As legislators gather in Sacramento, Phi will remain locked in ICE detention a thousand miles away from his family and community. While he can’t join next week’s hearing, I want to share a message Phi sent me from detention:

“If the VISION Act was the law back in June, I would be working right now to become a professional firefighter to protect our state.

I came to the U.S. when I was only four months old. My parents were refugees from Vietnam who survived the war, and I was born in a refugee camp in the Philippines. Growing up in Hayward, my family never had much. My parents struggled, and I was bullied at school. Fearing for my safety, I joined a gang for protection.

Ten years ago, when I was 20 years old, I made the biggest mistake in my life and shot a man during an argument at an In-and-Out. What I did was wrong. During my time in prison, I worked hard to change my life and to make amends for the harm I caused. When I became a firefighter, I was proud to protect people and give back to the community. After a decade focusing on my rehabilitation, I earned release through the rigorous board of parole hearing process

But now that I’ve been turned over to ICE and ordered deported, I don’t know what will happen. I am afraid I will be deported to a country I have never stepped foot in and become homeless.”

Phi’s story underscores that when we use our state and local resources to transfer people who’ve earned release to ICE, we ignore their hard fought rehabilitation and their contributions to our communities.

Phi is one of a growing number of currently and formerly incarcerated community members who’ve lived the pain of ICE transfers and are calling for change. He joins domestic violence survivors like Gabby Solano and Liyah Birru, community leaders like Joe Mejia and Carlos Muñoz, and formerly incarcerated firefighters Kao Saelee, Bounchan Keola and Leonel.

These brave voices are the anchoring force for a statewide coalition that’s 180 organizations strong. They’ve won the support of local governments, legislative caucuses and labor unions. And they have transformed public opinion, with a new poll conducted by UC San Diego showing two thirds of California voters support the VISION Act.

Phi should be home right now, preparing to fight the monstrous fires threatening our state. Governor Newsom has a powerful opportunity to right this wrong by issuing a pardon for Phi — and signing the VISION Act when it reaches his desk.

About the authors: Wendy Carrillo is a member of the California State Assembly and lead author of the Vision Act, AB 937. Phi Pham is an incarcerated firefighter now in ICE custody with a pending deportation proceeding.

U.S. health care relies on Filipinxs while ignoring their health needs

PHILIPPINE NURSES ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA

By Carlos Irwin A. Oronce, MD

REPRINTED FROM THE JOURNAL OF AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION

In the US, Filipinxs are the third largest Asian subgroup and have represented a crucial part of the country’s health care workforce since the mid-20th century. Although the 2.9 million Filipinxs in the US represent about 1% of the population, approximately 1 of 4 Filipinx working adults are frontline health care workers. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacted a disproportionate toll on Filipinx communities in the US and on Filipinx health care workers, specifically. 

The absence of disaggregated race/ethnicity data for COVID-19 has masked how the pandemic has affected Filipinxs in the US. Policy makers and researchers must recognize that these disparities are not limited to COVID-19 but are a critical example of how data aggregation under a single Asian category has hidden the health needs of the Filipinx population.

Missing in the Data, Missing in Policy Discussions

Aggregate race/ethnicity data for COVID-19 cases and deaths mask the disproportionate burden on Asian subgroups, including Filipinxs in the US, leaving these disparities unrecognized and unaddressed. Asians comprise nearly 6% of the US population but only about 3% of COVID-19 cases and 4% of its deaths, suggesting that Asian Americans are not disproportionately affected by COVID-19. 

Yet a different picture has emerged for Filipinxs in Hawaii, the only state which publicly reports disaggregated Asian data: Filipinx residents comprise 16% of the population but 22% of COVID-19 deaths. 

Similar analyses are not possible nationally or in any other state. While some states may collect data on Filipinxs, these data are typically restricted and only available through public information requests. For example, Filipinxs comprise 42% of COVID-19 deaths among Asian adults (18-64 years) in California despite making up just 20% of the state’s nonelderly Asian adult population. No other Asian subgroup accounted for more than 15% of deaths.

Filipinx Share of COVID-19 Deaths Among Asians and Share of the Asian Population of California in 2020, by Single Race Non–Latino Asian Subgroup of Adults (18-64 Years)

Importantly, this disparate impact of COVID-19 would have remained undetected without the media, research, and advocacy efforts that exposed the higher burden on Filipinxs, especially among health care workers. The grassroots transnational organization, AF3IRM has a poignant online tribute to fallen Filipinx health care workers (https://www.kanlungan.net/). A report by National Nurses United showed that Filipinxs comprise an estimated 32% of COVID-19 deaths among nurses in the US despite representing only 4% of nurses nationally.

Moreover, the lack of disaggregated COVID-19 mortality data in public health surveillance systems hides the mortality burden among Filipinx health care workers. Researchers have undertaken “work-around” studies that use the conventional data available to corroborate inferences made by online tributes and ad hoc reports. 

One such work-around study by Escobedo and colleagues using data from the 2018 American Community Survey 5-year estimates showed that having a higher percentage of Filipinxs in a county’s health care workforce was significantly associated with a greater share of COVID-19 deaths among Asian Americans. In the conventional data surveillance infrastructure used to assess health disparities, the toll of COVID-19 among Filipinx communities has not been recognized.

The disproportionate mortality among Filipinx nurses is particularly alarming given the historical reasons that contributed to the high representation of Filipinxs in the health care workforce. US-sponsored nursing schools were established in the Philippines during the American colonial period (1898-1946), followed by a deliberate immigration policy that recruited health care workers from the Philippines to address US workforce shortages. 

Currently, nurses from the Philippines represent a majority of internationally educated nurses in the US and are more likely to work in inpatient and critical care units, thereby facing a higher risk of occupational exposure to COVID-19. 

Moreover, 18% of Asian Americans live in a household with at least 1 health care worker, the second highest percentage across all race/ethnicity groups. This proportion is even higher among Filipinx households, 38% of which are both multigenerational and include at least 1 health care worker. These data suggest that occupational and structural factors have contributed to a greater risk of COVID-19 exposure and transmission among Filipinxs.

Data Aggregation as a Contributor to Filipinx Health Disparities

Data aggregation has not only obscured the disproportionate effect of COVID-19 on specific racial/ethnic subgroups, but it has also hampered the ability to monitor for preexisting risk factors contributing to higher mortality among subgroups. 

Efforts to identify health disparities among Filipinxs often rely on data from the California Health Interview Survey because, to our knowledge, it is the only large-scale health survey in the US that disaggregates Filipinx data and therefore allows robust analyses. A study of this survey data by Adia and colleagues found that Filipinxs were three times more likely to have hypertension and two times more likely to have diabetes—both of which are risk factors for severe COVID-19—compared with White individuals in California. 

The aggregation of Asian groups in most public health data has systematically obscured Filipinx disparities related to long-term conditions, limiting the ability to leverage official statistics to garner support for investment and interventions focused on addressing these disparities.

The idea that data disaggregation is imperative for identifying health disparities among individual Asian American groups, including Filipinxs, has long preceded the COVID-19 pandemic. While efforts by organizations in civil society have provided important signals regarding Filipinx health, these organizations do not have the same capacity as federal and state governments, which carry the ultimate responsibility for collecting data to guide public health response. The success of the California Health Interview Survey in drawing attention to health disparities for Asian subgroups, such as Filipinxs, illustrates that high quality race/ethnicity data can be collected feasibly.9

Without disaggregated data for Asian subgroups, Filipinxs have been ignored in public health planning efforts, perpetuating health disparities within a community that has shouldered a disproportionate share of the frontline health care work. Therefore, the inaction of government and health care institutions to collect and report detailed race/ethnicity information must be reframed not as the default choice, but as an active choice that perpetuates preventable disparities.

Implications for COVID-19 and Beyond

While the increased availability of COVID-19 vaccines will provide an end to the pandemic, policy makers should take concrete steps to ensure an equitable recovery that will also prepare the country for a more equitable response to future health challenges. Public health surveillance and health care delivery systems must adequately capture granular self-reported race and ethnicity data. The routine collection of these data would be consistent with the proposed data collection standards issued by the US Department of Health and Human Services for population surveys.10 Adoption of such policies are important first steps toward keeping an equity focus during the post–COVID-19 recovery, particularly for Filipinx health care workers and Filipinx communities in the US.

About the author: Carlos Irwin A. Oronce, MD, MPH, National Clinician Scholars Program, University of California Los Angeles, (coronce@mednet.ucla.edu). Originally published July 23, 2021. Read the entire article here.

California governor receives key AAPI endorsement against his recall

GOVERNOR'S OFFICE

California Gov Gavin Newsom, left, swears in Rob Bonta as Attorney General.

California's Asian American and Pacific Islander voters could be a key demographic in the state's upcoming recall election deciding the fate of Gov. Gavin Newsom.

The AAPI Victory Fund today endorsed Newsom in his bid to stave off a partisan, right-wing attempt to recall him and urged all AAPI voters to vote “no” on the recall.

“We are throwing our support behind Governor Gavin Newsom and asking the AAPI community to send in their ballots marked NO against recalling a progressive Governor of California," said the Victory Fund's Chairman Shekar Narasimhan.

"Governor Newsom has been an ally to the AAPI community and this scurrilous effort by a right-wing minority must be defeated.”

The endorsement is likely aimed at shoring up Newsom's support among Asian American and Pacific Islander voters who helped produce Republican victories in House races in California suburbs in 2020 and are being courted by the GOP.

The diverse AAPI community makes up about 18% of Californians according to the 2020 Census. In the rest of the nation, the AAPI communities comprise about 7% of the population.

The AAPI Victory Fund will support Newsom heavily with canvassing, field organizing and fundraising, and will devote as many resources as necessary to fight back against the extreme, right-wing Republicans seeking the governor's ouster.

The governor has been reaching out to the AAPI and Latino electorate leading up to the Sept. 14 election day. Besides the Victory Fund endorsement, Newsom earlier received the endorsements from the California Asian Pacific American21 (CAPA21), a progressive political action group and 124 AAPI politicians holding elected offices in the state.

Newsom has been a dedicated ally of the AAPI community. He’s repeatedly spoken out against hateful rhetoric and anti-AAPI hate crimes, and he recently approved the first-ever Asian Pacific Islander Equity budget, a historic investment which allocated over $156 million to advocacy groups committed to using noncarceral alternatives to combat violence against the AAPI community. 

He also appointed Rob Bonta as the first Filipino American to serve as the state’s Attorney General.

Republicans are betting that anger and frustration generated by Newsom's aggressive health policies to stem the spread of COVID-19 -- masking, social distancing, -- plus, Trump loyalists and anti-tax advocates will motivate voters against the governor.

Newsom enjoys a number of advantages, chiefly the nearly 2-to-1 voter registration Democrats have over Republicans in deep-blue California. Democrats believe the danger is voter apathy and overconfident voters staying home.

Larry Elder, the conservative radio host who is leading several other replacement candidates in the polls, has also been mired in scandal over allegations of domestic abuse by his ex-fiancée.

But he also helped produce a budget surplus, some of which he used to purchase personal protective equipment for health care workers when the pandemic hit California; instituted environmental policies for cleaner air and water and  used the courts to challenge Donald Trump's anti-immigrant policies.

Polls have shown a tight contest in the recall election, with recent surveys showing Newsom narrowly beating out the campaign to oust him. Newsom has widened his lead this past week from a virtual dead heat to a 4 percentage point margin; 50.6 in his favor and 46.3% wishing to vote him out of office.

Voting day is Sept. 14, but the state has sent out mail-in ballots to all California's voters, which can be mailed in or put in designated drop boxes before election day.

Afghan refugees arriving; agencies offering assistance kick into gear

U.S. MARINE CORPS

Afghans refugees and Americans board a military cargo plane to escape Afghanistan.

The Biden administration has asked U.S.refugee aid organizations to prepare to receive and resettle the thousands of Afghans fleeing the Taliban takeover of their home country.

According to White House officials, more than 82,000 people have been evacuated from Afghanistan since the Taliban took control. Of those, 4,500 were American citizens. Most of the other evacuees had secured limited special immigrant visas, reserved for people who have worked with the U.S. or NATO. 

Refugees have been arriving at Dulles International Airport in Virginia where they are being processed, tested for COVID-19 and offered vaccinations and medical treatment. From there, they are sent to military installations spread across the nation.

American civilians, green card holders, Afghans who served along U.S. forces and have Special Immigrant Visas and another group called vulnerable Afghans. That includes people who have not quite completed the 14 steps to get a Special Immigrant Visa.

Applicants in earlier stages are being sent to third countries, including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Germany. In those countries, the evacuees  undergo "robust security processing," said a senior administration official.

Besides the Americans leaving, which includes government workers, employees  of non-government organizations and private businesses, as many as 50,000 Aghan refugees who worked with the Western agencies or assisted the U.S.  and their families are among those leaving Afghanistan.

* * *

Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey, is among the first military bases to receive the refugees.

“We will welcome Afghan refugees with open arms here in New Jersey at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst,” NJ Gov. Phil Murphy said in a tweet. “Our state has always served as a shining beacon of hope to the world, and we will do everything in our power to help these refugees rebuild their lives.”

A press release from the New Jersey base says that the facility is prepared to house 9,000 people.

Reports from various news sources say other military installations, Fort Bliss in Texas and Fort McCoy in Wisconsin, are beginning to accept the refugees.

Concurrently, U.S. nonprofits are scrambling to hire new employees, train volunteers, raise funds to find housing and jobs for the wave of refugees. The first batch of Afghan refugees are already arriving after President Biden ordered the U.S. military leave Afghanistan after a 20-year presence.

After initial processing, the Afghans are are being sent to one of four military bases across the country, where they to complete paperwork and undergo medical exams before being sent to local communities across the country or to family members already in the U.S.

Connecticut-based Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services, for instance, has received two families and expects to resettle 400 to 500 individuals over the next 12 months, according to Chris George, the group's executive director

* * *

Forth Bliss, Texas is one of the military bases where initial processing is taking place.

El Paso Congressmember Veronica Escobar said Monday that more than 650 Afghan refugees had arrived at the military installation as of Saturday. Fort Bliss officials on Sunday had indicated additional arrivals would be continuing over the next several days.

For those non-American citizens who clear security, arrangements are made for them to meet up with family members or receive assistance from local nonprofits.

"The number of people coming, it can’t be a few sites. It’s going to be everybody, all hands on deck. Lots of people ending up in lots of communities," said Russell Smith, Refugee Services of Texas.

Smith says they literally have no lead time because of rapid developments on the ground in Afghanistan. He said in some cases, they are getting just four hours’ notice of people arriving.

"We are having to kind of scramble my staff, it’s all hands on deck," Smith said. "We're putting them in hotels until we can get an apartments set up. We're trying to be as nimble as we can to make sure that we're welcoming the families and then getting them settled."

U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, told The Texas Tribune that Fort Bliss can expect up to 10,000 refugees to pass through the Army base.

* * *

California Gov. Gavin Newsom took a break from campaigning against an election calling for his recall, to say: 

“We’re a state of refuge. I’m proud of the fact over the last decade California has taken in more refugees than any other state in America, and I’m proud of the fact a disproportionate number of Afghani refugees are here in Northern California, not just here in the south, but also up in Sacramento County. We’re already working in terms of a lot of those refugees coming in and working with CBOs and non-profit organizations to make sure that they feel welcome and celebrated as members of our community.”

In the San Francisco Bay Area, Jewish Family Services of Silicon Valley and Jewish Family & Community Services East Bay is preparing to support 130 families, according to J., the Jewish News of Northern California. The East Bay organization has been helping Afghans resettle for years, but has never tried to support so many families so quickly, the newspaper reported.

The San Francisco Bay Area and Northern California is home to the largest Afghan community in the United States.

In Southern California, Jewish Family Service of San Diego told the Times of San Diego it has resettled 74 Afghans since Aug. 6 and is preparing for an untold number of additional arrivals.

“Most cases are assigned to JFS with little more than 24 hours’ notice before arrival, though all have prior connections — whether family or friends — to the San Diego region,” Etleva Bejko, the director of refugee and immigration services for the nonprofit organization, told the paper.

* * *

Fort McCoy, Wisconsin's only active military installation, has been preparing for refugees since early last week. The 60,000 acre base between Sparta and Tomah could house as many as 2,000 refugees at one time in its barracks, which are typically used to house U.S. service members as they train or prepare to head overseas. 

About 1,000 service members from multiple units of the U.S. Army and Army Reserve have begun to assemble at Fort McCoy to provide support to "Operation Allies Refuge."

Refugees will be housed at Fort McCoy for an unknown amount of time, depending on if they need to quarantine.

* * *

“This is not going to be a routine refugee settlement,’' said Chris George, the executive director of the Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services in Connecticuttf. “This is more akin to emergency evacuation.’'

“The one key element that we don’t have control over and can be a major obstacle is the lack of housing,’' George told the Hartford Courant. “That’s what I’ve been spending a lot of my time on recently. … We are sending out mass emails. We are reaching out to churches and synagogues — all in the hope of trying to find more apartments where we can place these people when they arrive.’'

The New Haven agency can resettle as many as 200 refugees over the next four months — a huge total when 200 is the normal average for the entire year, George said. When combined with the help of a second nonprofit agency, Bridgeport-based Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants, Inc., George said the overall total in Connecticut could reach as high as 1,000 over the next 12 months.

"We're preparing for unprecedented numbers," said George.

* * *

Airbnb says it will provide housing to 20,000 Afghan refugees around the world for free. The refugees will be staying in properties listed on the company's website.

Tuesday, Airbnb and Airbnb.org announced that Airbnb.org is providing temporary housing to 20,000 Afghan refugees worldwide – the cost of which is funded through contributions to Airbnb.org from Airbnb and Brian Chesky, as well as donors to the Airbnb.org Refugee Fund.

Airbnb and Airbnb.org recognize that the situation on the ground is fast evolving. Airbnb.org will closely collaborate with resettlement agencies and partners to go where the need goes, and evolve this initiative and our support as necessary. In addition, given the tremendous need, Airbnb urges fellow members of the global business community to join efforts to provide immediate support to Afghan refugees.“As tens of thousands of Afghan refugees resettle around the world, where they stay will be the first chapter in their new lives," said Chesky. "For these 20,000 refugees, my hope is that the Airbnb community will provide them with not only a safe place to rest and start over, but also a warm welcome home.”

* * *

A CBS News/YouGov poll released Sunday found 81% of the 2,142 U.S. adults surveyed said the U.S. should “help those Afghans come to the U.S.,” while just 19% said they should not.

Taking in those Afghans, who worked as intelligence sources, drivers and in other support roles of the U.S. effort, has support from 90% of Democrats, 79% of independents and Trump voters and 76% of Republicans in the poll.

How you can help

Resettlement agencies are rebuilding after Donald Trump slashed refugee admissions to the lowest level since the U.S. program began in 1980, forcing the groups to cut staff and close offices.

Nevertheless, there are a number of nonprofit agencies assisting Afghan refugees in the United States and those still in Afghanistan. Click here for more information.

Saweetie's McDonald's meal gives new meaning to "halo-halo"

McDONALD'S

Saweetie creates a new dish using ingredients from her McDonald's meal.

Filipino American rap artist Saweetie's McDonald's meal is a big meal. The idea, the rap star recommends, is to mix it up to create a new dish.

It's kind of like halo-halo, (literally translated: "mix-mix") the Filipino dessert made up of several ingredients like ube ice cream, sweet beans, jello, heart of palm, flan, evaporated milk and crushed ice, then topped with something crunchy like nuts or Rice Krispeys.  To eat it properly, one has to mix all the ingredients together.

RELATED: Saweetie on the cover of 'Cosmopolitan'

The Saweetie Meal, features a Big Mac®, 4-piece Chicken McNuggets®, medium World Famous Fries®, a medium Sprite®, Tangy BBQ Sauce and "Saweetie 'N Sour" sauce – the same Sweet 'N Sour sauce you know and love, re-named in honor of the new meal.

"Hopefully, everyone enjoys the concoction because the point of the meal is to remix it in different ways, whether it’s making a crazy burger or combining the fries [with] the nugget box and creating some type of rendition of nachos, so I’m just really excited to see everyone enjoy their meals," the Filipino American artist told Asian Journal.

The Saweetie meal is the latest promo McDonald's using celebrities. The BTS meal with the superstar K-pop group, was featured during Asian American ,Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander Heritage Month last May.

The culinary offering lasts until Sept. 5. It can be ordered through the McDonald’s App, at participating McDonald’s or through McDelivery. McDonald’s. If you order with the app, you are eligible for more prizes including a trip to Las Vegas to watch a  Saweetie concert.

Saweetie has gained quite a reputation for mixing up foods and posting the concoctions on her social media pages. Anyone for ranch dressing on spaghettie withtomato sauce? How about putting Cheetos atop your pizza? Anyone for Ramen chicken seasoning on oysters?

So her McDonald's meal doesn't so strange now, does it?

The fast food chain and McDonald expanded their collaboration Monday (Aug. 23). Saweetie fans can now pair their curated McDonald’s dining experience with pieces from a newly unveiled merch collection.

The pieces will be available for a limited time, with prices starting at $18. Featured are hoodies, a crewneck, a pair of t-shirt designs, a fanny pack, joggers, shorts, a trucker hat, and more.

“Now ya’ll know I stay dipped in the latest fashion, so it was only right I drop some icy merch to celebrate my McDonald’s collab,” Saweetie said in a press release. “There are so many oversized pieces that I love, like my favorites: the Saweetie ’N Sour Hoodie and Fry Tees.”

See more from the collection below. A special site has also been launched, serving as the lone space for collecting pieces from the collection. Find that here.

Saweeite, was born Diamonté Quiava Valentin Harper, with a Filipino Chinese mother and a Black father who is also a pastor. Growing up in the Bay Area, she was exposed to a diverse community and their different cuisines.

“The Bay Area is such a melting pot. You have Asian food and off rip, you have Filipino food, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese food. And then you have Spanish food. And then of course you have soul food.”

With her mom and lola's cooking and encouragement, it is not surprise for her love of Filipino food. “I grew up eating tons of Filipino food. I love sinigang, I love adobo, pancit, lumpia,” she lists off. “Even Filipino breakfast. Filipino breakfast is like a sunny side up egg with spam, Vienna sausage, some white rice. Maybe a slice of mango with some mango juice. That shit is so good.”

“Filipino food makes me happy,” Saweetie sighs contentedly. “If it’s good, I’ll just savor in the moment. And if it’s really good, I start dancing. I just can’t help myself!"

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is not an ad for McDonald's nor am I receiving compensation of any sort for this article.

Are America’s schools safe for AAPI students?

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. 

By  Charissa S. L. Cheah, Aggie Yellow Horse and Kevin A. Gee,

As schools reopen and students return to their classrooms after 18 months of homeschooling because of the coronavirus virus, AAPI parents worry about safety for their children from that other virus -- hate.

The rise in anti-Asian hate crimes during the pandemic has prompted many Asian American parents to enroll their children in remote learning out of concern for their child’s safety at school. Asian American youths are enrolled in remote learning at much higher rates than other racial groups. 

Federal data show that 78% of Asian American eighth graders attended school virtually in February 2021, whereas just 59% of Black, 59% of Latino and 29% of white students attended school virtually.

Below, three scholars address school safety for Asian American students.

Are America’s schools safe for Asian Americans?

AGGIE J. YELLOW HORSE
Assistant professor of Asian Pacific American Studies at Arizona State University

Data show that many Asian American youths have experienced anti-Asian violence in the past year.

Asian Americans have experienced a great deal of racial harassment amid the COVID-19 pandemic. A recent survey found that 1 in 8 Asian Americans reported experiencing anti-Asian hate incidents in 2020. The victims of that harassment aren’t just adults – they include students.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, more than 3,800 hate incidents targeting Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have been reported to the Stop AAPI Hate National Reporting Center. Among the incidents early in the pandemic, 16% percent of the targets were Asian American youths ages 12-20.

The majority of the young victims, about 80%, reported being bullied or verbally harassed. In over half the incidents, the perpetrator used anti-Asian hate rhetoric. About 1 in 5 hate incidents happened at school.

National trends before the pandemic suggested that Asian American students were already more likely to experience racial discrimination, such as race-related name-calling, from their peers at school than other categories of students. About 11% of Asian American students reported being called hate-related words, compared with 6.3% of white students in 2015. A separate study found that bullying and physical violence were less of an issue for Asian American students. Only about 7.3% reported being bullied at school in 2017, compared with 23% of white students.

How common race-based harassment against Asian students is can vary based on different factors, such as where students live, their gender, grades or immigration status. For example, a study from California found that Asian American sixth graders in California reported being bullied and victimized at higher rates than other racial groups.

What are the biggest worries for Asian American youth and parents?

CHARISSA S.K. CHEAH
Professor of psychology at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Many Asian American parents are worried that their children will be the victims of discrimination once school reopens.

Asian American parents are worried about schools reopening. NPR3.38 MB (download)

In one survey, nearly 1 in 2 Chinese American parents and 1 in 2 Chinese American youth reported being directly targeted with COVID-19 racial discrimination in person or online. About 4 in 5 of these parents and their children also reported witnessing racism directed at someone else of their own race either online or in person.

Despite their concerns, some parents may avoid talking to their children about anti-Asian racism to avoid scaring them while they are at school. Even if parents want to have the “race talk” with their children, many struggle with how to talk to their children about the potential racism they might encounter. Some parents may not have been taught these lessons while growing up and are grappling with how to make sense of these experiences.

Anti-Asian racism is also associated with greater depressive symptoms and anxiety in Chinese American parents and their children. A majority of Americans blame China for its mishandling of the coronavirus outbreak. Researchers have found that even thinking that one’s racial or ethnic group is viewed by the general public as a threat to the health of Americans is linked to poorer mental health in both Chinese American parents and youths.

Asian Americans are less likely than non-Hispanic white Americans to seek mental health help. This is due in part to perceived stigma, language barriers and lack of mental health providers of the same ethnicity. These disparities are even greater for Asian American families with fewer financial resources.

Some Asian American parents have also expressed concerns about the ability of schools to maintain appropriate COVID-19-related health and safety measures. They are worried about the health risks that children exposed to others at school might bring home. Asians Americans are more likely to live in a multigenerational household, in which older adults might be at a higher health risk.

Even if parents choose to keep their children home because of one or several of these concerns, they are getting the message that in-person education is superior to virtual education. Being out of physical school could cause Asian Americans to miss out on these opportunities and resources even more. Also, due to the “model minority myth,” which characterizes Asian Americans as successful, the needs of this very diverse group, including a large number of immigrant and refugee Asian families in the U.S., are often overlooked. With 30% of Asian Americans reporting limited English proficiency, these families are more difficult to reach. The fears of being harassed also make some parents reluctant to access educational materials or free meals or even reach out to teachers or counselors for help.

What can schools do to reduce threats to Asian American students?

KEVIN GEE
Associate professor in the school of education at the University of California Davis

Helping students build strong and supportive relationships with each other can reduce their physical victimization and buffer the negative effects of discrimination Asian Americans face.

Schools can also create supportive environments by implementing a range of evidence-based approaches, such as building teachers’ cultural knowledge and strengthening teacher-student relationships. Activities like engaging students in class discussions about bullying have been shown to reduce bullying.

Alongside initiatives to build supportive environments, schools should also consider partnering with parents. Directly engaging Asian American parents in anti-bullying initiatives can help reduce victimization. For example, schools can collaborate with parents to craft disciplinary policies on bullying. Schools can also hold workshops to teach parents how to handle and prevent bullying.

In order to reduce threats and eradicate harm, I believe schools will need to consider whether they are doing enough to protect Asian American youth. One landmark case underscores this. In the aftermath of violent attacks on Asian American students at South Philadelphia High School in 2009, a Department of Justice investigation revealed that the school district was “deliberately indifferent” to harassment against Asian students that fueled the attacks.

A key takeaway: Harms against Asian American students can be systemic and require broader structural solutions. When South Philadelphia High School began to do more to promote multicultural awareness and improved systems to report and investigate harassment, the school saw fewer violent incidents.

To make Asian American youth feel safe and protected, schools need to track, report and respond to incidents of hate against Asian Americans, especially among Asian American ethnic subgroups. Subgroup data, often lacking on Asian Americans, can be a powerful tool in revealing potential disparities and highlighting groups that schools need to target for support.

I believe schools also need to invest in longer-term systemic changes such as including a more complete history of Asian Americans in U.S. social studies curricula.

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The writers: Charissa S. L. Cheah, Professor of Psychology, University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Aggie Yellow Horse, Assistant Professor of Asian Pacific American Studies, Arizona State University, and Kevin A. Gee, Associate Professor of Education, University of California, Davis