Security guard dies after being shot while protecting a TV news crew from robbers

Kevin Nishita died after he prevented an attempted robbery of a television news crew.

A security guard protecting a television news crew has died after being shot in an attempted robbery.

Former police officer Kevin Nishita was shot Wednesday while assigned as security died for a KRON news crew working on a story in downtown Oakland about a rash of gang robberies in the Bay Area. He was shot trying to protect the journalists and their equipment from an attempted robbery.

A reward fund is offering $32,500 for information leading to the arrest of the individual or individuals in the attempted robbery.

Prior to becoming a security guard for Star Protection Agency California, Nishita was a sergeant for the Colma Police Department until his retirement in 2018. He joined the Colma police force in 2012 and served as a detective, field training officer and officer in charge before his promotion to sergeant in 2015. Previously, Nishita was also a police officer in Hayward and San Jose. 

Nishita is survived by his wife, two children and two grandchildren.

Anyone with information about Wednesday's incident is asked to contact the Oakland Police Department's Homicide Section at (510) 238-3821 or Crime Stoppers at (510) 777-8572. 

Donations to Kevin’s family can be made to the ‘Kevin Nishita Trust’ at Metropolitan Bank, located at 381 8th Street, Oakland 94601. Donations can be made in person at any Metropolitan Bank location or via mail.

New video shows Asian American teen had hands up in the air when he was fatally shot by police

SCREEN CAPTURE

Newly released video shows Christian Hall had his hands in the air when he was fatally shot.

Almost a year after he was shot to death by police, friends, family and supporters rallied Saturday for Christian Hall, a Chinese American teenager after a just-released video showed he had his hands in the air before police opened fire.

"Today marks 332 days that I have not seen my son,"  his Filipino American mother, Fe Hall, told the rally. "His death should not be in vain."

Hall was adopted and brought to the U.S. from China by his his parents when he was an infant. 

Christian Hall called 911 claiming that someone on a highway overpass n Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania had a gun and was threatening to commit suicide, according to police records.

Police responded and tried to have Christian Hall, who was experiencing a mental health crises, to put down his gun, which he held pointing up. For 90 minutes, police tried to get Hall to drop his weapon.

FAMILY PHOTO

Christian Hall, center, flanked by his parents.

The new video shows Christian Hall was standing still, with his hands still raised and his gun pointed up when 10 police officers opened Dec. 30 2020, according to a previously unseen video obtained by attorneys representing his family.

The new video, which was first broadcast by NBC and Spotlight PA, contradicts previous statements made by the Monroe County Office of the District Attorney that “Hall advanced towards police pointing his gun at them."

Based on officers' claims, the DA’s office stated in March the use of deadly force was justified. The teenager's weapon turned out to be a pellet gun that resembled a real pistol.

Devon Jacob, an attorney who represents Hall’s family, stated that the unedited video “definitively establishes that both stories are false,” and that “Christian was shot in direct response to an order that ‘If he doesn’t drop it, take him.’”

Hall's family is asking for an independent investigation. He should be here today,” Hall’s aunt Nicole Henriquez told BuzzFeed News on Thursday. “And I just feel there was a complete disregard, because of who he was racially.”

Earlier this month in East Stroudsburg, the same Pennsylvania town where Hall was killed, Daniel Koltun, who is white, fired a pellet gun at officers, who did not shoot back, according to the Pocono Record.

“This case absolutely needs an independent, unbiased investigation run by an agency not directly related to the case,” said state Rep. Maureen Madden in a statement. “Whether that’s Attorney General Josh Shapiro or even the FBI, the people involved deserve facts.”

“The refusal of the Monroe County DA’s office to refer the case, coupled with the release of the video that authorities previously blurred, is troubling and presents a real conflict,” the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus said Friday.

"We're doing this to have those who need to be accountable, be made accountable. So that there will be change," Fe Hall said to ABC News. "That cases like this, where there are killings that involve the police, there has to be an unbiased, independent investigation right away. That law has to be changed."

How Hmong farmers are building collective power in Minnesota

PINTEREST

Hmong American farmers have changed the face of Minnesota agriculture.

Minnesota's frigid winters are about as opposite of the tropical climes where the Hmong came from as refugees, yet not only have the transplanted people from Laos and Vietnam been able to adapt, they have planted roots in the state and thrived.

In a state where non-white farmers face considerable barriers, the Hmong American Farmers Association looks toward land ownership.

By Cirien Saadeh

REPRINTED FROM PRISM

Lillian Hang works at the Hang Family Farm in Vermillion Township, Minnesota, alongside her children, siblings, and parents, growing a mix of vegetables and herbs local to the area and those the family brought with them 30 years ago when they moved to the U.S. from Southeast Asia. From carrots, onions, and potatoes to lemongrass, Thai basil, mustard greens, and bitter melons, the Hangs and other Hmong American farm families who’ve come to Minnesota as immigrants from Thailand, Laos, and other areas of Southeast Asia have helped reshape the state’s agriculture and contributed significantly to the growth of local farmers markets over the last 30 years. And they’re continuing to innovate, growing new crops that might not be expected to thrive in Minnesota’s notoriously frigid climate.

“Mom and Dad are testing with sweet potatoes … Japanese sweet potatoes, the purple sweet potatoes, as well as these cream-colored sweet potatoes. For the longest time, people said, ‘You cannot grow those in Minnesota. It’s too cold,’” said Hang.

But even as Hmong farmers like the Hang family have made an impact locally, many continue to face barriers to land ownership that have left their farms struggling to put down roots. There are approximately 400-500 Hmong farm families in the State of Minnesota. Many also worked and lived as farmers in their home countries, and in the U.S, some own their farms and work the land themselves as family farm workers. However, according to a 2015 report from the Minnesota State Legislature, 99% of farm owners in Minnesota are white, though the number of Hmong (and other Asian community)-owned farms is increasing. 

A 2020 report from the Minnesota State Legislature names several challenges to ethnic farm ownership in Minnesota: financial barriers and access to capital and resources; systemic and institutional racism; land availability and cost; access to health insurance and the cost of health care for farmers; education, training, and resources; broadband access; climate change; market access; a lack of “culturally appropriate resources;” navigating regulations; and a statewide focus on larger farms.

The Hmong American Farmers Association (HAFA), of which the Hang Family Farm is one of more than 100 members, has been working to change that.

“We are a membership-based nonprofit organization that was created in 2011 to kind of adjust the injustice that Hmong farmers face around lack of access to land, markets, trainings, research, and also credit and capital,” said Janssen Hang, co-founder and executive director of HAFA. “The inception really started out of an act of self-determination.”

Many Hmong farmers live in Minneapolis-St. Paul or the surrounding metro area, but land available for ownership is scarce, and that imposes real limits on how farmers are able to plan and execute their work from season to season.

“The other week my parents were planting garlic. Garlic you need to plant it prior to the summer’s harvest. So, if you are renting land from year to year, you have to spend all the money and it’s expensive. You spend all the money to plant garlic, but man, no one wants to be in a situation where next year they are saying, ‘Oh, am I going to get that money? Is the farmer going to let me harvest the garlic that I invested so much money into?’” said Lillian Hang.

Working collectively has been at the forefront of HAFA’s strategy to increase family farmers’ control over their own futures.

“Farming is not an individual activity,” said Lillian Hang. “You really need a group of people dedicated to farming.”

In 2013, an anonymous donor purchased a 155-acre farm in Vermillion Township, located halfway between St. Paul and Rochester, Minnesota. The farm was then leased to HAFA and members have sub-leased plots and collectively managed their use of the farm and its plots since then, splitting the land into five-to-10-acre plots.

“The farm is about building intergenerational and community wealth,” said Janssen Hang.

The land’s relative permanence allows the farmers to build their businesses, and the collective management means that all members have a support structure for their work and for that work to be sustainable.

Hmong refugees find a home in Minnesota.

“What we do is we would actually model sustainable practice on the farm, from cover cropping, contour planting, looking at the efficacies of soil and water quality here. We actually have a designated area for our pollinator habitat, and actually have a bee apiary on the farm here,” said Janssen Hang. “The other thing is that, programmatically, we also run an alternative market program.”

Many Hmong farmers sell their goods at the Minneapolis and St. Paul farmers markets, despite the farm being located in a rural part of Dakota County, south of the Twin Cities. Janssen Hang notes that Hmong farmers make up 50% of the farmers at the St. Paul and Minneapolis Farmers Market, but he says that lack of access to resources, training, credit, and capital turned the vital Hmong family farmers into “second-class citizens.”

According to Janssen Hang, developing an alternative market program is necessary so that the Hmong farmers are not so dependent on the whims of the farmers markets. Both the Minneapolis and St. Paul farmers markets run year round, but the number of markets that operate between October and April is very limited.

In addition to challenges with the markets, HAFA’s farmers are also contending with possible loss of land from a state infrastructure project. The Sahan Journal has reported that Dakota County and the Minnesota Department of Transportation are currently exploring the possibility of transforming a local highway into a more traditional freeway, and the proposed plan would include the acquisition of four-to-seven acres from the HAFA farm for freeway redevelopment. This would mean two of the family farms would lose access to their land. Currently, the county’s research is still preliminary.

In the meantime, HAFA members are trying to raise the money to purchase the Vermillion Township farm outright, and they are in the midst of a $5-million capital campaign. HAFA received $2 million from the state in 2020, and it has just over $9,500 left to raise.

According to Lillian Hang, the effort to buy the farm outright is still worth it even with Dakota County looming.

“Whenever any of the aunties, or uncles out of town come and visit us, the first thing mom and dad say is, ‘Hey, let me take you to our farm. Let me take you to our farm,”’ she said. “And I love it. Because, they call it our farm, even though their name is not on the ownership. It’s like, ‘This is ours, almost. And the way they say it, it’s almost like, ‘This is part of me.’”

About the author: Cirien Saadeh, PhD is an Arab American community journalist, community organizer, and college professor teaching Social Justice and Community Organizing at Prescott College. 

Today's Sesame Street special introduces first Asian American muppet

SCREEN CAPTURE

The muppet, Ji-Young, leads a racially diverse Best Friends band on Sesame Street.

There's a party today on Sesame Street to welcome its newest resident, 7-year old  Ji-Young, the first Asian American muppet.

Amid the rising number of anti-Asian hate incidents, the children's show is staging a television special introducing the new character, which opens the door to discuss the issues confronting Asian Americans today.

Designed for families to watch together, “See Us Coming Together” follows the “Sesame Street” friends through a “Neighbor Day” celebration with new friend Ji-Young. 

“Sesame Workshop’s mission is to help kids grow smarter, stronger and kinder. Today, we uphold that mission by empowering children and families of all races, ethnicities and cultures to value their unique identities,” said Kay Wilson Stallings, Sesame Workshop’s Executive Vice President of Creative and Production. “’See Us Coming Together’ continues Sesame Street’s proud legacy of representation with an engaging story that encourages empathy and acceptance and uplifts Asian and Pacific Islander communities.”

Celebrity guests like actors Simu Liu and Anna Cathcart, comic book artist Jim Lee, chef Melissa King, television personality Padma Lakshmi, and athlete Naomi Osaka join in, too, sharing their passions, talents, and cultures with their Sesame Street friends. 

The “Neighbor Day” celebration culminates with a new original song, also entitled “See Us Coming Together,” led by Ji-Young and performed by the full cast. A reimagined version of “Sesame Street” classic, “The People in Your Neighborhood,” reinforces that children of all backgrounds can be anything they want to be.

As part of Sesame Workshop’s “Coming Together” initiative — created to support families of all backgrounds through ongoing conversations about race — the special also includes an opportunity for talking about anti-Asian racism. (In an offscreen incident, another child tells Ji-Young to “go home.” This is an example of one kind of discrimination Asian and Pacific Islander people face in western countries where they’re often perceived as “perpetual foreigners.” 

After the incident familiar to AAPI, Ji-Young seeks out trusted grown-ups and friends who unite to help her know that she’s exactly where she belongs.) To help guide those conversations, a viewing guide and accompanying activities for adults and children to complete together will become available at sesame.org/seeus the week of the special.

“It’s a powerful thing when kids see people like themselves represented on screen and in stories — it supports them as they figure out who they are and who they want to be,” said Alan Muraoka, longtime “Sesame Street” cast member and co-director of “See Us Coming Together.” 

“We can’t wait for families to get to know Ji-Young — in this special and in future seasons of ‘Sesame Street’ — and celebrate some of the Asian and Pacific Islander people in our neighborhood!”

“This is a proud moment for AAPIs everywhere, particularly Korean Americans, as Ji-Young and the ‘See Us Coming Together’ special demonstrate that Asian Americans are part of the very fabric of American society and culture,” said Sheila Lirio Marcelo, Board Member, The Asian American Foundation. 

“At TAAF, we are striving to help create a permanent and irrevocable sense of belonging for AAPIs in this country, and supporting Sesame Workshop’s introduction of the first-ever Asian American ‘Sesame Street’ Muppet brings us one step closer toward making that vision a reality. We are grateful for their partnership and their commitment to supporting AAPI communities.”

Additional videos and articles for adults cover the building blocks of what racial justice can mean for young children. For more information — including more viewing guides and activities to complete together — please visit sesame.org/seeus.

See Us Coming Together: A Sesame Street Special airs Thursday, November 25 on  HBO Max and PBS.. Check local listings for times and channels.

Editor's Note: For additional commentary, news and views from an AAPI perspective, follow me on Twitter @DioknoEd.

H.E.R. nominated for 8 Grammy categories, seven nods for Olivia Rodrigo

Grammy nominees, from top left, clockwise, Olivia Rodrigo, Silk Sonic, H.E.E., BTS.

UPDATED: April 2 to include Ellie King and to fix correct date of the Grammy Award show.

The Grammys announced its nominations for outstanding songs and performances by recording artists Saturday and Filipina Americans H.E.R with eight nominations and Olivia Rodrigo earned seven nominations.

The awards ceremony slated for April 3 next year will include a good representation of Asian American artists. Besides Rodrigo, H.E.R., Saweetie, Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars and Anderson.Paak), jazz singer Nora Jones, country singer Ellie King and K-pop group BTS received nominations.

Jon Baptiste led all artists with 11 nominations.

H.E.R., aka Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson, was nominated in eight categories. She won a Grammy last year for "I Can't Breathe" for Song of the Year. 

Perhaps the greatest impact from the 64th Grammys is Variety's article written by Filipina American journalist Jazz Tangcay. "Filipina Americans Olivia Rodrigo, H.E.R. and Saweetie Nominated in Top Grammy Categories" was about the ethnicity of the three female artists. A week ago, the Los Angeles Times, ran a similar article about the five Filipino American artists nominated for the coveted award entitled "From Olivia to Bruno to H.E.R., Filipino American artists enjoy a breakout year at Grammys" by August Brown.

While most other stories about the Grammys mentioned H.E.R, Saweetie and Olivia Rodrigo, these two articles were the only ones that emphasized their  shared  ethnic  heritage. This year's Grammys may be ushering in a new era of recognition in the recording industry as the artists tout their Filipino roots. Certainly, at the very least, it is a watershed year for AANHPI recording artists.

Ellie King, the daughter of Filipino American comedian Rob Schneider, is up for Best Country Duo or Group Performance for her song "Drunk (And I Don't Wann Go Home)," a collaboration with Miranda Lambert. 

Nominated for Best New Artist, but not as well known as Rodrigo or Saweetie, are Arooj Aftab, a Pakistani American, and indie rock band Japanese Breakfast with lead singer Michelle Chongmi Zauner, a Korean American.

K-pop juggernaut BTS, fresh from accepting their American Music Award last Sunday, received a nomination as Best Group Performance for their song "Butter."

Japanese Breakfast also garnered a nomination in the Best Alternative Music Album category for its album Jubilee.

Following are the Asian American and Pacific Islander artists and the categories in which they were nominated:

Best New Artist

Olivia Rodrigo, Saweetie, Japanese Breakfast and Arooj Aftab.

Best Traditional Pop Album,

Nora Jones, "'Til We Meet Again (Live)"

Best Pop Vocal Album

Olivia Rodrigo, Sour

Best Pop Solo Performance

Olivia Rodrigo, "drivers license"

Best Rap Song

Saweetie, "Best Friend"

Best R&B Performance

H.E.R., "Damage"

Silk Sonic, "Leave the Door Open"

Best R&B Song

H.E.R., "Damage"

Silk Sonic, "Leave The Door Open"

Best Pop Group Performance

BTS "Butter"

Song of the Year

Olivia Rodrigo, "drivers license"

H.E.R., "Fight For You"

Silk Sonic, "Leave The Door Open"

Record of the Year

Olivia Rodrigo, "drivers license"

Silk Sonic, "Leave The Door Open"

Album of the Year

H.E.R. Back of My Mind

Olivia Rodrigo, Sour

Silk Sonic, Leave The Door Open

Best Country Duo or Group Performance
Ellie King, “Drunk (And I Don't Wanna Go Home) with Miranda Lambert

Best Alternative Music Album

Japanese Breakfast, Jubilee

Best Regional Roots Music Album

Kalani Pe'a, Kaau Ka Pe'a

The Grammy Awards show will be broadcast live from the MGM Garden Arena, Las Vegas on April 3, 2022, at 8–11:30 p.m. ET/5–8:30 p.m. PT. The show will be viewable live on the CBS Television Network and available to stream live and on-demand on Paramount+. Note this correction: It was originally scheduled for Jan. 31.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views with an AAPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter.

BTS wins three American Music Awards

Led by BTS, Asians and Asian Americans were voted as fan favorites at the American Music Awards Sunday evening.

The K-pop septet won three awards. The group with a global fan base received the most votes to be named Artist of the Year,  Top Pop Group and their single "Butter" won Best Pop Song.

The Filipina American breakout sensation Olivia Rodrigo was voted by fans as Best New Artist of the Year. Her first hit, "drivers license" topped the Billboard charts for eight straight weeks, followed by her first album, "Sour." At one point this year, she had three of her songs in the top ten.

“It means so much to me. Writing songs is my favorite thing in the whole world, and I am so grateful for everyone who has embraced my music," said the 18-year old in accepting the award.

The song "Leave the Door Open" by Bruno Mars and Anderson.Paak as the duo Silk Sonic, won the fans' votes as Favorite R&B Song. Silk Sonic opened the show with a smooth throwback fan-pleasing performance of their hit, "Smokin' Out the Window."

H.E.R., who was nominated for Favorite Female R&B Artist, Favorite R&B Album for her first album "Back of My Mind," and Favorite R&B Song "Damage" didn't win any awards even though she won at the Grammy's and Oscars last year.

Filipina American rapper Saweetie was nominated in Favorite Female Hip-Hop Artist category which was won by Megan Thee Stallion.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and vews from an AAPI perspective, follow me on Twitter @DioknoEd.

Build Back Better Act passes in the House but faces tougher test in Senate

President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris congratulated each other prior to signing the
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Friday.

In a narrow 220-213 vote, the House passed President Biden’s $1.9 trillion legislation Friday to invest in families, health care, climate change mitigation, affordable housing, small businesses, immigration, and other infrastructure.  

Passing the House was the easy part.

The Build Back Better Act that passed amid cheers and sighs of relief from Democrats but face a more severe test in the Senate where two Democrats, Senators Joe Manchin of Virginia and Arizona's Kyrsten Sinema have not approved the bill.

“The Build Back Better Act will make some of the largest investments in AAPI communities in our country’s history, from affordable child care and paid leave to home-based care and climate change," said Rep. Judy Chu, part of the progressive caucus that pushed for approval of the bill. 

RELATED: How the Build Back Better Act will help AAPI families

"But even as we make it easier for parents to go back to work, families are continuing to struggle with high prices and soaring healthcare costs. That’s why this landmark bill makes the Child Tax Credit permanently refundable, ensuring that the neediest families continue to receive this support over the long run," said Chu. 

"This bill provides much-needed relief to our AAPI immigrant communities by providing work permits and protection from deportation to undocumented immigrants who have been here prior to 2011, and addresses our burgeoning visa backlog by recapturing family and employment based visas.

“This bill will also make historic investments in affordable housing, small business relief, higher education, and healthcare that will have direct benefits our communities, including expanding coverage for uninsured AAPI families, address skyrocketing drug prices, and adding hearing coverage for AAPI people on Medicare," she continued.

Its fate in the Senate remains unclear. Manchin, in particular, claims to be wary of the bill's cost, even though his state, West Virginia, one of the poorest in the nation, would benefit from the programs strengthened by the bill.

Manchin and Sinema's votes are critical and Democrats might trim down the Senate version in order to secure the two senators' votes, necessary in a Senate split 50-50.

Manchin said earlier this week that he was waiting for the analysis from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, which finished its study Thursday. The CBO  estimates that the measure would result in a net increase of $367 billion to the deficit between 2022 and 2031. 

The House's vote on Build Back Better comes days after passing the $1 trillion Infrastructure and Investment Act that will fund updating of the nation's crumbling roads, bridges, and rails; expand access to clean drinking water; work to ensure access to high-speed Internet throughout the Nation; and tackle the climate crisis. President Biden signed the infrastructure act Friday.

Republicans' sudden concern for the budget ring hollow considering they were silent when Trump ran the deficit up to record levels. When Trump took office in January 2017, the national debt stood at $19.9 trillion. Two months after the Trumps moved into the White House, the national debt reached a new high of $28 trillion, a 35% increase.

The White House, however, insists that the bill will be fully paid for. It says it can make up the shortfall because the bill includes funding for better enforcement of Internal Revenue Service tax collecting, specifically collecting tax payments from the top 1% income earners.

The AAPI community advocates praised the bill's passage in the House but realize the battle will heat up in the Senate.

“The Build Back Better Act includes many important provisions that invest in future technologies and the next generation of work, especially when it comes to electric vehicles," says Sandra Engle, Secretary of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance.

"We must re-invest in domestic manufacturing with union workers making the vehicles of the future," saind Engle. "This bill recognizes that union bargained-for wages and benefits are an important and valuable contribution to our communities and economy.” 

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AAPI perspective, follow me on Twitter @DioknoEd.

Simu Liu, Saweetie on Saturday Night Live

From left, Kyle Mooney, Saweetie, Simu Liu and Cecily Strong.

There will be a definite AAPI flavor to Saturday Night Live tonight. Actor Simu Liu will be hosting the late night comedy skit show. He'll be joined by Filipino American rapper Saweetie as the musical guest.

Shang-Chi star Liu, who’s been vocal about the lack of representation for Asian actors in Hollywood, will represent just the seventh Asian or Asian American to host in the Nov. 20 show. 

Look for Liu and fellow barrier-buster SNL regular Bowen Yang to have something to say about Saturday Night Live’s, better-late-than-never progress towards diversity. 

Saweetie premiered the brand-new song “Icy Chain,” which she plans to perform on the late-night show for the first time Thursday. “Y’all better not miss my Icy Chain performance on SNL this Saturday!” she tweeted Friday.

SNL released a promo of a skit that plays off the real-life (former) relationship between Saweetie and cast member Kyle Mooney.  Talk about awkward.

Has anti-Asian hate become "normal" for media? life is uneasy as attacks continue against AAPI

A new national survey found that one in five Asian Americans (21.2%) and Pacific Islanders (20%) have experienced a hate incident the past year. With about 23 million AAPI in the US, that translates to over 4.8 million Asian Americans and 320,000 Pacific Islanders. 

The report by Stop AAPI Hate says the community-based initiative, has collected over 10,000 self-reported incidents since the start of the pandemic in March, 2020.

The outrage generated by the thousands of attacks -- verbal, physical and emotional -- against people of Asian descent have all but disappeared off the newspaper front pages and no longer garner the lead item on TV news, but the incidents of hate appear to be continuing unabated.

The annual FBI report on hate crimes found that hate crimes, in general, have risen 13% in the pst year, but hate crimes against AAPI have skyrocketed by 73%

In Washington, D.C., hate crime reports were actually down in the latest reports. But they're up significantly in Virginia -- and they've doubled in Maryland. Maryland this week launched an initiative to combat the anti-Asian incidents. The Maryland initiative follows similar state-sponsored efforts in New York and California.

The rise in anti-Asian incidents continue despite President Biden's executive orders for the federal government to take steps to stem the surge of hate.

Almost everyday there is a new report of an AAPI being attacked, harassed, bullied or shunned.

• Earlier this month, Sunisa Lee, the Olympic gymnastic gold medalist, was pepper sprayed by drivers passing by while standing on a Los Angeles sidewalk.

• An 84-year old man was attacked at a San Francisco ATM, smashed in the face with a glass bottle and robbed of his cash.

• With no place to escape, passengers on public transit (subways and buses) are vulnerable to attacks where they edure verbal abuse, suffer physical attacks and spat upon. 

• Asian-operated businesses across the nation are frequently vandalized with racist graffiti, smashed windows or unruly customers telling them to "go back home."

• In a separate study, Los Angeles Human Relations Commission reported a 76% increase in hate crimes against AAPI in L.A. County.

• By last summer, New York City experienced a 395% increases in anti-Asian legally defined hate crimes in 2021 compared to all of 2020. 

An Asian-owned business in Texas is targeted with graffiti.

The attacks are so numerous that mainstream news media don't consider them newsworthy. They are considered a normal part of American life, circa 2021. 

Most of the attacks occur in public areas, according to the Stop AAPI Hate's latest report followed by incidents at work. Other findings of their report issued today (Nov. 18), include:

• Verbal harassment (62.9%) and shunning (16.3%) — the deliberate avoidance of AAPIs — continue to make up the biggest share of total incidents reported.

• A majority of incidents take place in spaces open to the public. Public streets (31.2% of incidents) and businesses (26.8% of incidents) remain the top sites of anti-AAPI hate.

• Hate incidents reported by women make up 62% of all reports.

• AA respondents with a high school education are experiencing twice the rate of hate incidents (41.2%) compared to those with at least some college education (19.8%) and those with a BA or higher degree (13.8%).

• One in three Asian American parents (30.6%) and Pacific Islander parents (31.4%) report that their child experienced a hate incident at school.

• 31.5% of Asian Americans and 26.4% of Pacific Islanders report experiencing a hate incident at work.

“It’s tragic but not surprising that Asian Americans with lower education levels are experiencing more hate,” says Cynthia Choi, co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate and co-executive director of Chinese for Affirmative Action. “Anti-Asian hate is tied to systemic racism against our community. Stopping hate is not about quick fixes like law enforcement but about deeper investment in our communities.”

The anti-Asian attacks are manifestations of the hate spewed on the Internet. An analysis by anti-bullying charity Ditch the Label and Brandwatch, report 263 million online conversations in the UK and U.S. on social media sites, blogs and forums has found that hate speech increased dramatically between 2019 and mid-2021, roughly corresponding to the pandemic's discovery and growth.

An analysis released this month, found that of 263 million online conversations in the United Kingdom and U.S. on social media sites, blogs and forums has found that hate speech increased dramatically between 2019 and mid-2021. 

Before the COVID-19 started to spread, the level of both online hate speech discussion and actual reported hate crimes remained fairly consistent. However, since the start of the pandemic, the study found that online hate speech increased by 38%. 

Based on the analysis, there was a 28% rise in ethnicity-based and racist hate speech in the UK and US, and a 22% rise in the number of online discussions of violent threats, with a new post about race or ethnicity-based hate speech every 1.7 seconds on average, reports Forbes magazine.

The most notable finding was a rise of 1,662% in anti-Asian hate speech in 2020 compared with 2019. This peaked with the announcement of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020, with Trump-inspired references to the virus as the "China virus" or "kung flu."

Slurs and tropes, with racist, sexist and homophobic terms were the most common forms of online hate speech. The second commonest was violent threats, most likely to occur on forums. 

Although the study lacked the data to conclude that  there exists a definite "relationship between the pandemic and the rate of online hate," says Ditch the Label CEO Liam Hackett. "It is clear from this report that online hate speech has reached an all-time high and, to some communities, is at an unbearable extreme." 

And this online hate appears to be triggering attacks in public. "In the U.S., it seems that the peak for incidents of hate crimes occurred prior to the peak for hate speech discussions and examples of hate speech online. However, the UK hate speech conversation spiked first followed by a more steady rise in hate crimes," the researchers say.

"That reported hate crime and online discussion around hate speech rose roughly in tandem in both countries suggests a troubling link between online words and ‘real-world’ action," says the study.

“When it comes to stopping anti-Asian hate, our elected leaders should be responsive to the Asian American community,” says Manjusha Kulkarni, co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate and executive director of Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council. “Locally and nationally, they must make real investments in civil rights, community resources and education.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AAPI perspective, follow me on Twitter @DioknoEd

AAPI applaud Infrastructure and Jobs Act signed by Biden, but look forward to "Build Back Better" Act

Presidnt Biden and Rep. Pramila Jayapal work for passage of massive Build Back Better plan.

President Biden signed the $1-trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was almost universally praised by AAPI leaders, they also want an additional investment in shoring up the safety net for struggling families and individuals.

“I’m proud that last night, we voted to provide tangible investments for AAPI communities in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, including expanding broadband access to close the digital divide and supporting AAPI small businesses through the codification of the Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency," said Rrep. Judy Chu.

"We also took another step closer to passing the Build Back Better Act. This bill, which will provide relief for millions of AAPI immigrants, and make key investments in affordable quality childcare and paid leave, will be transformative for AAPI families across the country."

A vote on the legislation is expected to take place before the Thanksgiving weekend.  The vote will take place after Congress' Congressional Budget Office turns in its fiscal analysis. The CBO said it anticipates publishing a complete cost estimate for U.S. President Joe Biden's "Build Back Better" plan by Friday, Nov. 19.

The Infrastructure and Investment Act signed Tuesday will help rebuild America’s roads, bridges, and rails; expand access to clean drinking water; work to ensure access to high-speed Internet throughout the Nation; tackle the climate crisis; advance environmental justice; and invest in communities that have too often been left behind.

The "once in a generation" investment will create good-paying union jobs and grow the economy sustainably and equitably for decades to come.

It is hoped that the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal will be followed by the passage of the Build Back Better Plan, stated a Fact Sheet from the White House. "The Build Back Better plan includes key funding for social infrastructure that many members of marginalized communities will benefit from such as expanded healthcare coverage and paid leave benefits. We cannot complete a full recovery if we do not make investments in our social infrastructure to match our investment in physical infrastructure," the statement read.

The bottom line is the Build Back Better plan will create jobs, cut taxes, and lower costs for working families—all paid for by making the tax code fairer and making the wealthiest and large corporations pay their fair share. 

“Those are the things that are going to immediately affect people’s pocketbooks, and that is why it is so important to pass the Build Back Better Act, which I think is actually going to help people survive through this time of recovery,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal said on MSNBC’s “MTP Daily.”

Biden and Vice President Harris have also repeatedly expressed their strong support for including immigration reform in upcoming reconciliation legislation to enable Dreamers, TPS recipients, farmworkers and essential workers to gain long-awaited pathways to citizenship. Reconciliation will go directly to the President and not need to pass through the Senate, which would probably hurdle a GOP-led filibuster.

Jayapal, leader of the Progressive Caucus in the House, has been one of the strongest proponents for passage of the Build Back Better plan. She believes that the moderate Democrats who held up an earlier vote over concerns of inflation have come around and will vote for the measure. 

The Build Back Better bill includes:

Lower Prescription Drug Costs. Americans pay 2-3 times more for their prescription drugs than people in other wealthy countries, and nearly 1 in 4 Americans struggle to afford prescription drugs. President Biden’s plan will lower prescription drug costs for Americans by letting Medicare negotiate drug prices, so consumers are no longer at the whim of pharmaceutical companies.

Lower Child Care Costs. Only 57.9 percent of all three- and four-year-old Asian American children are enrolled in preschool or kindergarten programs and half of Asian American women live in areas where the supply of child care is too low to meet demand. President Biden’s plan lowers child care costs and makes universal preschool a reality, providing parents access to high-quality programs in the setting of their choice. The Build Back Better Agenda would also institute 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave, to help improve the health of new mothers and reduce wage loss.

Lower Health Care Costs. More than 1.5 million AA and NHPIs were uninsured in 2019 before President Biden took office, coverage under the Affordable Care Act (even with the ACA’s premium subsidies) was too expensive for many families, and almost 1.3 million people of color were locked out of coverage because their state refused to expand Medicaid. President Biden’s plan lowers health care costs for those buying coverage through the ACA by extending the American Rescue Plan’s cost savings, which helps 197,000 uninsured AAPI people save an average of $50 per person per month, and allowing more than 150,000 uninsured AAPI people to gain coverage. The plan also adds dental, vision, and hearing coverage for the more than 2.3 million AAPIs on Medicare and closes the Medicaid gap for low-income Americans.

Lower Higher Education Costs. Education beyond high school is increasingly important to succeed in the 21st century economy, even as it has become unaffordable for too many families. The Build Back Better Agenda would provide two years of free community college—boosting the earnings of low-wage high school graduates by nearly $6,000 per year. President Biden’s plan also increases the maximum Pell Grant award by almost $1,500, and invests billions in subsidized tuition for low- and middle-income students at minority-serving institutions. The plan also invests in evidence-based strategies to strengthen completion and retention rates at institutions that serve high numbers of low-income students, particularly community colleges.

Lower Housing Costs. 26 percent of Asian American renters and 27 percent of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islander renters pay over half their income in rent. The Plan’s investments help lower housing costs and increases the supply of affordable housing through tax credits and government financing, including constructing and rehabilitating more than one million sustainable rental housing units and more than 500,000 homes working families can afford. It will also make investments to preserve existing public housing as well as remove lead-based paint from housing units.

Tax Cuts for Families with Children. 9 percent of Asian American families and 16 percent of Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander families fall below the poverty line, struggling to pay expenses like food, rent, health care and transportation for their families. President Biden’s plan will extend the Child Tax Credit expansion in the American Rescue Plan, lowering taxes for middle class families by providing the families of more than 66 million kids and nearly 600,000 AAPI people in the U.S. a major tax cut – cutting the AAPI poverty rate by 21.7 percent.

Tax Cuts for Workers Without Children. The President’s agenda permanently extends the American Rescue Plan’s increase to the Earned-Income Tax Credit from $543 to $1,502. This will benefit roughly 17 million low-wage workers, including cashiers, cooks, delivery drivers, food preparation workers, and child care providers.

Workforce Training. The U.S. has chronically underinvested in workforce development, and millions of jobs have been going unfilled in growing sectors such as construction and health care. Through high-quality career and technical education pathways and Registered Apprenticeships, President Biden’s Build Back Better Agenda will invest in training programs that will prepare millions of American workers for high-quality jobs in growing sectors.

Clean Energy Jobs. When President Biden thinks about climate change, he thinks jobs. To position the U.S. to tackle the climate crisis and advance environmental justice, the President’s plan would create good-paying, union jobs, establish an energy efficiency and clean energy standard, expand and extend clean energy and electric vehicle tax credits, and enlist a new Civilian Climate Corps. As part of the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, the Build Back Better Agenda would also restore American manufacturing with R&D investments—including critical investments to compete on clean energy.

Investments in Teachers and Schools. Even before the pandemic, our schools faced an estimated teacher shortage of 100,000, undermining the education of our children and students of color in particular. President Biden’s Build Back Better Agenda will upgrade school infrastructure, address teacher shortages and improve teacher preparation, expand free school meals to an additional 9.3 million children during the school year and help families purchase food during the summer.

Michelle Wu sworn in as Boston's mayor

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Michelle Wu was sworn in as Boston's Mayor by Judge Myoun J. Joun.

 
Michelle Wu, the daughter of immigrants from Taiwan, was officially sworn in as the next Mayor of Boston. She is the first woman and first Asian American to lead the historic city.

Wu, 36m took the oath of office Tuesday in the Boston City Council Chamber, just two weeks after her history-making election. Before Wu, Boston voters had elected only White men.

"Boston was founded on a revolutionary promise: that things don’t have to be as they always have been. That we can chart a new path for families now, and for generations to come, grounded in justice and opportunity,” she said after the swearing-in ceremony.

With her two young sons holding the Bible, Wu recited the Oath Office, repeating the words of Judge Myong J. Joun. 

Wu was sworn in on the Aitken Bible, the earliest complete English-language Bible printed in America. Often known as the “Bible of the Revolution,” it was published by Robert Aitken in 1782 and it was endorsed by the Congress as a symbol of American ingenuity.

Wu grew up in Chicago and moved to Boston to attend Harvard University and Harvard Law School where she studied under U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren. In 2016, her peers on the city's city council elected president of the Boston City Council. 

"City government is special," Wu said in her inauguration speech. "We are the level closest to the people, so we must do the big and the small. Every streetlight, every pothole, every park, and classroom, lays the foundation for greater change."

One of her progressive campaign planks was to eliminate fares on the city's public transportation system, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MTBA). She and her family rode the subway to the swearing-in ceremony.

Interviewed by Boston Public Radio, Boston Globe business columnist Shirley Leung told Boston Public Radio: “(Mayor Wu) won in every part of the city, and in doing so, it shows that Boston accepts Asian Americans — that even though she was not born in Boston or raised in Boston, she is a Bostonian."

Maryland launches initiatives to help fight hate crimes against Asians and AAPI

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Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and his family.

Maryland launched a new initiative to combat the rising number of crimes directed against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. 

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced  Saturday (Oct. 15) a series of statewide actions to combat the rise in anti-Asian hate and bias crimes, including enhanced safety and enforcement measures, more robust community resources, and steps to empower educators and students. 

“The actions we are announcing here today are the beginning,” said Hogan. “We will use every tool at our disposal to help provide additional protection to those who are impacted by these crimes. I want to sincerely thank all the members of the workgroup for agreeing to serve this important mission at such a critical time. 

The Republican governor thanked his wife, Yumi Hogan, who is Korean American, and daughter, Jaymi Sterling, for bringing the issue of anti-Asian hate to his attention.

“It was actually Jaymi’s idea to create this work group to address the alarming rise of racist rhetoric, vitriol and harassment against Asian Americans.”

Sterling is a member of the Asian American Hate Crimes Workgroup. She’s also an assistant state’s attorney in Anne Arundel County. Sterling said Asian Americans across the country “are under attack.”

“We want the victims of these crimes to know, we see you. We hear you. And we’re here and we’re standing with you,” added Sterling.

Hogan was also joined for Saturday’s announcements by former U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur, chairman of the governor’s Asian American Hate Crimes Workgroup, and members of the workgroup. The governor announced the establishment of the workgroup in April in response to the rise in violence and discrimination targeting the Asian American community. Nearly one-third of Asian Americans have experienced discrimination in some form over the course of the pandemic.

“To make things better, to reduce ignorance and hate, we need concrete action informed by careful thought, analysis, and consideration of different perspectives,” said Hur. 

Former U.S. Attorney Robert Hur chairs Maryland's Asian American Hate Crimes Work Group.

Building on the workgroup’s efforts, the governor is advancing immediate actions to support Asian American students, businesses, and families: 

Public Safety and Enforcement

• Updating hate and bias training for law enforcement agencies to include reporting of hate and bias incidents and crimes. 
• Designating a Maryland State Police commander to act as liaison for hate crimes and racially biased incidents, and launching a partnership between the Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center (MCAC) and the Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives (GOCI) to share data.
• Encouraging state and local law enforcement agencies to prioritize diversity in recruiting, and offering incentives for officers who are proficient in multiple languages.
• Providing $1 million in funding to provide devices with translation apps (i.e. Google Translate) for law enforcement and victims services organizations.
• Calling on the U.S. Department of Justice to expedite guidance for the implementation of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act.

Community Resources

• Increasing Protecting Against Hate Crimes funding from $3 million to $5 million—a 67% increase—and directing the Governor’s Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs to conduct aggressive outreach efforts regarding the availability of funding.
• Making 211 Maryland a resource for reporting hate and bias incidents and providing information about services and resources in Asian languages.
• Launching an online resource center, and publishing a guide for How To Report Hate Crimes & Incidents available in Asian languages.
• Developing alternative reporting channels, including community organizations, nonprofits, and faith centers.

Educators and Students

• Directing the Maryland Center for School Safety to develop resources for educators, parents, and students on how to identify and report hate and bias incidents.
• Engaging with the Maryland State Department of Education on developing a Continuing Professional Development offering on Asian American history for teachers.
• Working with the University System of Maryland to explore scholarships and fellowships through the Merrill College of Journalism to encourage more Asian-American participation in journalism.
• Provide education resources online for educators and members of the public.