Slaying of Minneapolis mother prompts Asian Americans to join anti-ICE protests

NBC

Asian Americans in Sacramento, CA. joined anti-ICE protests last weekend.

In the aftermath of the fatal shooting of 37-year-old poet and legal observer Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent on January 7, 2026, Asian Americans in Minneapolis and beyond are rising up with a clear message: the Donald Trump's regime's "reign of terror" must end.

In Minneapolis, Southeast Asian refugee communities have responded to the January 7, 2026, shooting of Renee Nicole Good with profound grief and organized resistance, viewing the federal crackdown as a return to the trauma of the war-torn lands they fled.

Prominent Vietnamese American poet and activist Bao Phi, a refugee himself, has been a leading voice at rallies. He describes the current atmosphere as a "trauma response," stating, "You see the pattern of both injustice and... callousness that is an echo of things that have happened to many different communities, including ours before."

The City of Minneapolis, which is home to one of the largest Hmong American communities, released safety guidance and updates on the shooting in multiple languages, including Hmong, to ensure these communities are informed as they navigate the heavy federal presence.

Southeast Asian residents have joined tens of thousands of others in marches through south Minneapolis, calling for "ICE out now". Advocacy groups like OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates have explicitly condemned the shooting as "government-sanctioned murder" and likened federal tactics to the "Tiananmen Square Massacre."

Columnists and community members have highlighted the "human cost" of current enforcement, noting that hundreds of Southeast Asians were deported from Minnesota in the year prior, adding to the fear triggered by the shooting. They frame the defense of their neighbors as a moral necessity for a community built on migration.

From the streets of south Minneapolis to solidarity vigils in Los Angeles, Asian American activists are linking this tragedy to a long history of state violence and the specific trauma of refugee communities.

In Rochester, NY, members of the Bhutanese community joined local rallies to show solidarity with Minneapolis, highlighting how the fear of federal enforcement has resonated across the refugee diaspora.

Who was Renee Good?

Here is how the community is responding:

National organizations like Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta and various Filipino American groups in Los Angeles have condemned the shooting as a "profound abuse of power". In a shared statement, community leaders declared, "No one should lose their life at the hands of a violent and dehumanizing system... We stand firmly against ICE and all forms of state violence."

“Any loss of life involving those entrusted to uphold the law is very troubling,” stated the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA), the largest national affiliation of Filipino American institutions and umbrella organizations, said in a statement. “We believe that violence of this nature can affect any community and threatens the safety of us all.”

On social media, groups like Stop AAPI Hate have reminded followers that constitutional rights apply to everyone, regardless of status. They urged the community to "Report ICE sightings" and "Protect one another," framing the defense of immigrant neighbors as a moral necessity for a community built on migration.

Local residents have expressed visceral disgust at attempts by federal officials to label Good a "domestic terrorist". One Southeast Asian American resident in Minneapolis shared on social media that overhearing any dismissive talk regarding the victim felt "dehumanizing," especially given the recent escalation where federal agents reportedly used chemical weapons near local high schools.

The shooting has forged a unified front in Minneapolis, where tens of thousands have marched to demand that federal agents leave the city. As Bao Phi put it, the community is standing together across lines of race and faith to ensure Renee Good’s name becomes a catalyst for real change.

Speaking at a rally, Phi observed that "history has a way of repeating itself," noting that the same neighborhoods that once offered safety to refugees are now awash in fear because of the overwhelming federal presence.

“This is, in essence, a federal invasion of the Twin Cities and Minnesota, and it must stop,” said State Attorney General Keith Ellison as he announced Monday the state's lawsuit against the Trump regime. “These poorly trained, aggressive and armed agents of the federal state have terrorised Minnesota with widespread unlawful conduct.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news, views and chismis from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X, BlueSky or at the blog Views From the Edge. 

Asian Americans march and speak out against Trump regime

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu was difiant against Donald Trump.

ANALYSIS

Among the 7 million No Kings demonstrators, Asian Americans made their presence known. They were not the largest group nor the loudest, but they were there, holding signs, reveling in the knowledge that they were not alone in their anger, disatisfaction and disdain for Donald Trump.

Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Island individuals and groups joined the Oct. 18 "No Kings" marches to express their concerns over the Trump administration's policies, focusing on issues like immigration, civil rights, voting rights and rising anti-Asian racism.

Sometimes you see a photo or hear a line of poetry that just stays with you. It’s funny how memories are like that. I recently found a black-and-white picture of my father from when he was a young man, a dashing and handsome man with smoldering eyes, staring defiantly back at the camera. We always think of our parents as old, and we forget that once they were young and had that rebellious spirit. My dad is gone now, but I think of that picture when I see a new generation finding its own voice of defiance.

That's the kind of feeling that comes to mind when I see images from the recent "No Kings" protests that swept across the U.S. this past weekend. A lot of Asian Americans, particularly in places like Boston and Los Angeles, had that same defiant look in their eyes. This wasn't about a single policy. It was about sending a message.

And boy, did Boston get the message across, with an exclamation point, I might add.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, the historic city's first Asian American mayor, was right there on the front lines in her city. Standing with thousands on Boston Common, America's first public park, she reminded everyone that resisting tyranny is about as American as it gets. For 250 years, the city has stood up against injustice, and it wasn't about to back down now.

"Boston has never been good at surrender or silence," as the crowd roared its approval. You have to love that line. It speaks to something deep in the American character—a willingness to speak up, to make a mess when things aren't right.

“In Boston, every day is No Kings Day,” Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said. Confronted by hecklers, she shrugged them off, saying, “This is Boston, where every voice is heard.”

Wu, who has frequently clashed with the Trump administration over its racist immigration policies, told the crowd that Trump and Republicans attacked Boston because they know it symbolizes freedom and revolution.

“We stand here today to tell the Trump administration, when it comes to our freedoms, when it comes to our families, Boston doesn’t back down,” Wu told the partisan crowd. “What terrifies them about our city isn’t just that we kicked out a king and we [can] do it again.”

“It’s not just that our city is not for sale or that we run a government that actually delivers as a home for everyone and the safest major city in the country,” she continued. “It’s not just that we empower our workers and stand with public employees instead of using them as political pawns. What scares them the most about Boston is that we are proof of the America they insist is impossible.

As one of the other Boston speakers said, "It's not nice and neat and squeaky. It's messy, it's disruptive, it's uncomfortable". And that's exactly what democracy looks like sometimes.

In Queens, N.Y., which has a large Asian American population, Rep. Grace Meng told the thousands of marchers, “One of the hardest stories that I keep hearing over and over again are from folks who immigrated to this country, whether they just came a few months ago or whether they came two generations ago, and they have a sad look on their face, exasperated, saying that this is not the country that they came to. This is not what democracy looks like.”

NYC COUNCIL

Asian Americans joined the No Kings rallies in New York City.

“They sacrificed so much, many of them fled hardships in their home countries and then they came here to build a better life for their kids and their neighbors and their families. But this is not what they came for.”

Meng continued: “In just a few months, this President has shown us who he fights for.

"It’s not America, it’s not for the people, it’s for the wealthiest and the well connected, and we’re not going to stand for it.

For many in the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, the issues were personal. In Los Angeles, some of the participants were protesting immigration raids, worried about students being separated from their families. But it goes beyond just immigration. AAPI communities have a history of fighting for their place at the table, a history of facing discrimination and overcoming it.

Beyond Boston, other U.S. cities with strong AAPI participation in the October 2025 "No Kings" protests included Chicago, and Honolulu and, of course, in California home to 7 million Asian Americans, the most of any state.

The San Gabriel Valley east of Los Angeles is home to several enclaves of Asian communities: Chinese, Filipino, Vietnamese and Korean. It is represented by Congressmember Judy Chu.

“This is a continuation of what we as a country are doing to resist this authoritarian, fascist regime,” Chu told the crowd, urging participants to see the event as “practice—building our muscles of protest and resistance.”

She called for peaceful but determined civic action, saying, “Power does not give up without a fight. Our anger will motivate us, but it’s community that will keep us together.”

In San Bruno, Calif. hundreds of people gathered at the Tanforan Assembly Memorial, a former horse-racing track, where Japanese American were incarcerated. Speakers included survivors of WWII internment, drawing parallels between the historical inccarceration of Japanese Americans and current immigration policies. Grace Morizawa, a 79-year-old Berkeley resident whose parents met in an internment camp, expressed solidarity with today's immigrants, stating, "you could just hear the passion in their voice when they said they don't want to see that happen again."

SCREEN CAPTURE

Seven thousand people joined the Sacramento march and. rally highlighted by a speech by Rep. Doris Matsui, who was born in one of the camps that incarcerated about 120,000 Japanese Americans during WWII. 

"Today we reminded Donald Trump, loud and clear, that in this country WE HAVE NO KINGS," Matsui told the participants. "We don’t worship power — we build it together: In our neighborhoods. On our streets. In our unions. "That’s who we are, that’s Sacramento, and I’ll always have your back," she said to a volley of applause and cheers.

Protesters in Oakland were marching in the city's streets, chanting, "whose streets? Our Streets." Part of the route led marchers through Chinatown down 13th Street, winding up in a rally in front of City Hall.

Asian Americans also  took part in several large-scale protests in Los Angeles. One of the protests occurred in Historic Filipinotown near downtown L.A. “When I enlisted, I swore a solemn oath to uphold the US constitution, to help protect the nation from enemies without and within. Today, I would never swear allegiance or bend the knee to a wannabe king because there are NO KINGS in America,”  US Army veteran Joe Arciaga said in a press statement.

When an administration starts to sound like it thinks it's above the law, a lot of different people, from different backgrounds, hear the same alarm bells ringing. The "No Kings" protests are a modern-day call to arms, not with weapons but with signs and voices. It's a reminder that we are a nation of laws, not of rulers.

This is a story that will continue to unfold. The protesters, with an estimated 7 million turning out nationwide, weren't just angry; they were energized and organized. They weren't just there for a single day. They were carrying a message that they intend to take back to their communities. And it is a message we all need to remember: Freedom over fascism. 

No Kings. No dictators. No fascists. No way!

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news, views and chismis from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X, BlueSky or at the blog Views From the Edge. 

Time 's Top 100 influencers includes Asian and Asian American standouts

On Time's Top 100 are, from left: Jon M. Chu, Lisa Su and Daniel Dae Kim.

Time magazine named its 2025 Top 100 influencers; a list that includes 14 individuals of Asian heritage.

From artists, chefs to CEOs and performers, Asian influence is widespread throughout society. They include familiar names such as movie producer and director Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians, Wicked) and actor/activist Daniel Dae Kim; and some less well-known individuals from business and the arts, such as Liang Wenfeng and Lisa Su.

"The 2025 Time100 list of the world's most influential people recognizes the leaders shaping the world today and defining its future," said Time Chief Executive Officer Jessica Sibley. 

Following are the 14 individuals of Asian heritage recognized by the weekly news magazine:

• Ma Yansong, architect
• Jon M. Chu, motion picture producer/director
• Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon, chef and restaurant owner
• Lisa Su, AMD CEO
• Bonnie Y Chan, COO of the Hong Kong Exchange and Clearing
• Daniel Dae Kim, actor, producer
• Nicole Scherzinger, actress, singer
• Yoshitomo Nara, artist
• Hiroyuki Sanada, actor
• Yoshiki, musician
• Lee Jae-myung, politician
• Demis Hassabis, scientist
• Rosé, singer (Black Pink)
• Liang Wenfeng, computer scientist

        FYI: For more details about Time's influencers, click here.

Influencers picked by Time could have a negative impact on the world as well as a positive one. For example, Donald Trump is on the list for the 7th time, more than any other person on the list this year.

Time will convene the 2025 Time100 list of the world’s most influential people in New York City at the Time100 Summit on April 23 and the Time100 Gala on April 24, which will air as a primetime television special on May 4 on ABC.

Of the 2025 Time 100 list, Time  Editor in Chief Sam Jacobs writes in his letter to readers: "Time's founders knew that focusing on the individuals who are transforming the world is the best way to help readers understand it. That belief animates much of what we do at Time.

"What does the 2025Time 100 tell us about the forces shaping our lives? he continues. "It includes six members of the Trump Administration; 16 corporate CEOs, a record, and a sign of the emergence of a class of business leaders who are filling a leadership void; nine leaders who are fighting for justice, equality, and democracy, at a moment when the rights of so many are at stake."

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X or at the blog Views From the Edge.

Poll: AANHPI disagree with Trump's policies on economy, diversity, climate change but split on immigration

Donald Trump's radical policies returning America back to the 1950s when racial segregation was in full flourish and opportunities for minorities were limited is not sitting well with Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. 

As the Trump administration continues to enact its agenda, a new AAPI Data/APNORC Poll finds that many AAPI adults disapprove of how Trump and Elon Musk are handling a host of key policy issues.

AAPI adults are more likely to disapprove each of these issues than the general population.  Seventy-one percent of the respondents don't like Trump's handling of the economy and trade, managing the federal government (68%), and government spending (63%).

About half (55%) say Trump is mostly focusing on the wrong policies, while just 18% say he is mostly focusing on the right priorities.

        FYI: Read the entire AAPI Data/APNORC Poll

A majority of AAPI adults (76%) agree that Elon Musk, the head of the new Department of Government Efficiency, has too much influence on the US federal government. They are largely opposed to the cuts to federal agencies that DOGE has either implemented or proposed. About 7 in 10 oppose eliminating the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (69%) and the Department of Education (67%), while about half (55%) oppose eliminating the US Agency for International Development.

AAPI adults are opposed to federal cuts to diversity and equity programs. Two-thirds oppose eliminating initiatives that seek to broaden access to federal resources, policies, and programs for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Two-thirds also oppose cuts to federal funding for K-12 schools that teach about the ongoing impact of slavery and racism in America.

Although Trump and the Republican-dominated Congress are responsible for the extreme measures proposed by Trump, Musk and his Cabinet, in the eyes of the AAPI respondents, Democrats have not been able to make any headway in gaining their confidence.

Democrats are more trusted than Republicans on issues like climate change (56% vs 15%), education (50% vs 19%), health reform (45% vs 18%), and foreign policy (42% vs 25%).

“Many in the AAPI community are concerned about which policies the Trump administration is focusing on,” says Jennifer Benz, deputy director of The AP-NORC Center. “Neither party has the faith of the community to address high-priority issues such as economic issues and inflation.”

On immigration, AAPI adults and the general population largely share similar views on policies addressing those living the United States illegally. Forty-three percent of AAPI adults support deporting all immigrants living in the United States illegally. However, just 20% of adults aged 18-29 support this policy, compared to 36% of adults aged 30-44 and about half of those aged 45 and older.

Context also matters for AAPI opinion on deportation policies. Both AAPI (83%) and general populations (82%) support deporting all immigrants living in the United States illegally who have been convicted of a violent crime. About 9 in 10 AAPI adults aged 45 and older support this policy, compared to two-thirds of young adults aged 18-29. Just 27% support these deportations if it means they will be separated from their children who are citizens. About half of AAPI adults oppose arresting people who are in the country illegally while they are in the hospital (60%) or at church or other places of worship (52%). These views are nearly identical to those of the general population.

About half of AAPI adults oppose eliminating birthright citizenship for children born in the United States to parents who are here on a temporary work or student visa (56%) or are in the country illegally (50%). Similarly, half oppose reducing the number of family-sponsored visas available for immigrants living in the U.S. legally to bring their relatives here, as well as cutting the number of temporary work visas, such as H-1B visas, available for foreign workers.

“Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders widely disapprove of the Trump administration’s handling of many issues, including the economy, trade negotiations, government spending, and policies on diversity and inclusion,” says Karthick Ramakrishnan, executive director of AAPI Data and researcher at UC Berkeley. “They also oppose the elimination of federal agencies like the Department of Education and the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau.”

On experiences with climate change, similar to findings from a year ago, about 8 in 10 AAPI adults have experienced an extreme weather event in the last 5 years. Sixty-five percent have experienced extreme heat waves, 46% have experienced severe winter storms, and 32% have experienced wildfires.

Compared to a recent poll among the general population, AAPI adults are more likely to say that climate change has had or will have a major impact on their lives or health. For example, 21% of AAPI adults say that climate change has already had a major impact on their health, and 53% say it will have major impact in the future, while just 26% think it will not. Expectations are similar for the impacts of climate change on their lives overall, as well as on air quality and water availability in their communities.

Like recent findings among the general public, there is broad support among AAPI adults for government aid in the aftermath of natural disasters. Most support the federal government providing money to local residents to help them rebuild (58%) or make their property more resistant to natural disasters (62%). Additionally, 60% support providing homeowners’ insurance in at-risk communities for those who cannot obtain private insurance.

Highlights of the AAPI Data/APNORC Poll:

• Immigration surged to the top of AAPI adults’ policy priorities in January 2025, with 42% citing it as a top issue—a sharp rise from 29% the year before.

• 71% of AAPI adults disapprove of President Trump’s handling of the economy, and a majority (55%) say he is focused on the wrong policies.

• Three-quarters of AAPI adults believe Elon Musk has too much influence over the federal government, and strong majorities oppose efforts to dismantle key federal agencies like the Department of Education, USAID, and the CFPB.

• 8 in 10 AAPI adults have experienced extreme weather in the past five years, and 3 in 4 believe climate change is happening and will affect their health or daily life.

• 79% of AAPI adults say lowering healthcare costs should be a top federal priority, and majorities blame pharmaceutical companies, private insurers, and the federal government for high medical expenses.

• 64% of AAPI adults believe the federal government spends too little on education, and most say state and federal governments—not families—should bear the primary responsibility for financing college.

• 8 in 10 AAPI adults say abortion should be legal in all or most cases—and a similar portion also believe abortion and reproductive rights face a threat in 2025, with over half calling it a major threat.

• AAPI adults are more likely than the general public to say rights like free speech, freedom of the press, and freedom from unreasonable search and seizure are under threat in 2025.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X or at the blog Views From the Edge.

 

Poll: Most AANHPI adults don't support Trump's weakening or cutting federal agencies

Federal workers attend a leadership seminar for Asian American employees.

A majority of AANHPI adults do not like what the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is doing to neuter or eliminate government agencies and fire thousands of federal employees.

A new poll says only 12% of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander  adults support eliminating federal agencies—significantly lower than the 23% of the general population who disapprove the chaos sown by the two-headed beast of Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

“The survey reveals that the frustration AAPI communities have with government bureaucracy does not equate to support for drastic cuts,” says Karthick Ramakrishnan, executive director of AAPI Data and researcher at UC Berkeley.

AANHPI sentiment may be affected by the fact that Asian Americans make up 7.1% of the federal workforce, according to the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The survey, released March 13 from AAPI Data and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, shows that  everyday expenses such as the cost of groceries and gas prices still weighs heavily for the AANHPI respondents and needs to be addressed by the Donald Trump administration.

“AAPI communities want the federal government to do more and deliver effectively on key issues like education, health care, homelessness, and environmental protection,” says Ramakrishnan.

The respondents to the poll say Congress should prioritize addressing the costs of health care (79%), food (67%), and housing (61%). About 4 in 10 say the same about the cost of aging and long-term care (45%), childcare (43%), higher education (42%), gas (42%), and home energy (37%).

Many AANHPI adults believe the government is spending too little on a variety of policy areas, with education (64%) and healthcare (59%) topping the list. Similar shares also say funding is insufficient for tackling homelessness (57%), environmental protection (57%), childcare (56%), crime (54%), and drug addiction (48%), according to the survey.

Defense is the only area where relatively few (12%) say spending is too low and about half (52%) believe the government spends too much.

“The data show that amid economic uncertainty, AAPI adults—like much of the U.S. public—are focused on basic necessities,” says Jennifer Benz, deputy director of The AP-NORC Center. “Healthcare, food, and housing costs remain at the forefront of their concerns, reinforcing the importance of economic stability, which has consistently emerged as a major issue for AAPI communities.”

Similar to the general population who were asked in January 2025, AAPI adults show little support for major changes to the federal workforce under Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative. About 4 in 10 AAPI and US adults support a proposal that would bring federal employees back to an office five days a week, roughly a quarter favor moving federal agencies outside Washington, D.C. and cutting a large number of federal jobs.

Other highlights of the survey include:

• As parts of the country grapple with a measles outbreak, about 6 in 10 AAPI adults are concerned that declining vaccination rates will lead to more disease outbreaks (64%) and deaths (61%).

• On immigration policy, 31% of AAPI adults believe local police should always cooperate with federal immigration authorities on deportations, compared to 42% of the general population. More people in both groups support cooperation in some cases (56% vs. 49%), while relatively few say local police should never cooperate with federal authorities (13% vs. 8%).

• About 4 in 10 support increasing green cards for backlogged countries (44%), worker visas (43%), and family-sponsored green cards (40%), though nearly as many prefer to keep current levels unchanged. Student visas receive the least support for expansion at 34%, with half (50%) preferring no change.

• Most Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AAPI) adults think healthcare (79%), food (67%), and housing (61%) costs should be top priorities for the federal government to tackle. Many think that the government spends too little on key priorities, with education (64%) and healthcare (59%) topping the list.

• AAPI adults show little support for major changes proposed by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative. Just 12% of AAPI adults support eliminating federal agencies—significantly lower than the 23% of the general population.

• At least 6 in 10 AAPI adults see corruption (72%), inefficiency (68%), and red tape (61%) as major problems in federal government, indicating that the issues AAPI adults have with government bureaucracy does not equate to support for drastic cuts.

• AAPI adults largely trust doctors (74%) and nurses (72%) to act in their best interest, similar to the general population. And regarding the high cost of healthcare in the U.S., most AAPI adults hold pharmaceutical companies (77%) and private health insurers (73%) responsible.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X or at the blog Views From the Edge.

The Jan. 6 Insurrection as seen by minority members of Congress

WIKIMEDIA

Three years ago, rinsurrections broke down the doors and vandalized the United States Capitol in an attempt to overturn the 2020 Presidential election results.

January 6 marked the third anniversary of the  2021 Insurrection and attack on the US Capitol.

It is a day that will never be forgotten by members of Congress, especially members of the Congressional Tri-Caucus representing Asian, Black, Latino American members of Congress, many of whom were in the United States Capitol when it was stormed by  thousands of rioters egged on by Donald Trump.

The Chairs of the Congressional Tri-Caucus—Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) Chair Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28), Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Chair Rep. Steven Horsford (NV-4), and Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Chair Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44)— released the following joint statement:

“America deserves a democracy that works for everyone, including communities of color, but throughout our history, sinister actors have spread lies, fomented corruption and broken laws to violently overturn electoral results and the will of the people. January 6, 2021, was a call-back to the most egregious, brutal incidents of our past in an attempt to silence communities of color and allow an electoral loser to cling to power.

“The criminal conspiracy to violently overturn the will of the American people failed on January 6, 2021, thanks to the incredible valor of law enforcement and the pro-democracy leadership of Speaker Pelosi and Leader Schumer in Congress. Members of the Tri-Caucus have been instrumental in managing and publicizing the findings of the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack, under the leadership of Chairman Bennie G. Thompson, which clearly catalogued the ways nefarious actors tried to subvert the results of the 2020 election. 

"While many insurrectionists have been held accountable for their actions on January 6 at the US Capitol by everyday Americans on juries, many of the leaders and co-conspirators who bankrolled, planned, and incited the attack remain free, as candidates for public office, or even as officials still in public office. 

"Meanwhile, federal and state legislators across the country continue their assault on voting rights and the strength of our democracy in service of their ultimate goal: restrict our freedoms and do the bidding of the wealthy few.

“We are committed to supporting ongoing law enforcement efforts to hold every criminal conspirator accountable and to pass additional federal legislation beyond the Electoral Count Reform Act, like the Freedom to Vote Act and John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, to protect, secure and strengthen every American’s voting rights. Only when that happens will we as a nation begin to fully reckon with January 6.”

A day after the attack on the Capitol, Rep. Mark Takano told NBC:

"Let's face it ... the crowd was largely an angry white crowd and quite menacing," he said, adding,  "I think members who are racial minorities, whether Asian, Latino or African American, I certainly think seeing a crowd like that, a crowd that was angry, largely white, with grievances, certainly would have been unnerving, to say the least."

After the insurrectionists left the building, Rep. Andy Kim spent some time picking up debris and broken glass. A picture of him cleaning up the Capitol Rotunda went viral. "What I did wasn't heroic," said the New Jersey Congressman. "It was service. And we need a lot more of that."

Friday, in an MSNBC interview, Kim called those Republicans "cowards," who immediatdly after the attack cnodemened the Jan. 6 violence, but now are embracing Trump as he campaigns for a return to the White House in 2024. 

Since the 2021 insurrection, hundreds of participants have been convicted and sentencd and Donald Trump's role in rallying the riotors to break into the Capitol is under investigation by a special investigator.

Meanwhile,Trump put his own spin on what happened three years ago despite the convictions and visual evidence showing the rioters breaking into the Capitol in an attempt to stop Congress from formally validating the 2020 election.

"They ought to release the J6 hostages. They’ve suffered," Trump said, during a campaign rally in Iowa. "I call them hostages. Some people call them prisoners. I call them hostages. Release the J6 hostages Joe. Release them Joe. You can do it real easy, Joe."

“Political violence is never, ever acceptable in the United States,” said President Joe Biden a day before the Jan. 6 anniversary. “It has no place in a democracy. You can’t be pro-insurrectionist and pro-American.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me at Threads.net/eduardodiok, @DioknoEd on Twitter or at the blog Views From the Edge.

Pew survey: America is still in the heart for Asian Americans, most favor Taiwan but not the PRC

In the last few years, Asian Americans have been experiencing a dramatic rise in  hate incidents from verbal insults to mass shootings, a new survey finds that about  three quarters of Asian Americans say there is no other country they'd rather be in.

According to a new analysis of Asian American adults, around three-quarters of Asian Americans (78%) have a favorable view of the United States – including 44% who have very favorable views of the country. 

Conducted July 5, 2022, to Jan. 27, 2023 among thousands of Asian adults living in the US, the survey found opinion of Japan, Korea and Taiwan is also quite positive, while views of Vietnam, the Philippines and India are somewhat mixed; and opinion of China is predominantly negative.

Among Asian Americans who trace their heritage to these places, opinions of their own ancestral homeland are largely positive – though Chinese American adults are the exception perhaps due to the negative media coverage of the Peoples Republic of China's espionage efforts including the recent discovery of a Chinese spy balloon flying over portions of the US. There is also growing tension between the US and the PRC as the two nations compete economically, politically and militarily.

About nine-in-ten Taiwanese and Japanese Americans say their opinion of their ancestral homelands is very or somewhat favorable, as do large majorities of Korean, Indian and Filipino adults. A smaller majority of Vietnamese Americans (59%) say they have a favorable view of Vietnam, while fewer than half of Chinese Americans (41%) hold a favorable opinion of China. (Note: Asian origin groups findings are among respondents who self-identify with one Asian origin only.)

FYI: Read the entire PEW report.

Among the report's other key findings:

• Members of each Asian origin group tend to view their own ancestral homeland much more favorably than other Asian adults. For example, among the seven origin groups highlighted in this report, the difference is the largest on views of India: 76% of Indian Americans have a favorable opinion of India, compared with 23% of other Asian Americans, a gap of 53 percentage points.

o Chinese and Vietnamese adults are the only origin groups in this analysis to express more favorable views of other places in Asia than their ancestral homelands. Chinese adults see Japan, Taiwan and South Korea more favorably than they do China. Vietnamese adults see Japan more favorably than they do Vietnam.

• As tensions rise between mainland the PRC and Taiwan, Chinese Americans’ favorability of Taiwan over mainland China is particularly notable: 62% of Chinese Americans say they have a favorable view of Taiwan, higher than the share who say the same about China (41%).

o Chinese Americans’ views of the PRC and Taiwan vary by nativity, immigration experience and how long they have lived in the United States. Chinese immigrant adults are more likely than those born in the US to hold favorable views of China (45% vs. 25%.) Meanwhile, when it comes to opinion of Taiwan, US-born Chinese adults are somewhat more likely than immigrant adults to view Taiwan favorably (70% vs. 60%).

• There is little difference in views across political party affiliation, which is particularly notable on views toward the PRC. Nearly identical shares of Republican and Democratic Asian Americans see China positively (20% and 18%, respectively) and negatively (55% and 52%). This departs from trends seen among the general U.S. public, in which our past analyses have found that Republicans are more likely than Democrats to hold an unfavorable opinion of China.

• About half of Asian Americans (53%) say the United States will be the world’s leading economic power over the next decade. About one-third (36%) of Asian adults say China will be the leading economic power globally in the next 10 years and much lower shares say the same of India and Japan. Views of the next decade’s top economy varies by place of birth, age and gender.

• Most Asian adults say they would not move to their ancestral homeland, though this varies by nativity and time spent in the U.S. Nearly three-quarters of Asian adults (72%) say they would not move there (or, in some cases, move back) if they had the chance, while 26% say they would. Asian immigrants are about twice as likely as those born in the U.S. to say they would move to these places of heritage (30% vs. 14%).

• Interest in moving to ancestral homelands is lower among immigrants who have lived in the United States for a longer time. About half (47%) of Asian immigrants who have been in the U.S. for 10 years or less say they would move to their ancestral homelands, compared with roughly one-in-five (22%) who have been in the U.S. for more than 20 years.

o Among the 26% of Asian Americans who say they would move to their ancestral homelands, the top reasons include being closer to friends or family (36%) and a lower cost of living (22%). Smaller shares also pointed to greater familiarity with the culture, better support for older people, and feeling safer in their homeland.

• The survey explores what each Asian origin group’s main reason for moving to their ancestral homelands would be. (Note: The effective sample size was too small to report Taiwanese and Japanese Americans who say they would move to their ancestral homeland.)

o Among Chinese adults living in the U.S. who say they would move to China, the main reason reported is being closer to family and friends (27%) and familiarity with Chinese culture (24%).

o Among Filipino adults living in the U.S. who say they would move to the Philippines, the main reason reported is lower cost of living (47%) and proximity to friends or family (35%).

o Among Indian adults living in the U.S. who say they would move to India, the main reason reported is lower cost of living (52%).

o Among Korean adults living in the U.S. who say they would move to South Korea, the main reason reported is access to better health care (24%) and proximity to family and friends (22%).

o And finally, among Vietnamese adults living in the U.S. who say they would move to Vietnam, the main reason reported is lower cost of living (35%) and proximity to friends and family (32%).

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me at Threads.net/eduardodiok, @DioknoEd on Twitter or at the  blog Views From the Edge.

 

 

Anti-Asian hate's impact on the AANHPI communities is greater than we think

About 1 in 5 Asian Americans in California worried "all the time" or "often" about being a victim of a hate crime, with worries especially high among Filipino Americans, according to a new study.

The AAPI Data Project at UC Riverside and the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research (CHPR) recently released a comprehensive report revealing economic hardships, negative health outcomes and a rise in hate incidents experienced by Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"California's investment to increase the available data on Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities is essential in improving public understanding of the needs, barriers, and challenges that AA and NHPI communities face," said Karthick Ramakrishnan, professor of public policy at UC Riverside and founder of AAPI Data. "We hope that policymakers as well as those in charge of policy implementation will use the findings and recommendations in this report to create better programs and services that address the diversity in needs and challenges faced by AA and NHPI communities in California."

One of the key findings of the study, the Post-Pandemic Agenda for Community Well-being among Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders in Californiais that information about access to heath and mental health needs is not getting to the AANHPI communities resulting in poor medical outcomes and high suicide rates

Using data from UCLA CHPR's 2018–2021 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), as well as the 2019 and 2021 American Community Survey, the study found that Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders experienced difficulties accessing health and mental health services, as well as affordable and quality housing, education, and food.

The impact was vast in health outcomes, with about 3 in 10 Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders in California reported difficulties in accessing health services, and 1 in 4 experiencing difficulties in accessing mental health services. Cost was the most common reason for difficulty in accessing health services, with 7 in 10 experiencing this financial burden, however a lack of knowledge about available options was the top reason for difficulty in accessing mental health services.

The Asian American and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities have grappled with a rise in violence in recent years—from the anti-Asian hate incidents that occurred during the pandemic to the recent back-to-back mass shootings in Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay. 

The 2021 CHIS, which added questions on attitudes about gun violence, found that Asian Americans and Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders reported the highest proportions of concern about gun violence: 66% of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders and 65% of Asian Americans said they were "very worried" or "somewhat worried" about gun violence, more than double the percentage of white adults (30%).

Economic hardship was another overwhelming issue for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders in California. Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, each saw higher poverty rates in 2021, compared to 2019. According to the study, more than half of respondents indicated that they had difficulty accessing high-quality or affordable housing due to financial cost and 36% said they had difficulty accessing quality or affordable food.

"After studying the emotional and economic impacts brought on by the pandemic over the last three years, it's clear there is a significant burden on Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities in California," Ninez A. Ponce, UCLA CHPR director and CHIS principal investigator, said. "These findings suggest an urgent need to address the gaps in access to health care, which have gotten perpetually worse as the pandemic continues to take a toll on this community."

Another major cause for concern is the ongoing issue of hate incidents and discrimination against the Asian American community. Data show 1 in 4 Asian Americans had ever been a victim of a hate crime or incident in their lifetime, and 1 in 5 said they worried all the time or often about being a victim.

To address racial injustices and economic inequities within the state's system, researchers suggest that policymakers act against such prejudices by creating a more equitable framework for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders across the state.

Recommendations include a focus on addressing inequities across the mental health system, improving awareness and access to public and government programs, investing in culturally competent care and services, increasing partnerships between state and community-based organizations, building additional language access, and widening access to data on Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities.

The report is part of a series of reports by AAPI Data and the California Health Interview Survey focused on measuring the social, economic, and health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. The goal is to highlight the gaps in access to health, mental health, and social services for those communities.

"During the COVID-19 pandemic, our community faced not only a major increase in hate crimes and incidents, but struggled financially and could not access care," said California Assemblymember Phil Ting, chair of the Assembly Budget Committee.

"When I championed the API Equity Budget in 2021, we knew that the AAPI Data Project needed resourced to research our community's necessities. The recommendations from this report help us understand the hardships that the API community is facing, and helps us identify service gaps in order for the government and our community partners to address these needs."

Other highlights of the report:

HEALTH

• Between 2019 and 2021, Hispanics/Latinos and Asian Americans had statistically significant increases in reports of delays in health care due to system and provider barriers.
  
• By 2021, Asian Americans and NHPIs were more likely than Whites to rely on community-based health care. 
• About 3 in 10 Asian Americans in California reported difficulties in accessing health services, and cited financial cost, lack of awareness about options, lack of insurance, and limited English proficiency as the most salient challenges.
  
• Doctors, government health agencies, and friends/family remain by far the most trusted sources of medical information for Asian Americans. Only 37 percent of Asian Americans trusted social media apps for medical information.​
  

MENTAL HEALTH AND COMMUNITY WELL-BEING: 

• Suicide ideation increased between 2018/19 and 2020/21 for Asian Americans, as for many other groups, with increases especially pronounced among non-U.S. citizens.
  
• Yet the share of Asian Americans receiving mental health services did not change before and after the onset of COVID. 
  
• Major barriers for finding mental health services include lack of knowledge about available options, financial cost, lack of insurance, and limited options in their neighborhood. 
  
• Fear of gun violence is a significant contributor to community anxiety and the lack of well-being.
  
• Even before the 2023 shootings in Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay, California, Asian Americans and NHPIs were the groups most worried about becoming a victim of gun violence.
  

EXPERIENCES WITH HATE 

• One in 4 Asian Americans in California reported having ever experienced a hate crime or hate incident, with Southeast Asians reporting the highest levels of experiences with hate. 
  
• Among those who had ever experienced hate crimes or hate incidents, most had done so before 2020.
  
• Asian American men were significantly more likely than Asian American women to be threatened or harassed (16% vs.10%, respectively) and also more likely to have been mocked or had offensive physical gestures made towards them (15% vs. 9 %, respectively).
  
• About 1 in 5 Asian Americans in California worried "all the time" or "often" about being a victim of a hate crime, with worries especially high among Filipino Americans.
  

A mural in New York City.

SOCIAL DETERMINANTS

• Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders all saw higher poverty rates, and lower labor force participation rates, in 2021 than in 2019.
  
• The labor force participation rate for Indian Americans increased slightly between 2019 and 2021, while Chinese, Filipino, and Vietnamese Americans saw statistically significant decreases.
  
• The share of NHPI homeowners with mortgages who were burdened with housing cost (spending 30% or more of household income on housing) increased from 35% to 45% between 2019 to 2021.
  
• Asian Americans in California report relying mostly on friends or family members for assistance in accessing quality or affordable housing, with government agencies a distant second.
  
• About 2 in 5 Asian American respondents indicated that they had difficulty finding quality or affordable education, with financial cost as the most common reason across groups.
  

"AAPI Data's report, Impact of COVID-19 on Access to Health, Mental Health, and Social Services for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders shines a bright light on the alarming health disparities of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities and point to the social determinants of health and mental health that we, California, must collectively and immediately address," said Nkauj Iab Yang, director of the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs.

"Now, more than ever, we must work together to change state policies and programs to meet the needs of the AANHPI communities. This is life or death, and we cannot afford any more lives taken prematurely in order to take action."

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