WHEREAS, the Sonoma County Democratic Party works at the local level for policies that benefit all community members, puts people above profits, and believes in the common good for all; and

WHEREAS, AAPI community members have been part of the rich ethnic diversity of Sonoma County and have contributed greatly to the economic and cultural vibrancy of the region; and

WHEREAS, the AAPI population continues to face historical and structural racism in both Sonoma County and in the United States dating back to the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882, the internment of Japanese-Americans during the World War II era, and the rhetoric of “positively no Filipinos allowed” stemming from Stockton, California’s Little Manila in the 1920s; and

WHEREAS, the recent epidemic of COVID-19 has been falsely blamed on AAPI individuals and mis-characterized as the “Chinese Virus;” and

WHEREAS, the number of AAPI hate crimes have been steadily increasing in the United States and in local communities in San Francisco, Oakland and the greater Bay Area; and

WHEREAS, the rise of AAPI hate crimes have led to the horrific shooting and mass murder of eight people, including six women of Asian descent in Atlanta on March 16, 2021; and

WHEREAS, the hate crimes against the AAPI community nationwide are underreported, however according to the Stop AAPI Hate’s National Report on AAPI hate crimes from March 19, 2020 to February 28, 2021, almost 4,000 reports were received, including the findings of The Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism that anti-Asian American hate crimes reported to police rose 149% between 2019 and 2020; now

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Sonoma County Democratic Party condemns these hateful and racist statements and acts of violence, stands in solidarity with AAPI community members of Sonoma County, commits to dedicate its resources to educating our county of the common humanity that we share, to promoting peaceful means to communicate and interact with one another, and to be a resource of support for our AAPI community in the county; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Sonoma County Democratic Party supports open and respectful dialogue that facilitates learning the diverse history, culture, and intersectionality of AAPI, including the historic oppression of AAPI in the US and;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Sonoma County Democratic Party will support local, state, and national initiatives or policies in support of the AAPI people whenever possible, and honors the diversity within the AAPI community by proudly recognizing each May as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

Resolution adopted by the Sonoma County Democratic Party on April 13, 2021