HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-018 - Condemning Racism, Xenophobia, and Hate Asian AmericansRESOLUTION 2021-018
A RESOLUTION OF THE SANTA ANA CITY COUNCIL
CONDEMNING RACISM, XENOPHOBIA, AND HATE
AGAINST ASIAN AMERICANS
WHEREAS, the City of Santa Ana is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and
advancing social justice for people of all races, ethnicities, and national origins; and
WHEREAS, the City of Santa Ana is home to an estimated 332,318 residents, of
which 12.1 percent —or approximately 40,210 residents —are of Asian or Pacific Islander
descent; and
WHEREAS, the first Asians arrived in what is now the continental United States in
the 1500s but are still perceived as "perpetual foreigners"; and
WHEREAS, no city, including the City of Santa Ana, has escaped the history of
hateful actions against Asians; and
WHEREAS, Orange County's first Chinatown, located in the heart of Santa Ana,
was burned to the ground due to racist and xenophobic falsehoods spread about its Asian
residents; and
WHEREAS, the United States has a long history of anti -Asian violence and
discrimination, including the Page Act of 1875 which prohibited Chinese women from
entering the United States, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 which prohibited any
Chinese laborer from immigrating to the United States, the internment of Japanese
Americans during World War II as authorized by former President Franklin D. Roosevelt
through Executive Order 9066 in 1942, and murders of Asian Americans such as Vincent
Chin; and
WHEREAS, since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, racist
and xenophobic rhetoric such as "kung flu" and "China virus" was proliferated by former
President Trump, which contributed to an unprecedented and alarming rise in reported
hate crimes against individuals, communities, and businesses perceived to be Asian
throughout the United States; and
WHEREAS, from March 19, 2020 through February 28, 2021, Stop AAPI Hate, a
national coalition aimed at addressing anti -Asian discrimination amid the COVID-19
pandemic, received reports of over 3,795 hate incidents in the United States against those
believed to be Asian; and
WHEREAS, throughout American history, Asian women have been fetishized,
sexualized, and objectified; and
Resolution No. 2021-018
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WHEREAS, on March 16, 2021, a white man targeted three Asian American -
owned businesses in Georgia and murdered eight people, six of whom were Asian
women who he fetishized, sexualized, and objectified in order to eliminate his
"temptations"; and
WHEREAS, throughout American history, Asian Americans have been
stereotyped as the "model minority," a myth used to pit communities of color against one
another; and
WHEREAS, the City of Santa Ana acknowledges how racism and discrimination
have adversely impacted Asians in America for many generations and continue to do so
to this day; and
WHEREAS, the City of Santa Ana welcomes, honors, and respects the
contributions of all its residents and acknowledges and embraces their differences; and
WHEREAS, the City of Santa Ana thrives on the diversity of its residents, including
its residents of Asian descent; and
WHEREAS, the City of Santa Ana desires to demonstrate its commitment to its
residents by unequivocally stating that it will condemn racism, xenophobia, and hate
against Asians and Pacific Islanders in America.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Santa
Ana, that:
Section 1. The City Council of the City of Santa Ana hereby condemns racism,
xenophobia, and hate against Asians in America; and
Section 2. The City of Santa Ana stands in solidarity with our Asian community
in its fight against hate; and
Section 3. The City of Santa Ana will work to ensure that all members of our
Asian community are treated with dignity and respect.
Section 4. This Resolution shall take effect immediately upon its adoption by
the City Council, and the Clerk of Council shall attest to and certify the vote adopting this
Resolution.
ADOPTED this 61' day of April, 2021.
Vicente Sarmiento
Mayor
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APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Sonia R. Carvalho, City Attorney
i
By:�u—
AYES: Councilmembers
NOES: Councilmembers
ABSTAIN: Councilmembers
NOT PRESENT: Councilmembers
Bacerra, Hernandez, Lopez Mendoza Phan
Penaloza. Sarmiento (7)
None (0)
None (0)
None (0)
CERTIFICATE OF ATTESTATION AND ORIGINALITY
I, DAISY GOMEZ, Clerk of the Council, do hereby attest to and certify the attached
Resolution No. 2021 -018 to be the original resolution adopted by the City Council of the
City of Santa Ana on April 6, 2021.
Date: 04/08/2021
�G
Daisy Gomez
Clerk of the Council
City of Santa Ana
Resolution No. 2021-018
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