Source: Asian Journal
n February of 2020, Covid-19 had not yet hit American shores.
But even before the pandemic emerged in the U.S., Manju Kulkarni, executive director of the AAPI Equity Alliance, noticed a menacing trend: the rise in hate-motivated violence and speech targeting Asian Americans, fueled by former President Donald Trump’s xenophobic remarks on the origins of the virus and its carriers. “The China virus,” proclaimed Trump. “Kung Flu,” he stated, to his cheering fans on the campaign trail.
... On the legislative front, the three organizations have managed to get two anti-hate bills through the California state Legislature and signed by Governor Gavin Newsom. SB 1161, sponsored by State Senator Dave Min, aims to reduce harassment in public transport systems throughout California.
AB 2448, sponsored by Assemblymember Phil Ting, calls on businesses to train their employees against discrimination. The bill also creates a program that trains employees on how to report, protect and respond to hate incidents in cases of customer harassment.