Assemblymember Budget Committee Chair Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), the Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs (APIAA) and local community groups today celebrated the distribution of $14.2 million in Stop AAPI Hate grants to combat the rising number of attacks targeting this community. The initiative is part of last year’s historic $166.5 million API Equity Budget dedicated to providing resources and services to victims, while also strengthening violence prevention programs.
“State investment in the Asian American Pacific Islander community is long overdue. It’s gratifying to see the initial round of grants go to deserving organizations committed to carrying out the important work of stopping AAPI hate. The funding will help provide victims with essential services and resources, as well as strengthen violence prevention programs. This is as a necessary step toward creating a safer environment for all Californians, and I’m glad to see the first part of the API Equity Budget roll out,” said Ting.
A complete list of grant recipients can be found here with more than $4.1 million going to Bay Area/Central Coast region. The monies will mean greater services for victims, more senior escort programs and additional activities that promote greater cultural understanding – just to name a few.
From the start of the pandemic through the end of last year, nearly 11,000 incidents of hate across the country have been reported to the national Stop AAPI Hate website. The surge in attacks has been attributed to people wrongly blaming a community for COVID-19 and the restrictions that followed.
“To meaningfully prevent, interrupt, and respond to the hate-based violence plaguing our communities, we need a lot more than empty rhetoric. The Stop The Hate grant program is a groundbreaking initiative that focuses on bringing much-needed resources directly to the local organizations that are the real experts in their own communities. These organizations hold the key to transformative, equity-driven change for California," said APIAA Commissioner Janani Ramachandran.
“Our Asian American communities have collectively experienced unimaginable and unacceptable levels of racist attacks and harassment during this time,” said Supervisor Connie Chan. “Thanks to Assemblymember Ting’s leadership, the community received Stop AAPI Hate funding, which is a critical investment that urgently meets the moment and equips our essential community organization with the capacity and tools to respond and adequately supports victims and survivors of hate incidents.”
“Stop the Hate is tremendously important response to the surge in anti-Asian racism by investing in community healing, resilience and empowerment. I commend all of the organizations receiving fund for their efforts, showing that strong communities are safe communities,” said Supervisor Gordon Mar.
Assembly Budget Chair Ting not only championed the API Equity Budget, but he also secured $26 million for a new arts and media center in San Francisco’s Chinatown and $5 million to renovate a commercially vital one-block stretch of Buchanan Mall in the City’s Japantown. Both projects are key to educating visitors, promoting cultural understanding and ensuring small API businesses survive.
A second round of Stop AAPI Hate grants are expected to be announced this summer.
(**Please click below for additional quotes from some of the grant recipients.**)