Council Declares Anti-Asian Hate and Violence Has No Place in Columbus
[COLUMBUS, OH] As the Nation looks for answers to a truly heinous crime out of the state of Georgia, Columbus City Council vehemently denounced forms of racially motivated violence with the adoption of an anti-Asian hate resolution.
On Monday, March 22, 2021, Councilmember Emmanuel Remy, with the full support of Council, presented resolution 0047x-2021 to denounce anti-Asian hate, discrimination and violence in Columbus, Ohio. It also reaffirms Council's commitment to minority residents in the City.
"Anti-Asian sentiments are not new in this country," said Remy. "We acknowledge history and trauma related to the intersections of racism, sexism and xenophobia."
On Tuesday, March 16, 2021, in a string of attacks at three Atlanta-area spas, eight people, including six Asian women, were murdered.
"The rising anti-Asian hate rhetoric and actions, especially against East Asian and Southeast Asian ethnicities related to COVID-19, has no place in our country and no place in our City," Remy continued. "The ramifications of targeted racial driven crime has generational implications."
According to The Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, in 2019 and 2020, America's largest cities saw an increase of 145% in anti-Asian hate crimes while overall hate crime dropped 6%. According to Stop AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) Hate's 2020 report, in the nearly 3,800 instances of discrimination against Asians, 68% of these incidents affected Asian women.
"It's on all of us to combat violence during this unparalleled time, particularly violence motivated by racist attitudes," said Council President Shannon G. Hardin. "As valued members of our City, the AAPI community deserves our support. Not just during times of crisis, but consistently as we push towards a stronger, more equitable future."
Mayor Andrew J. Ginther fully supports the resolution.
"Hate and discrimination have no place in Columbus," said Mayor Ginther. "We must confront racism and xenophobia where we find it, and work together to build a more inclusive, equitable city where all residents feel safe and are empowered to achieve free of prejudice."
In response to the murders in Atlanta, Georgia, community leaders Linh Ta and Miki Gotoh organized a “Stop the Hate Rally” in Bicentennial Park on Saturday, March 20, 2021. Council President Shannon Hardin, Councilmember Emmanuel Remy and Mayor Andrew Ginther were in attendance.