Legislation Document

SPONSOR:	Sen. Sturgeon
Sens. Gay, Hansen, Hocker, Lawson, Lockman, Lopez, Mantzavinos, S. McBride, Paradee, Pinkney, Poore, Richardson, Sokola, Townsend, Walsh, Wilson

DELAWARE STATE SENATE

151st GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 9

SENATE RESOLUTION CONDEMNING ANTI-ASIAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER VIOLENCE AND XENOPHOBIC RHETORIC.

WHEREAS, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have been the victims of racism and discrimination throughout United States history; and

WHEREAS, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, the Rocks Springs massacre of 1885, and the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II all represent shameful examples of anti-Asian racism in the United States; and

WHEREAS, violence and discrimination against Asian Americans have surged during the COVID-19 pandemic and have been exacerbated by the spread of misinformation; and

WHEREAS, a study from the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University at San Bernardino found that anti‐Asian hate crimes have more than doubled during the COVID-19 pandemic; and

WHEREAS, in the last year, STOP AAPI Hate, a coalition that tracks incidents of hate and discrimination against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States, received 3,795 reports of discrimination and racism against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders; and

WHEREAS, on March 16, 2021, eight people, including six women of Asian descent, were murdered at three businesses in Atlanta, Georgia; and

WHEREAS, the victims of the shooting were Soon C. Park, Hyun J. Grant, Suncha Kim, Yong A. Yue, Xiaojie Tan, Daoyou Feng, Delaina Ashley Yaun, and Paul Andre Michels, and Elcias R Hernandez-Ortiz; and

WHEREAS, hate crimes are traditionally underreported, and Delawareans should feel empowered to report incidents of hate crimes to strengthen enforcement and bring greater awareness to the issue; and

WHEREAS, an estimated 43,000 people of Asian American and Pacific Islander descent are living in Delaware, representing a diverse array of backgrounds, faiths, and occupations.

NOW, THEREFORE:

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the 151st General Assembly of the State of Delaware, that the State of Delaware stands in solidarity with Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to condemn hate crimes and hateful rhetoric against them.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Senate of the 151st General Assembly of the State of Delaware encourages Delawareans to report hate crimes to the proper authorities.