News Release: One Nation AAPIs Fight Dual Pandemics
ONE NATION COMMISSION RELEASES NEW REPORT
One Nation AAPIs Rising to Fight Dual Pandemics of COVID-19 and Racism
OAKLAND, CA, Thursday, October 22, 2020 -- Sherry Hirota and former Congressman Mike Honda, Co-Chairs of the One Nation Commission, announced today the release of the One Nation Commission Report, One Nation AAPIs, Rising to Fight Dual Pandemics, COVID-19 and Racism.
The One Nation Commission Report, edited by author and journalist Helen Zia, with contributions by Viet Nguyen and AAPI researchers, provides the facts, data, new research, curated stories, and imagery that prove and bring to life the impact on AAPIs of COVID-19 and the compounding effects of the simultaneous rise in anti-Asian hate.
“We will not be either blamed or ignored,” said Commission co-chair, Sherry Hirota, CEO of Asian Health Services. “The One Nation Report puts the stark data and the compelling stories in the hands of the growing AAPI population, policy makers, and the general U.S. public with rich never before seen AAPI data. It is a resource for taking action, a primer for the election, and a policy framework going forward. We are lifting up the resilience of our community and Insisting on the truth. We are advocating for ourselves and we are coalition building, for this is the path forward to a stronger future,” said Hirota. “AAPIs are not a monolithic model minority,” said One Nation Commission co-chair, former Congressman Mike Honda. “The misperceptions of us hurt us collectively and individually. We won’t sit back – this Report seizes the megaphone, tells the fuller story, and shares the tools and truths with our community and allies. Just in time to fire everyone up to vote by November 3rd, and beyond."
One Nation AAPIs Rising to Fight Dual Pandemics Report highlights
AAPIs, Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) bear a disproportionate burden of illness and death and together and separately have significant health disparities related to COVID-19.
Undertesting, racism, and a lack of disaggregated data have led to misunderstanding the impact of COVID-19 on the AAPI community.
A self-organized task force of renowned AAPI researchers have uncovered high rates of illness and death among the diverse AAPIs population.
AAPIs comprise a high proportion of U.S. frontline and essential workers, including in health care, elder care, high contact food, cleaning, and retail services.
AAPIs have been harmed by a lack of disaggregated data on the 30+ AAPI subgroups which include more than 100 languages.
New research of AAPIs, conducted in Alameda County, California, revealing low test rates and high rates of depression, anxiety, and isolation, related to the drastic and recent increase in anti-Asian hate.
58% of Asian American adults now say it is more common for people to express racist or racially insensitive views about Asian Americans than before the COVID-19 outbreak.
Youth were more likely to than adults to be harassed at school, at public parks, and online.
In 56% of these cases, perpetrators employ anti-Chinese hate speech, including blaming China and the Chinese as the source of the virus and mocking Chinese dietary habits.
Girls are 2.5 times more likely to report hate incidents than boys, slightly higher than the adult ratio.
Historical and continuing multiracial solidarity movements across Black and other communities are key to strengthening pan-Asian ties, and combatting anti-Asian racism, anti-Blackness, and systemic racism.
AAPIs registered voters have the potential to significantly influence the outcomes of upcoming national, state, and local elections. Studies of voters show that immigrants such as AAPIs, have the power to swing elections, move public opinion, and make the case to count on immigrants to influence decisions of consequence.
Immigrants make our workforce viable, enrich our economy, contribute taxes, create a thriving society, forge cultural richness, stimulate innovation and creativity, strengthen healthy family bonds and supports, and make America stronger.
Numerous facts and the human stories dispel the mistruths and mischaracterizations that abound about AAPIs. Contrary to the commonly held view that immigrants are a threat to American workers, immigrant workers complement the American workforce, contributing greatly to the economy.
AAPIs are advocating for fair and just immigration policies in the face of the past several years’ 400+ anti-immigrant rules and laws, including Public Charge and DACA.
Proof points and moral arguments show that we must all learn from the long history of United States anti-Asian racism and halt the systemic racism that harms our collective society.
Recommendations include:
Call for a national strategy to protect all persons from further COVID-19 harm and mitigate disproportionate impact on people of color including AAPIs.
Mandate AAPI testing, data collection, and analyses by specific language and populations for COVID-19 and other health issues.
Support for national community health centers and AAPI community health centers and partners who provide high quality care and compassion in multiple languages and cultures.
Call on national, state, and local elected and appointed leaders to condemn and stop anti-Asian hate.
Continue to build and strengthen solidarity movements, including with the Black, Latinx, and Indigenous People communities to fight systemic racism.
Engage K-12 schools, universities, and colleges to teach about AAPIs in the United States, including the history of discrimination and racism against AAPIs.
Utilize tools with resources and actions within the report to empower our community to stand against hate.
Strengthen the solidarity movement that continues to grow, from courageous elected officials, nonprofit executives, corporate leaders, and community advocates, and offers hope, inspiration, and the facts that prove that AAPIs and all immigrants make America stronger.
The One Nation Commission, and the One Nation Coalition comprise leaders and advocates, organized in 2018 to galvanize the Asian and Pacific Islander American movement against the unAmerican and unfair Public Charge rule. One Nation continues to mobilize broad community sectors to keep the visibility up and the pressure on to ensure that the new Public Charge rule is permanently blocked. The previous One Nation Commission Report, One Nation Built on the Strength of Immigrants, was released in Washington, D.C., in October 2019.
To get your copy of the report, please visit onenationcommission.org or onenationaapi.com. For interviews and photo opportunities with Commissioners and those featured in the new report, please email srounsaville@ahschc.org.
One Nation Commissioners
Co-Chair Sherry Hirota | CEO, Asian Health Services
Co-Chair Mike Honda | Former Congressman (California CD17)
Luisa Blue, RN | Executive Vice President, SEIU
Rob Bonta, Esq. | Assistant Majority Leader, California State Assembly (AD 18)
Daniel Chao, MA, MALD, PhD | Business leader, Fmr. President and CEO, Bechtel China
David Chiu, MPP, Esq. | Chair, California API Legislative Caucus, California State Assembly (AD 17)
Marielena Hincapié, Esq. | Executive Director, National Immigration Law Center
Kathreen Khavari, MSc | Actress, Immigrant Rights Activist and Writer
Tung Nguyen, MD | Chair, AAPI Progressive Action
Ninez Ponce, MPP, PhD | Professor, UC Los Angeles Fielding School of Public Health
Karthick Ramakrishnan, PhD | Professor, UC Riverside School of Public Policy
Kyu Rhee, MPP, MD | VP/Chief Health Officer, IBM* *IBM listed for affiliation only
Paul Song, MD | COO/CMO, NKMax America, Inc.
Helen Zia | Author, Last Boat Out of Shanghai and Asian American Dreams
One Nation Commission, 14 members, co-chaired by Former Congressman Mike Honda and Sherry Hirota.
One Nation Coalition, comprised of 104, and counting, partner organizations throughout the United States.
One Nation Movement -- millions of immigrants, relatives of immigrants, and allies who knew that America is one nation built on the strength of immigrants.
onenationcommission.org
onenationaapi.com
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