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SR-79 (2023-2024)

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Enrolled  May 03, 2024
Passed  IN  Senate  May 02, 2024

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Resolution
No. 79


Introduced by Senator Min

March 19, 2024


Relative to AAPI Day Against Bullying and Hate.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SR 79, Min.

WHEREAS, May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, and;
WHEREAS, May 18 is the birthday of Vincent Chin, who was brutally murdered in a hate crime in 1982, fueling a national Asian American activist movement that continues to this day; and
WHEREAS, There has been a staggering rise in bullying, discrimination, and hate crimes against the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community during the COVID-19 pandemic; and
WHEREAS, Every day, kids of all ages suffer from being bullied in schools and online across the country; and
WHEREAS, In the AAPI community, this problem is often compounded by cultural, religious, and linguistic barriers that can keep these youth from seeking and receiving help; and
WHEREAS, Certain AAPI groups, including South Asian, Muslim, Sikh, Micronesian, LGBTQ+, immigrant, and limited-English-proficient youth, are more likely to be the targets of bullying; and
WHEREAS, March 2020 and March 2023, Stop AAPI Hate received more than 11,000 self-reported incidents of anti-Asian bias, which mainly included harassment and bullying; and
WHEREAS, A 2021 survey by Act to Change found that 80 percent of Asian American teens have experienced bullying in person or online; and
WHEREAS, The Sikh Coalition reports that, as of October 26, 2023, two-thirds of Sikh American boys who wear turbans have experienced bullying, including verbal intimidation, physical assault, social harassment, and cyberbullying; and
WHEREAS, Over one-half of reported hate acts include explicit racial bias, 20 percent involve coded bias, and 29 percent involve perceived bias; and
WHEREAS, A majority of incidents take place in spaces open to the public; public streets (31.2 percent) and businesses (26.9 percent) remain the top sites of anti-AAPI hate; and
WHEREAS, Of all hate incidents, 48.1 percent included at least one hateful statement regarding anti-China or anti-immigrant rhetoric; and
WHEREAS, Act To Change is one of the national nonprofits dedicated to fighting bullying directed at the Asian American and Pacific Islander community; and
WHEREAS, The Legislature joins Act To Change in sharing one vision: a world where all youth, including within the AAPI community, have the opportunity to grow up feeling proud and supported in the development of their identities and sharing of their stories; and
WHEREAS, The Legislature will continue to empower students by advocating for systemic change and providing resources to promote healthy communities; and
WHEREAS, The Legislature is committed to this important issue and encourages the public to foster dialogue, share resources, and learn more about what they can do to fight bullying; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, That May 18, 2024, is hereby proclaimed AAPI Day Against Bullying and Hate, in honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and Vincent Chin; and be it further
Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.