Story at a glance
- The city of San Jose announced this week a unanimous resolution formally apologizing for its “role in acts of discrimination against the Chinese immigrant community and its descendants.”
- Mayor Sam Liccardo and city leaders announced the resolution at the site of a former Chinatown that was destroyed by arson.
- “It’s important for members of the Chinese American community to know that they are seen and that the difficult conversations around race and historic inequities include the oppression that their ancestors suffered,” Liccardo said.
The city of San Jose announced this week a unanimous resolution formally apologizing for its “role in acts of discrimination against the Chinese immigrant community and its descendants.”
Mayor Sam Liccardo and city leaders announced the resolution at the site of a former Chinatown that was destroyed by arson after the city council declared it a health hazard, CNN reported.
“Thirty-four years ago, San José commemorated the tragic destruction of the 2nd Market Street Chinatown, a century prior — but with each new generation, we must reemphasize our commitment to justice and renew our contrition, not just for these failings but for all acts of disrespect and violence against our Black, Latino, Indigenous, and AAPI community members,” Liccardo said, according to CNN.
“This reconciliation acknowledges the mistakes of our city’s past and serves as a reminder to continue striving for an inclusive society,” he added.
The city worked with historians and Chinese American community organizations to document the city’s history of racism and xenophobic policies and formally recognize the five Chinatowns that existed in San Jose between 1866 and 1931.
“It’s important for members of the Chinese American community to know that they are seen and that the difficult conversations around race and historic inequities include the oppression that their ancestors suffered,” Liccardo added, according to Fox 2.
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The resolution also recognizes the rise in anti-Asian violence in the U.S. amid the coronavirus pandemic. A national survey from Stop AAPI Hate released in August revealed that from March 19, 2020 to June 30, 2021 9,081 anti-Asian hate incidents were reported across the country.
“Whereas, Asian Americans are still considered perpetual foreigners; and whereas, the story of Chinese immigrants and the dehumanizing atrocities committed against them in the 19th and early 20th century should not be purged from or minimized in the telling of San Jose’s history.”
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