The Berkeley chapter of the Japanese American Citizens’ League (JACL), condemns the recent rise in Anti-Asian hate crimes throughout the country and in our nearby Oakland Chinatown, San Francisco, and San Leandro. We applaud the actions of Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley in the creation of a response unit focusing on the hate and violence targeting our Asian American communities. We stand with our fellow Asian American communities in solidarity against these hateful crimes and thank our allies for their support. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen a significant increase in hate speech and hate crimes against Asian Americans, bolstered by comments made by the previous administration. We call on the media to bring attention to these horrific events and call on our elected leaders to implement solutions to address the increasing racism and attacks against Asian Americans in our community.

Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA) is organizing 2 events to address the violence towards the Asian American community in Oakland and San Francisco. Our goals are to rally support for Asian and Pacific Islander communities, to demand immediate and long-term action to address the violence, and to emphasize solutions that empower all communities of color with resources, support, and education.