In the wake of the terrible shootings in Atlanta, Georgia on March 16, 2021, the Massachusetts House of Representatives adopted a Resolution Supporting Asian and Asian-American Communities in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on Monday, April 5, 2021. The tragic Atlanta mass shooting, which killed eight victims, including six women of Asian descent, is one of many instances of anti-Asian violence, hate, and discrimination, which has sharply risen 150% nationally as a result of anti-Asian rhetoric related to COVID-19.

The House Asian Caucus (Representatives Tram Nguyen, Maria Robinson, Vanna Howard, Erika Uyterhoeven, Tackey Chan, Donald Wong, Rady Mom, and Paul Schmid) drafted the House Resolution, which firmly and resolutely states that anti-Asian rhetoric, racism, discrimination, scapegoating, and xenophobia must stop. The Resolution was signed by 120 House members who stand united in solidarity with Asian American and Pacific Islander communities and condemn and denounce all forms of anti-Asian bigotry and violence.

“This Resolution is a reaffirming message to our AAPI communities that you are seen, loved, and supported. We will not be silent, we will remain steadfast in opposing anti-Asian sentiments nationally and within our great Commonwealth, and we will continue to work to make our communities more inclusive and safer for everyone,” stated lead sponsor Rep. Tram Nguyen (D-Andover). “I want to thank Speaker Mariano, the House Asian Caucus, House Counsel, the House Clerk, and all of our colleagues who signed on to this meaningful document.”

"I joined my colleagues in the Asian Caucus to stand against racially motivated hate and violence, knowing that this resolution is only the beginning of the work we need to do to dismantle white supremacy here and everywhere", Rep Connolly remarked. "Anti-Asian violence is nothing new, this violence is embedded in the fabric of AAPI history in America, including the Chinese Exclusion act, Japanese internment, post-9/11 hate crimes towards South Asians, and an uptick in racially motivated hate crimes since the start of the pandemic. We must not stop at merely condemning violence against the AAPI community, but rather work with Asian community leaders, empowering and listening to them to make intentional policy decisions."

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Website: https://www.asiancaucusma.com/

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