Goals of the JACL Anti-Hate Program
The goal of the JACL Anti-Hate Program is to empower
JACL Members and the public to respond to incidents of
defamation and hate crimes and to create a greater
understanding about the values of tolerance and diversity.
Definitions
Hate Incident: expressions of hostility based on race, religion, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or disability. Hate incidents are not illegal. They may take the form of name-calling or using racial slurs, hate speech, the distribution of racist leaflets or other disrespectful behavior.
Hate Crime: defined by federal or state statutes. A hate crime occurs when a person commits an act such as assault, battery, criminal damage to property, criminal trespass to property or mob action because of the victim's real or perceived race, religion, nationality, gender, sexual orientation or disability. Hate crime laws vary from state to state.
Causes of Anti-Asian Sentiment
Xenophobia and Population Visibility: Asian Pacific Americans are one of the fastest growing populations in the United States, a trend that started in the 1970s. Today, Asian Pacific Americans are highly visible, especially in the states of California, Hawaii, New York, Illinois, Texas and Washington. Unfortunately, this visibility gives rise to tension from individuals who feel threatened by this increase in ethnic diversity, especially in urban and suburban areas where Asian Pacific Americans encroach on or displace other residents.
Economic and International Relations: When the U.S. economy declines, attention often shifts to the role that other countries play in providing "unfair" competition. Asian Pacific Americans are often perceived to be "foreigners" who take jobs away from "real" Americans. For example, in 1990, Japan was perceived as "taking over" the U.S. by buying companies and real estate. Little attention was given to the fact that Great Britain was then the largest foreign investor in the U.S., while Canada held the largest percentage of foreign-owned real estate. In 2001, an incident where a Chinese fighter jet collided with a U.S. military aircraft caused a backlash when talk radio hosts defamed Chinese.
Media Portrayals and Public Perceptions: Asian Pacific Americans are portrayed in the media in a variety of contradictory stereotypes, ranging from the "model minority" at the head of his or her class in school, to the non-English-speaking welfare recipient who is a "drain on the system." Asians are also characterized in film as unscrupulous businessmen and cruel mobsters, or as compliant, submissive and exotic. One-dimensional portrayals, coupled with the absence of accurate images and positive role models, obstruct public understanding of the Asian American community, which can contribute to an anti-Asian climate.
Stereotype of the Asian Monolith: Despite the diversity among Asian Pacific Americans, they are often misperceived as a monolithic group. Thus, even though an act of anti-Asian sentiment might be perpetrated with a particular ethnic group in mind (e.g., Indian, Filipino or Korean), a failure to make distinctions between Asian Pacific American ethnic groups causes members of all groups to become potential victims.
Pictures from East Coast Asian American Student Union Conference - February 28, 2009 |
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