ABC reports that New York City is launching a $100,000 campaign to combat Coronavirus racism towards Asians.
The New York City Commission on Human Rights is behind the campaign, which aims to educate people about racism.
Education ads will be placed in local media, online and in community pharmacies and convenience stores across the city. The ads will also encourage people to report cases of discrimination and harassment.
The 2-month campaign also aims to remind people of the support available to them but its effects are hoped to continue to impact the community.
Hate crimes towards Asians have been rising since the outbreak of the pandemic. A report by the Human Rights Watch has shown that Coronavirus is fuelling anti-Asian hate.
“This type of discrimination and harassment is not something that happens out of nowhere in a pandemic, this is based in deep-seated miseducation and racism,” said Carmelyn Malalis, the commissioner of the New York City Commission on Human Rights.
“I know that people doubt that there is any such thing as anti-Asian discrimination, and people have said that to my face.”
NYPD’s latest crime report showed that crimes against Asian Americans were on the rise in April.
“People have to understand that this is not something that we are making up and they have to see racism for what it really is,” Malalis added. “They think that signaling out an entire people for a pandemic — that’s not discrimination or racism.”
Crimes towards Asian Americans in Los Angeles have also surged during the Coronavirus pandemic.
Meanwhile, Ohio is declaring racism as a public health crisis amid the Coronavirus pandemic.
“This is not something that is just in New York City, this is something that we are seeing all across the country,” she continue, emphasising that the educational element of the campaign is “crucial.”
The campaign is also using Chinese social media app WeChat to spread their message. Ads will also be posted in multiple languages such as Chinese and Korean.
“From small businesses losing customers to individuals being victims of verbal and physical assaults, the Asian American community has struggled with the economic, health, and social impacts of the pandemic since January,” said Wayne Ho, the president and CEO of the Chinese-American Planning Council.
“We are thankful that the New York City Commission on Human Rights will expand its efforts to protect the Asian American community and other marginalized New Yorkers by launching a public awareness campaign to address COVID-19 related harassment and discrimination,” he added.
“The Asian American community is diverse and will benefit from understanding how to report discrimination, including in health care settings.”
Most recently, a San Francisco Bay Area woman has been arrested for writing Coronavirus-related racist messages to Asian Americans.
