JOINT STATEMENT

Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Asian Minnesotan Organizations Urge Communities and Leaders to Be Proactive About COVID-19 Related Racism and Violence Against Asian American and Pacific Islanders

We are a set of Asian Minnesotan organizations serving our diverse Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) population across Minnesota. In recent weeks, we have heard stories of racism and violent acts of bigotry against AAPI from within the state and across the country that have our community members worried about the safety of themselves and their families. Given the many historical examples of racism during times of crisis against Indigenous, Black, Latinx, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh immigrants, refugees and undocumented people, we urge communities and leaders to take this seriously before it escalates. In this unprecedented time, we must ensure everyone is cared for and feels safe. We stand together to condemn all acts of harassment, discrimination and bias against APIs, and call for more bold leadership and actions to protect all communities.

Because COVID-19 was unknown to the public until the outbreak in Wuhan, China, some Americans feel justified in spreading xenophobic messages that blames Asian-identifying people for this deadly virus. Racist actions ranging from using xenophobic and racial slurs, to refusing customer service, to outright physical attacks have also increased. While there is understandable growing anxiety due to the spread of COVID-19, misplaced Asian rhetoric and discrimination weakens our collective ability to protect each other and work toward a healthier future.

American history provides important lessons about how race has been used to demonize, exclude, and divert blame Asian Americans for America’s sufferings through:

• the Chinese Exclusion Act
• laws that prevented Filipino family reunification during the Great Depression
• internment of Japanese Americans being labeled enemies during WWII
• the killing of Vincent Chin during the American auto industry crash
• attacking Muslims, Sikhs, and Hindus after 9/11
• racist targeting over hunting grounds in Minnesota that led to racists slogans like “Save a Hunter, Shoot a Hmong”
• targeted detainment and deportation of Southeast Asians Immigrants and refugees

The various ways Asian Americans have been and continue to be discriminated against provides perspective about why Asian Minnesotans now fear for their physical safety and family security when our nation’s leaders irresponsibly label a disease to a whole community.

COVID-19 is an aggressive virus that does not discriminate against race, ethnicity, color, class, gender, sexuality, ability, and citizenship status. Anyone can fall ill or carry the virus. It will require every person to rise to the occasion in order to flatten the curve to prevent catastrophic outcomes. Though we applaud some local and state leaders who have condemned racist acts against AAPIs, we urge communities and leaders to be vigilant in their commitment to not only condemn but to respond to racism against AAPIs at this time. We also ask that everyone publicly and proudly support local Asian-owned businesses and organizations.

We acknowledge that our Native/Indigenous, Black, African, Latinx, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, refugee, immigrant, undocumented, and LGBTQ+ communities are among those who have had similar experiences with discrimination and racism, and we stand in solidarity and denounce hate speech, discrimination, and violence against these communities as well.

Asian Minnesotan Organizations in solidarity to prevent and end racism and violence against community:

Asian American Organizing Project (AAOP)

Asian Media Access

CAPI USA

Coalition of Asian American Leaders (CAAL)

Filipinx for Immigrant Rights & Racial Justice MN (FIRM)

Hmong 18 Clan Council

Hmong American Farmer Association (HAFA)

Hmong American Partnership (HAP)

Hmong Museum

Hmong Women Achieving Together (HWAT)

India Association of Minnesota (IAM)

Indigenous Roots

Japanese American Citizens League (JACL)

Karen Organization of Minnesota (KOM)

Lao Assistance Center of Minnesota (LACM)

Minnesota Asian Pacific American Bar Association (MNAPABA)

National Association of Asian American Professionals Minnesota (NAAAP MN)

Philippine Study Group of Minnesota (PSGM)

Regional Tibetan Youth Congress - Minnesota

(RTYC - MN)

Release MN8

Reviving the Islamic Sisterhood for Empowerment (RISE)

Siengkane Lao MN (SKLM)

The SEAD Project

Theater Mu

Transforming Generations

Vietnamese Social Services (VSS)

Wat Promwachirayan

MNAPABA member Evan Tsai will be recognized at the RCBA Judges’ Dinner this year on Thursday, March 26. Evan has been chosen to receive the 2020 RCBA Distinguished Humanitarian Award from the RCBA. If you are interested in attending the dinner and supporting Evan, you can find more details here. Congratulations, Evan!

MNAPABA nominated Immediate Past President Melitta Drechsler for the Ramsey County Bar Association's Excellence in Diversity Award. Melitta will be receiving the award on June 5 at 9am at the RCBA's Diversity Committee CLE at the First National Bank Building in St. Paul.  

Congratulations, Melitta! 

For more information about the event, please visit https://www.ramseybar.org/event/rcbadiversitycle/ 

When:	Thursday, February 7 12:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Where:	University of St. Thomas School of Law 1101 Harmon Pl. Minneapolis, Minnesota  55403 United States
Contact:	Sarah Mayer sarah@hcba.org 612-752-6600

To register: https://www.hcba.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1188957&group=an

RSVP: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/APALSA_Jan31_2019

On Tuesday, 10/30, MNAPABA participated in the Jeremiah Program's Cook For Kids program. We provided dinner for approximately 25 families. Our spaghetti dinner was a hit, but the kids enjoyed the Halloween-themed cupcakes the most. 

On October 17 and November 2, various board members attended "Meet the Bar" events at St. Thomas and the University of Minnesota Law School in an effort to introduce law students to MNAPABA. Take a look at board members Richard Liu and Sukanya Momsen at the University of Minnesota Law School last week. 

On July 19, 2018, Chief Judge Kathleen Sanberg presented the 2018 Raeder Larson Public Service Award to MNAPABA member Karl Johnson.

Congratulations, Karl! 

"MNAPABA joins with other Minnesota affinity bar associations and NAPABA in opposing the separation of families crossing our borders. Please see our statement below. MNAPABA joins the call to quickly reunite families."

Melitta Dreschler
2017-18 MNAPABA President

Statement Regarding Zero-Tolerance 

Immigration Policy

The Minnesota Hispanic Bar Association (MHBA), Minnesota Lavender Bar Association (MLBA), Minnesota Association of Black Lawyers (MABL), Minnesota Asian Pacific American Bar Association (MNAPABA), Minnesota American Indian Bar Association (MAIBA), Minnesota Mother Attorneys Association (MMAA), and Somali American Bar Association (SABA) jointly issue the following statement in response to recent reports about the Trump Administration’s zero-tolerance prosecution policy that has triggered a spike in family separations at the U.S.-Mexico border.

The Trump Administration’s policy to prosecute every adult who crosses the U.S. – Mexico border illegally or even in connection with lawfully seeking asylum, and, in addition, to separate those adults from their minor children, is in stark contrast to our country’s bedrock principles of treating all individuals with equality and dignity. No existing law forces federal prosecutors to prioritize the immigration violations of families seeking asylum. At least 2,700 families have been separated at the border since October 2017. Organizations offering aid at the border report that parents separated from their children are not told where their children will go. Recent reports indicate that the Department of Homeland Security is operating three “tender care” facilities  for infants and toddlers who are separated at the border from their families. The American Psychological Association warns that separating children from their parents causes serious harm to children already suffering trauma from fleeing their countries of origin. The psychological toll inflicted on these children is inhumane and our government’s policy of separating minor children is reprehensible. Although the Trump Administration has now indicated it will end this policy of separating minor children from their parents, there is no plan in place to quickly reunite currently-detained children with their parents.

Putting an end to this policy decision does not address reunification of families that have been separated nor does it address the awful conditions parents and the children are being held in. We call on lawmakers to take swift action in passing legislation to ensure such a policy cannot be reinstated and that children who have been separated from their families have a safe and expedient procedure for being reunited with their parents. To be clear, we can protect our borders while still being humane and compassionate to those in need.

We also encourage our members to continue our tradition of service by offering pro bono legal counsel to families and unaccompanied minors and supporting on-the-ground organizations providing humanitarian relief.

Thank you to our clinic volunteers on June 27 at Hmong American Partnership!