San Jose is the latest city to acknowledge a past of anti-Asian hate
New York, NY (September 29, 2021) — The following statement was issued today by Zheng Yu Huang, President of Committee of 100, in regard to the city of San Jose passing a resolution apologizing to Chinese immigrants and their descendants for the city’s role in historical misdeeds:
“Committee of 100 congratulates the decision by the San Jose City Council to pass the resolution to publicly admit the city’s role during the 19th and 20th centuries in encouraging and enabling racism and violence toward Chinese and Asian Americans. For nearly two centuries, Chinese Americans and the AAPI community overall have had to deal with racism, xenophobia, violence in the United States – issues that continue to this day. This is a step in the right direction and a teaching moment, allowing the city of San Jose and the nation to continue to learn and heal from the errors of the past.”
San Jose’s action is the latest in recognizing the racial intolerance that early Asian immigrants faced in seeking a life in America. Earlier this year, in May, 2021, the city of Antioch, California, passed a similar resolution apologizing for forcibly driving out Chinese residents out of town in 1876. The city of Vancouver B.C. apologized to its Chinese citizens in 2018 for its “legalized racism.”
About Committee of 100
Committee of 100 is a non-profit U.S. leadership organization of prominent Chinese Americans in business, government, academia, healthcare, and the arts focused on public policy engagement, civic engagement, and philanthropy. For over 30 years, Committee of 100 has served as the preeminent organization committed to the dual missions of promoting the full participation of Chinese Americans in all aspects of American life and constructive relations between the United States and Greater China. Follow Committee of 100 on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook or visit https://www.committee100.org/ for more information.
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Contact:
Charles Zinkowski
Director of Communications
Committee of 100
czinkowski@committee100.org
Emma Wu
Communications Manager
Committee of 100
ewu@committee100.org
