Anti-Defamation League, Asian American Education Project, Committee of 100 and The Yellow WhistleTM Collaborate for Grant Submission
New York, NY (November 11, 2022) – A coalition of leading community groups today announced that they have been awarded a three-year grant focused on addressing hate crimes. The coalition is made up of ADL (Anti-Defamation League), Asian American Education Project, Committee of 100, and The Yellow Whistle™.
The four groups will work together on a three-part plan focused on the New York City area that will 1) look at the standardization of community-based anti-Asian hate crime data; 2) the development and implementation of an awareness campaign; and 3) support the expansion of AAPI curriculum for K-12 as an anti-Asian hate crime prevention measure. The $400,000 grant will help fund the project over a 36-month period.
Anti-Asian hate crimes increased by over 300 percent last year. In New York City, racial bias attacks against Asian Americans make up nearly a quarter of all hate crimes reported by the NYPD. With increased hate speech and violence directed at the AAPI community, Asian Americans live in fear, altering their daily routine and schedule because they are worried about being threatened or attacked.
The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) sought to support programs that took a comprehensive community-based approach on addressing hate crimes. The BJA grant empowers community and civil rights organizations to establish community-centered approaches for public awareness, education, and prevention of hate crimes. The program is also designed to develop community-informed model policies, practices, and trainings for law enforcement and prosecutors regarding how hate crimes are reported, investigated, and prosecuted.
“We know that hate crimes are message crimes – they hurt not just the individual, but can harm entire communities,” said Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL CEO and National Director. “We are looking forward to working together with our partners to identify new community-based solutions that will help to prevent these traumatic crimes from happening in the first place.”
“Education about Asian American history is one of the long-term keys to reduce stereotyping and falsehoods that fuel anti-Asian violence. It is also an essential part of fully understanding American history,” said Stewart Kwoh, Committee of 100 Member and Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of Asian American Education Project. “We are excited about this collaboration and look forward to the additional opportunities to provide education about the fastest growing ethnic group in the U.S. – the Asian American community is over 23 million strong.”
“The rise of hate crimes in recent years across communities is deeply troubling and unacceptable. We cannot let hate and racism run rampant in this country. No one should live in constant fear of being threatened or attacked because of their race or ethnicity,” said Cindy Tsai, General Counsel at Committee of 100. “I am extremely proud that Committee of 100 is partnering with this coalition of community leaders to confront anti-Asian hate head-on and to help secure a safer environment for our community. We hope other community organizations will join us in our collective efforts to eliminate anti-Asian hate once and for all.”
“Since its inception on April 19, 2021, The Yellow Whistle campaign has distributed half a million yellow whistles in all 50 states in partnership with over 150 national and localized grassroots partners. More than a safety campaign, The Yellow Whistle™ has become a symbol of self-protection and a rallying cry for solidarity among Asian-Americans and all Americans to stand up against historical discriminations and injustices,” Dr. H.M. Agnes Hsu-Tang, Co-Founder of The Yellow Whistle. “The Yellow Whistle is delighted to collaborate with the Anti-Defamation League, Asian American Education Project, and Committee of 100, to advance our mission in the next phase of the campaign.”
More information on the Bureau of Justice Assistance Grant can be found here.
About ADL
ADL is a leading anti-hate organization. Founded in 1913 in response to an escalating climate of anti-Semitism and bigotry, its timeless mission is to protect the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all. Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of hate with the same vigor and passion. ADL is the first call when acts of anti-Semitism occur. A global leader in exposing extremism, delivering anti-bias education and fighting hate online, ADL’s ultimate goal is a world in which no group or individual suffers from bias, discrimination or hate. More at www.adl.org.
About Asian American Education Project
Asian American Education Project is the premiere Asian American educational organization that offers rigorous lesson plans for K-12 curriculums and professional development trainings that teach the rich history of Asian Americans. AAEdu has over 54 lesson plans focusing on various aspects of the APIDA experience. Visit https://www.asianamericanedu.org or follow AAEdu on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn for more information.
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 more than 30 years, Committee of 100 has served as a 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. Visit https://www.committee100.org/ or follow Committee of 100 on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook for more information.
About The Yellow Whistle™
In nature, yellow is the color of daffodils and sunflowers, signaling the advent of spring, bringing hope, optimism, and enlightenment. In America, yellow has been weaponized against Asians as the color of xenophobia. The Yellow Whistle™ is a symbol of self-protection and solidarity in our common fight against historical discrimination and anti-Asian violence, The whistle is a simple gadget with a universal purpose – to signal alarm and call for help – for all Americans. We shall not remain silent, because WE BELONG™. Visit www.theyellowwhistle.org or follow The Yellow WhistleTM on Twitter and Instagram for more information about the campaign.
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Contact:
Charles Zinkowski
Sr. Director of Marketing & Communications
Committee of 100
czinkowski@committee100.org
