After a weekend of rallies against the recent spike in anti-Asian violence, some Bay Area politicians are pushing for stronger anti-hate laws.
San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa is introducing legislation to establish the county as a zero tolerance zone for hate crimes and require the District Attorney to fully prosecute hate crimes.
"We can no longer just sit back and listen to our Asian American friends and neighbors tell these continuing stories of being victims of violent, racist hate crimes – we must take swift and defining action to stop the hate through bold policies," Canepa said in a statement.
"No one should be afraid to leave their own home because of the color of their skin. Racism is the true virus. The remedy is simple, commit a hate crime here and go to jail, nothing less should be accepted."
An estimated 30% of San Mateo County residents are Asian.
Meanwhile, San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin is expected to participate in a rally at the city’s Hall of Justice on Monday demanding an end to the anti-Asian violence.
Boudin has faced criticism after it was revealed that the primary suspect in the fatal attack on Pak Ho, an elderly Asian man, in Oakland’s Chinatown had previously been arrested in San Francisco on an armed robbery charge and released from custody with an ankle bracelet.
San Francisco’s Assemblymen Phil Ting and David Chiu are also leading a news conference in San Francisco’s Chinatown, where police have stepped up patrols.
Experts say this kind of backlash and scapegoating of Asian Americans has deep roots in U.S. history.
"In the 1870s and 1880s you had 150-plus riots against Chinese laborers who had just completed the railroad, for instance," said Lok Siu, associate professor of Asian American studies at UC Berkeley. "You had hundreds of people who were killed, thousands of people who were expelled from certain towns and Chinatowns that were burned to the ground."
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