For Immediate Release: Thursday, March 18, 2021
ROCKVILLE, Md., March 18 2021—The Montgomery County Council and County Executive Marc Elrich will hold an Asian American and Pacific Islander Unity Event on March 19 at 10:30 a.m. to reaffirm the County’s support for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community members who have been the targets of ongoing harassment and recent hate crimes.
Montgomery County has a long history of working to create and maintain a safe and inclusive community built on understanding, tolerance and respect, and leaders across the community remain united in this ongoing effort. In Feb. the Council recommitted itself to these efforts by passing a resolution to reaffirm Montgomery County’s commitment to combat hate and extremism.
All County residents are suffering the economic, educational and public health consequences of the pandemic; however, many Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are also concerned about their safety because of the xenophobic rhetoric associated with the COVID-19 virus leading to acts of harassment, hate crimes and a surge in violent attacks across the country.
During this event, County government and community leaders will share information on the resources available to support and protect all community members including public safety measures, legal protections and services provided through the Office of Community Partnerships and the Department of Health and Human Services. Community members will also address the recent increase in hate crimes.
Across the nation in 2020, the number of racially motivated hate crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders has risen by nearly 150 percent. In our community, the Montgomery County Police Department reports that there were 10 hate crimes targeting Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders last year. Stop AAPI Hate released a new reporton Tuesday recording nearly 3,800 anti-Asian hate incidents between March 19, 2020 and Feb. 28, 2021. More than 500 of these incidents occurred in 2021.
Those participating in the Asian American and Pacific Islander Unity Event include: County Executive Marc Elrich, Council President Tom Hucker, Council Vice President Gabe Albornoz, Councilmember Andrew Friedson, Councilmember Evan Glass, Councilmember Will Jawando, Councilmember Sidney Katz, Councilmember Nancy Navarro, Councilmember Craig Rice, Councilmember Hans Riemer, Executive Director of Chinese Culture and Community Services (CCACC) Dr. Chih-Hsiang Li, Executive Director of Vietnamese Americans Service Tho Tran, Founder of the Montgomery County Progressive Asian American Network (MoCoPAAN) Aryani Ong, Acting Manager of the Asian American Health Initiatives Jasmin Vinh, Executive Director of the Korean Community Service Center of Greater Washington (KCSCGW) Dr. Ji-Young Cho, Chief of Police Marcus Jones, Office of Human Rights Director James Stowe and Office of Community Engagement Asian Liaison Yi Shen. Maryland Senator Susan Lee, Delegate Kumar Barve, Delegate Lily Qi and Delegate David Moon will provide a video message for the event.
This Zoom event is open to the public and members of the media. It will also be broadcast on County Cable Montgomery and the Council's Facebook and YouTube pages.
Register to receive the Zoom link: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_EIfDhkttQVSSqlCIo666IQ
For more information contact:
Sonya Healy, Legislative Information Officer, Montgomery County Council
Sonya.Healy@montgomerycountymd.gov or 240-328-2069
Yi Shen, Asian Liaison, Office of Community Partnerships
Yi.Shen@montgomerycountymd.gov or 240-277-3684