A Century After Arson Decimated Its Chinatown, San Jose to Apologize for Past Racism and Injustices
Catherine Thorbecke, ABC News, September 23, 2021
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A draft of the resolution chronicles the contributions Chinese immigrants made to the local economy, as well as the violence and racism they faced {snip}
The resolution also acknowledges the still-persisting impacts of centuries of racist policy, stating, “the recent rise in anti-Asian violence and racial discrimination demonstrates that xenophobia remains deeply rooted in our society” and that “Asian-Americans are still considered perpetual foreigners.”
It calls for the story of Chinese immigrants “and the dehumanizing atrocities committed against them in the 19th and early 20th century” to not be purged from the city’s history.
“The City must acknowledge and take responsibility for the legacy of discrimination against early Chinese immigrants as part of our collective consciousness that helps contribute to the current surge in anti-Asian and Pacific Islander hate,” it states.
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