By Lisa Brown
We are witnessing a disturbing rise in violence and discrimination against Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community members in this country, including the abhorrent murder spree in Atlanta last week, the multiple assaults on elderly people around the Lunar New Year celebrations earlier this year, as well as the sustained scapegoating and intolerance targeting AAPI people over the course of the pandemic.
I condemn this racism in the strongest possible terms and stand in sympathy and solidarity with our AAPI neighbors and friends throughout Oakland County and the region to oppose this hate, discrimination, and intolerance.
Everyone has a role to stop hate and to find solutions that combat racism and discrimination in all its forms and keep all of our communities safe. I pledge to continue to collaborate with government, business, non-profit, and community leaders in Oakland County to prioritize violence prevention and robust enforcement of civil rights laws to protect people targeted by hate and discrimination. This includes providing culturally and linguistically sensitive services to accommodate all the wonderfully diverse residents of Oakland County.
While anti-Asian xenophobia has been a part of the American experience in the past and, as recent events have shown, lingers in the present, it does not have to be part of our future. Oakland County has ZERO tolerance for hate.
--------
Lisa Brown is the Oakland County clerk/register of deeds.
--------
If you or someone you know has experienced or witnessed hate or bias incidents, the following are some available resources:
• Michigan Department of Civil Rights, 1-800-482-3604
• Crime Victim Services Commission, www.michigan.gov/crimevictims, Toll Free Victim Line: (877) 251 -7373
• Federal Bureau of Investigation Detroit Office, 313 -965 -2323
• Oakland County Sheriff Office, immediate reporting of in-progress crimes & events: 248-858-4950
Stop AAPI Hate (www.stopaapihate.org), a project of San Francisco State University that tracks and responds to incidents of hate, violence, harassment, and discrimination against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States, offers the following safety tips for those experiencing or witnessing hate:
• Safety First: Trust your instincts and assess your surroundings. If you feel unsafe and you are able to, leave the area.
• Stay Calm: Take a deep breath, limit eye-contact, and maintain neutral body language.
• Speak Out (if you can do so safely): In a calm and firm voice establish physical boundaries and denounce their behavior and comments.
• Seek Immediate Support: Ask bystanders for support or intervention.
• Seek Emotional Support: Once you feel safe, take time to recover and reach out to someone to talk about what happened. Remember this is not your fault, and you are not alone.
• Take Action: Approach the targeted person, introduce yourself, and offer support.
• Actively Listen: Ask before taking any actions and respect the targeted person's wishes. Monitor the situation if needed.
