TAMPA, Fla. — Just five days after President Joe Biden signed legislation intended to curtail a striking rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, leaders from Florida joined together on a virtual roundtable to share their perspectives.
The new law expedites the review of hate crimes at the Justice Department and make grants available to help local law enforcement agencies improve their investigation, identification and reporting of incidents driven by bias, which often go underreported.
During the virtual discussion Tuesday posted on Congressmen Charlie Crist's Facebook page, Asian Americans celebrated the bill but also weighed in on how it could be improved.
Those on the roundtable said it's important to get the word out about the new legislation so people know they have a place to report incidents or crimes that might have been a result of bias or prejudice. One person brought up an example of getting your car keyed. You might not call 911, but you should report the incident so law enforcement can start to collect thorough data.
Others discussed Asian culture and a mindset to keep your head down and not cause a scene. Linda Yang believes that needs to change.
Yang, who is the vice president of marketing for the National Association of Asian American Professionals of Tampa Bay, said her 13-year-old son felt a teacher was stereotyping just before the schools closed in March of 2020.
Yang said her son had allergies and was coughing, and the teacher asked him if he had "corona."
She ultimately addressed the incident with school leaders.
"Being a voice for my children at school was something I never had from my parents," said Yang.
Yang, who is a first generation American and whose parents immigrated to the United States from Laos in the 1970s, called the new legislation tremendous but also noted that she wants to see continued support into the future.
"We don’t want to be a trend. We want to be relevant. We want to be seen. We want to have worth in our community," she added.
There are critics of the legislation who say the bill relies too heavily on law enforcement while providing too little funding to address the underlying issues driving a rise in hate crimes.
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