FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact
City Manager's Office of Communications
CMOCommunications@sanjoseca.gov
SAN JOSE, Calif. - City Manager Dave Sykes has released the following statement in support of the Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) community:
I was deeply saddened by the shootings in Atlanta, which left eight people dead, six of whom were women of Asian descent. This tragedy happened at a time when our community is already reeling from an appalling rash of violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI), due in part to false claims about the spread of coronavirus. I want you to know that I find these acts of violence, and the entrenched racism that fuels them, disgusting and completely unacceptable. I stand in solidarity with our AAPI community.
Sadly, these incidents are not anomalies. They result from generations of stereotyping, institutionalized racism, and systematized denial. Many of us in today’s City of San José workforce are pushing back against those systems. I encourage you to expand your understanding of equity through our online library of resources, and sign up for the Government Alliance on Racial Equity (GARE) Member Portal. On social media, read more about nationwide efforts to combat anti-AAPI violence through the hashtag #StopAAPIHate. Together, we can better understand and began to dismantle the foundations of racism in our own community.
Our elected leaders have led the way. As Mayor Sam Liccardo posted, “We all have a part to play in ending the violence against our AAPI communities. We must protect and defend the diversity that makes San José strong.” Thank you to Councilmember Pam Foley and California State Assemblymember Evan Low for leading and organizing our community to stand up against AAPI hate a few weeks ago. The City stands with the AAPI workforce and community and is committed to making our city welcoming to all who work, live and visit San José.
About the City of San José
With more than one million residents, San José is one of the most diverse large cities in the United States and is Northern California’s largest city and the 10th largest city in the nation. San José’s transformation into a global innovation center has resulted in one of the largest concentrations of technology companies and expertise in the world. In 2011, the City adopted Envision San José 2040, a long-term growth plan that sets forth a vision and a comprehensive road map to guide the City’s anticipated growth through the year 2040.
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