May 19, 2021 IRC meeting

Chair Kennelly called the meeting to order at 5:35 p.m.



Present: Chair Kennelly, Commissioners Fujii, Gaime (6:00 p.m.), Khojasteh, Mena, Monge, Obregon, Rahimi, Ricarte, Souza, Zamora.



Not present: Vice Chair Paz (excused), Commissioners Enssani (excused), Ruiz (excused), Commissioner Wang (excused).



OCEIA staff present: Director Pon, Commission Clerk Shore, Administrative Programs Coordinator Alvarez, Lead Community Ambassador Baty, Operations and Grants Administrator Chan, Spanish Language Specialist Cosenza, Language Access Unit Supervisor Jozami, Chinese Language Specialist Li, Language Access Assistant Liu, Communications Specialist Richardson, Lead Community Ambassador Romero, DreamSF Program Coordinator Suarez, Deputy Director Whipple.

Chair Kennelly read the Ramaytush Ohlone land acknowledgment statement.

OCEIA received requests for interpretation in Cantonese, Korean, and Spanish, and provided announcements in those languages about how to access interpretation services during the meeting.

a. Opening remarks (City Administrator Chu)

Chair Kennelly welcomed attendees to the Immigrant Rights Commission’s special hearing on ending Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) hate, and introduced City Administrator Carmen Chu. City Administrator Chu thanked the Immigrant Rights Commission and OCEIA for organizing this special hearing. She discussed the rise in anti-AAPI discrimination and violence, especially against the most vulnerable individuals, including seniors. She called for action to help support victims and to recognize the importance of the issue. Chair Kennelly thanked the City Administrator and said the Commission looked forward to presenting her with recommendations.



b. Opening remarks (Director Pon)

Director Pon presented an overview of the hearing, which aims to provide a space to listen to the AAPI community, learn about historic discrimination, and hear community members’ concerns. On behalf of the OCEIA staff, she thanked the Commission for initiating the hearing and for its willingness to work together with community members on solutions.

Chair Kennelly invited speakers to provide their testimony.

a. Overview

1. Stop AAPI Hate Initiative – Co-Founder Cynthia Choi, Co-Executive Director, Chinese for Affirmative Action

“We have to do better in serving victims and survivors of violence, regardless of their immigration status, regardless of their ability to speak English. We need to improve citywide public safety intervention and prevention efforts, as well as developing models for cross-racial healing and solidarity work.”

Cynthia Choi, co-executive director of Chinese for Affirmative Action, one of the founding partners of the national initiative Stop AAPI Hate, and a member of the local Coalition for Community Safety and Justice, presented an overview of anti-AAPI hate incidents. From March 2020 through March 2021, Stop AAPI Hate has collected over 6,600 reports of anti-AAPI hate incidents, including physical attacks and examples of discrimination. California makes up 40% of all incidents, and San Francisco makes up 22% of those reported in California. The majority (65%) of incidents were reported by women. Co-Executive Director Choi discussed the historic precedent of scapegoating immigrants in times of crisis, its impact on the mental health of community members, and the importance of language access as a public safety issue.



b. Community Organizations

2. Japanese Community Youth Council – Executive Director Jon Osaki

“The only way that we are going to make progress against systemic racism is by working together with other communities.”

Jon Osaki, executive director of the Japanese Community Youth Council, stated that the City must focus on the source of anti-Asian hate. Systemic racism has made it acceptable for Asian Americans to be scapegoats for the actions of Asian countries, he said, just as his own parents were incarcerated during World War II because of scapegoating targeting Japanese Americans for the actions of the Imperial Japanese Military. Director Osaki called for communities to seek out opportunities for allyship with other communities.



3. SOMA Pilipinas – Mario De Mira, Operations and Communications Manager

“We just want to reiterate the need for addressing a lot of these issues [through] communities that are fully resourced across the board, whether that means services for homeless folks, services that provide jobs and housing, to really address some of the underlying needs of people. We think that is the best course versus the [incarceration] system.”

Mario De Mira, operations and communications manager of SOMA Pilipinas Filipino Cultural Heritage District, provided an overview of how his organization has addressed this crisis. SOMA Pilipinas held a webinar on the roots of AAPI hate in the United States, started a series of self-defense classes, is launching a convening for artists, and is working on plans to make the Mission Street corridor safer. He stressed the importance of addressing people’s underlying needs rather than an emphasis on incarceration.



4. Self Help for the Elderly – Anni Chung, President and CEO

“Being stuck at home the whole time is beginning to be alarming for providers like Self-Help because we know that it is going to be very bad on our seniors’ mental health.”

Anni Chung, president and CEO of Self-Help for the Elderly, described the mental health impact of isolation on elder San Franciscans, many of whom are afraid to leave their homes. She provided suggestions of how to help seniors, including rallying business sectors to support them, learning a different culture, taking a personal pledge to contact 10 elderly San Franciscans, and taking bystander intervention training.



5. API Council – Cally Wong, Executive Director

“We need to call for more victim and survivor resources and public safety protocol.”

Cally Wong, executive director of the API Council, a coalition of 57 direct-services organizations, stated that non-profit organizations are under pressure to meet the growing needs of the community while facing budget cuts. She noted that AAPI residents make up one-third of San Francisco’s population, yet represent almost half of those living in poverty. The API Council has provided food, personal protective equipment (PPE), and raised funds for wraparound services. Poverty, food, housing security and the pandemic have accelerated the stressors experienced by community members. She called for the City’s budget to prioritize the needs of community members, especially in public safety.



6. Samoan Community Development Center – John Iesha Ena, Director of Programs

“We will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with our Asian brothers and sisters to show solidarity in our communities. That’s the only way we can bring equity is when we all gather together.”

John Iesha Ena, program director of the Samoan Community Development Center (SCDC), noted that many elder Samoan community members are fearful. SCDC is collaborating with other organizations to support AAPI communities, and encouraging young people to accompany their parents and grandparents on errands and offer help to elderly residents. SCDC runs a support hotline and provides care packages to seniors that include safety alarms. Program Director Ena stressed the importance of cross-cultural solidarity.



7. Southeast Asian Community Center (SEACC) – Diana Vuong, Executive Director

“There are many hate crimes which happen that have not been reported. This poses a problem to the law enforcement.”

Diana Vuong, executive director of the Southeast Asian Community Center, discussed the importance of social connection to prevent isolation and support the physical and mental health of older adults. Her organization translates information into Vietnamese, provides workshops and trainings, and works to empower community members so they know what to do when they experience a racist incident. She noted that many hate crimes go unreported, and discussed the need for more resources to inform community members about the importance of reporting these incidents.



8. Tenderloin Lower Polk Merchant Association – Nan Araya, Cultural Events Director

“There are plenty of minorities who don’t report these crimes because of language barriers and also immigration status.”

Nan Araya, cultural events director of the Tenderloin Lower Polk Merchant Association, discussed recent attacks on Thai community members. She stated that many people do not report incidents due to language barriers and fears of immigration consequences. She expressed an interest in connecting with other organizations to work together to address this issue, and invited attendees to the Tenderloin API Festival on May 29, which will include a self-defense demonstration.



9. Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus – Paul Ocampo, Development Director

“It is critical that we create a community of safety by activating bystanders into action.”

Paul Ocampo, development director for Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus, discussed his organization’s policy work addressing anti-AAPI hate. His organization helped draft and is advocating for AB-886, the Hate Violence Victims’ Support Act (Chiu). Locally, his organization partnered with the non-profit organization Hollaback! to create a bystander training for community members to safely intervene in hate incidents. Asian Law Caucus has trained over 7,000 people in the Bay Area.



10. Japantown Task Force – Steve Nakajo, Executive Director

“We need resources for community patrols to escort our seniors and community members to go about their daily lives and business.”

Chair Kennelly read the written remarks submitted by Steve Nakajo, executive director of the Japantown Task Force. In the last three months, San Francisco Japantown has organized the San Francisco Nihonmachi Coalition against API hate. Director Nakajo expressed his support for this hearing and discussed the need for resources for safety escorts.



c. City Offices, Commissions and Departments

11. Human Rights Commission – Commissioner Irene Yee Riley

“The Human Rights Commission is working closely with departments across the city to ensure that public safety interventions are coordinated and in language, and to uplift restorative and transformative justice models to address anti-AAPI violence.”

Human Rights Commissioner Irene Yee Riley provided an overview of the Human Rights Commission’s work with City departments on public safety interventions and restorative justice models. The Commission convenes organizations to build cross-cultural solidarity, including Stand Together SF, which launched a citywide campaign against hate on April 12, 2021 and will conduct a solidarity workshop on June 8, 2021. She thanked OCEIA for its support of the event.



12. San Francisco Police Department – Commander Daryl Fong, Community Engagement Division

“The Department’s response to incidents of violence within the community has focused on several areas: prevention, education, victim support, and enhanced tracking within the Department.”

San Francisco Police Department Commander Daryl Fong, who leads the department’s Community Engagement Division, provided an overview of the SFPD’s response to anti-AAPI violence. The SFPD worked with the Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs organization to create a multilingual anonymous tip line, now available in Cantonese, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Filipino, Russian, Spanish, Korean, Japanese, and Thai. In October 2020, the SFPD created its Community Liaison Unit, which has helped provide outreach and support to victims of over 94 incidents this year. Officers provide interpretation in person and via mobile phone applications. The SFPD currently has 286 bilingual officers certified in Cantonese, Mandarin, Spanish, Filipino and Russian, and an additional 111 bilingual officers, 92 certified civilian members, and 33 bilingual civilian members, totaling 522 members of the SFPD who speak over 30 languages. The SFPD created a crime dashboard to enhance tracking of anti-AAPI and anti-elder crimes; implemented a policy to track all prejudice-based incidents, including hate speech; and ensures that violent incidents are reviewed for potential connections to hate crimes.



13. District Attorney’s Office – Kasie Lee, Interim Chief- Victim Services Division

“Access to justice for AAPI victims must also include language access.”

Commissioner Khojasteh read the written remarks submitted by Kasie Lee, interim chief of the Victim Services Division for the District Attorney’s Office. Interim Chief Lee noted that San Francisco continues to struggle to provide competent language access to AAPI victims of crime. For example, one Cantonese-speaking victim of a violent crime called 911 and was unable to receive assistance in language. The District Attorney’s Office’s Victim Services Division is working to address this gap and encourages other City departments to do the same.

There was no public comment. Chair Kennelly invited Commissioners to ask questions. Commander Fong responded to questions from Commissioners Obregon, Fujii, and Ricarte. Anni Chung responded to a question from Commissioner Gaime. Paul Ocampo noted that the next bystander training is scheduled for June 16, 2021. Chair Kennelly asked Commissioners to inform OCEIA staff if they would like to participate.

(Information/Discussion/Action)

a. Motion to authorize Executive Committee to determine and execute follow-up actions and recommendations on this Special Hearing (Director Pon)

This item was deferred.

Chair Kennelly thanked speakers and encouraged Commissioners to take on this issue and report back to the Commission. Human Rights Commissioner Yee Riley invited Immigrant Rights Commissioners to join Stand Together SF and the solidarity campaign. Director Pon discussed the importance of assisting crime victims, identifying allies and preventing this from happening again.

a.  Executive Committee Report

On May 14, 2021, the Executive Committee voted to approve a statement requested by Commissioner Mena, condemning human rights violations in Colombia and expressing support for the resolution introduced by Supervisors Haney and Preston. The Commission published the statement on May 17, 2021.

a. Director’s Updates

This item was deferred.



b. June 14, 2021 Immigrant Leadership Awards

Director Pon asked Awards Co-Chairs Fujii and Ricarte to provide an update on the Immigrant Leadership Awards. Commissioner Fujii stated that the awardees have been finalized. Director Pon provided an update on OCEIA staff’s planning for the awards and asked Operations and Grants Administrator Chan to provide more information. The mandatory dress rehearsal has been scheduled for June 7, 2021, and the awards event has been scheduled for June 14, 2021.

Chair Kennelly reported that the Mayor’s Office had no objections to the two resolutions approved by the Executive Committee. Director Pon asked the Full Commission to vote to approve the resolutions proposed by Commissioner Souza in support of SB 321 and by Commissioner Zamora in support of AB 1259. Chair Kennelly motioned to adopt both resolutions. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Rahimi and approved by the 11 Commissioners present: Chair Kennelly, Commissioners Fujii, Gaime, Khojasteh, Mena, Monge, Obregon, Rahimi, Ricarte, Souza, and Zamora.

 

There was no new business.

Chair Kennelly asked Commissioners to provide her and Vice Chair Paz with their recommendations from this hearing, and adjourned the hearing at 7:38 p.m.