Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson is proclaiming Friday, March 26, 2021, as "Stop Asian Hate Day" in the city.
The mayor decided to issue the proclamation after a mass shooting incident that killed eight people, including six Asian American women, last week in Atlanta.
"Hate has no place in our city or our country," Johnson said. "I have been disturbed and disgusted by the attacks and bigotry directed at Asian Americans throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Our hearts go out to all of those who have been affected by the rhetoric and violence we have seen against Asian Americans. It must stop.
"Dallas is a welcoming city, and Stop Asian Hate Day will help us mourn and renew our commitment to stopping poisonous hatred against our diverse communities," he said.
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Click here to read the full text of the proclamation.
Dallas is considered an international city. City officials say more than 43% of the population speaks a language other than English at home.
Asian Americans are the fastest-growing ethnic group in the state. According to the Texas Demographics Center, there are 1.5 million Asians living in Texas with a fast-growing population in North Texas.
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But since the pandemic, there has been a sharp increase in the number of reported attacks, slurs and hate crimes against Asian Americans across the country.
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According to a study by Stop AAPI Hate, nearly 4,000 hate incidents have been documented since March 2020. Texas ranked the 4th highest, with more than 100 cases.
Historically, this type of violence has oftentimes been overlooked or dismissed due to language barriers, distrust of police or fear.
New York and California have seen the sharpest increases in incidents targeting Asian Americans, with many attacks targeting elders. Some have died from their injuries after being pushed, punched, spat on or slashed.
Texas is not immune. Last March, a Midland family was stabbed at a grocery store after the FBI said the suspect thought they “were Chinese and infecting people with the coronavirus.”
Around the same time, a Richardson restaurant spoke out about customers repeatedly asking Asian staff members if they had the coronavirus. Two weeks ago, a San Antonio ramen restaurant was defaced with racist graffiti. Red spray paint on a window of his Taiwanese ramen spot Noodle Tree read "Kung Flu" while an outside table was covered in the words "Go back to China."
Mayor Johnson is encouraging people to continue discussing the need to end bigotry against Asian Americans and to use the hashtag #StopAsianHate on social media.
Another North Texas city is putting this type of support into practice.
In the past couple of weeks, Grand Prairie police have stepped up patrols in Asian American neighborhoods like Asia Times Square. Some of their officers even translate safety pamphlets into English for residents to help bolster trust.
For a full list on ways you can show you support the Asian American community, click here.
Asian Americans Advancing Justice is another group combating violence, providing anti-racism resources and training online. To learn more, click here.
