Busting the perpetual foreigner myth: Stop AAPI Hate February Newsletter
Stop AAPI Hate
Stop AAPI Hate is a national coalition aimed at addressing anti-Asian racism across the U.S.
Over the last few weeks, the number of anti-Asian land ownership bans has continued to grow,?with states like Georgia and Texas advancing xenophobic bills that undermine the constitutional rights of many immigrant families and reinforce a political climate in which Asians in America treated as “perpetual foreigners” in the country they call home.?
This kind of legislation doesn’t just harm targeted groups like Chinese immigrants — it also stokes racism against Asian Americans more broadly. That’s why Stop AAPI Hate launched Stop The Blame , a nationwide campaign to confront anti-Asian scapegoating in political rhetoric and policies.
Keep scrolling to learn more about the campaign — and how else our communities are mobilizing this month.
Keeping Up with the Coalition
Combatting racist land ban legislation: Over the past few weeks, over seven states – including Georgia and Kansas – have joined dozens of states in introducing discriminatory legislation that would ban land ownership for immigrants from China, Iran, and North Korea, among other countries. For the record: It’s unconstitutional to ban land ownership based on national origin, which is why civil rights advocates are mobilizing against this xenophobic wave.
?? Forward progress: This month, an appeals court temporarily blocked Florida from enforcing SB 264 – a law that bans many Chinese immigrants from buying homes in large parts of the state. Oral arguments will be heard in April, so stay tuned for updates on our Stop The Blame website .?
?? Take action: In Georgia, we joined activists at Asian Americans Advancing Justice Atlanta to oppose two bills that would criminalize land ownership for these people. If you are a Georgia resident, please sign this letter , and tell your state leaders to reject these bills and any legislation that undermines the constitutional rights of everyday Georgians.?
Ending mass warrantless surveillance: Once again, the federal government is considering the reauthorization of a warrantless surveillance measure that fuels racial profiling, Stop AAPI Hate signed a letter along with 30 other civil rights organizations, urging congressional leaders to reject reauthorization without proper reforms.?
Commemorating the Year of the Dragon: In celebration of Lunar New Year —?which is celebrated by over a billion people around the globe —?Stop AAPI Hate collaborated with the talented artists at Cut Fruit Collective to design a custom altar, showcasing how different Asian cultures celebrate this important holiday . The design is available for purchase in our store .
Commemorating Black and Asian solidarity: Stop AAPI Hate sat down with scholar and activist Dr. Sy Stokes for a discussion about race, identity, and the growing need for cross-racial solidarity to tackle systemic oppression. You can watch the full conversation here .
“Anti-Blackness is fed to us from birth, and it is up to us whether or not we want to eat…In this fight we all have a common enemy, which is a system itself that is designed to oppress us.” – Dr. Sy Stokes
Healing from hate at Indiana University: It's been one year since a racially-motivated attack incited fear among Asian students at Indiana University Bloomington. In a video interview with Stop AAPI Hate, student leader Katelyn Wo talked about how the student community rallied together and fostered healing and change after a horrific act of hate.
This month, we’re thrilled to announce that we’ve been selected as one of CREDO Mobile’s March grant recipients.?
What this means: CREDO Mobile holds an online vote to divide their funds among three amazing nonprofits. Your vote determines the size of the grant we’ll receive.?
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Keeping Up with the Community
?? Data Insights?
Nearly half of Asian American and Pacific Islander adults believe the United States is not supportive enough of Palestinians in the ongoing conflict in Gaza, according to an AP-NORC poll .?
?? One factor that researchers found could likely contribute to this is that many Asian American communities come from histories of colonization.
?? What they said: “That is an additional dynamic for a lot of Asian Americans who come from colonized countries and who identify as minority or minoritized populations — it’s to be sympathetic and to find common cause with Palestinians who they see as oppressed people.”
A new project called Amplify A.A.P.I. by NORC seeks to provide more detailed insights into the growing A.A.P.I. community , allowing them to be represented in public opinion polls.?
?? Why this is important: Even though AAPI’s are the fastest growing population in the country, they represent a small portion of the voting population. The goal of this program is to elevate AAPIs to an equal footing with other racial groups in survey data, allowing for a more comprehensive understanding of their perspectives in the democratic process.
?? Cultural Preservation & Language Access
In commemoration of Mahina ?ōlelo Hawai?i, or Hawaiian Language Month, the Department of Interior released new guidance for bureaus and offices that engage in communication with the Native Hawaiian community to use ‘ōlelo Hawai?i (Hawaiian language) references for places, cultural sites, geographic locations, and government facilities.
?? Additionally: In a move towards preserving indigenous cultures within the state, there is an ongoing legislative effort to mandate two years of Hawaiian language education for public school students in Hawaii.
???? Day of Remembrance
San Jose State University (SJSU) commemorated the Day of Remembrance of the incarceration of Japanese Americans by issuing a formal apology for the role the university played in the injustice .?
?? Why this is important: After Executive Order 9066 authorized the wrongful incarceration of 120,000+ Japanese Americans during World War II, 1000+ Japanese Americans reported to the SJSU gymnasium. From there they were relocated to incarceration camps. This official acknowledgement is one step forward in helping victims and surrounding communities heal from this traumatic event.
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