New York Governor Kathy Hochul has declared racism a 'public health crisis' after the state saw a surge in anti-Asian hate crimes during the pandemic.
'For far too long, communities of color in New York have been held back by systemic racism and inequitable treatment,' Hochul said in a statement on December 23.
The statement continued: 'I am proud to sign legislation that addresses this crisis head-on, addressing racism, expanding equity, and improving access for all.'
Hochul's legislation will specifically aim to address the rising discrimination Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders communities have faced amid the pandemic.
The Governor said the package would also establish a working group to promote racial equity throughout the state of New York.
Other parts included in the legislation package focus on the accurate collection of demographic data from minorities by state agencies, boards, departments, and commissions.
The legislation also requires the New York State Office of Technology Services to advise all state agencies in the implementation of language translation technology, in order to make websites and services accessible to non-English speaking New Yorkers.
Among other things, the legislation promises to expand the list of diseases babies can be screened for, in order to include conditions more prevalent in newborns from the Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia.
In the early days of the pandemic, as fear grew that the virus first reported in China would spread to the United States, growing anti-Asian sentiments ultimately led to a spike in hate crimes against Asian individuals in the Empire State.
Just in the Big Apple, the NYPD reported a 361 percent increase in anti-Asian hate crimes since 2020.
New York City reported 503 hate crimes in 2021 as of December 10 - a staggering spike from 252 reported last year.
More than 125 attacks were against Asians - a nearly five-fold increase from the 28 attacks against Asians in 2020.
Meanwhile, the nation has seen a 343 percent increase in hate crimes against Asians this year, the New York Daily News reported.
Almost 62 percent of all hate crimes are race-based, according to the FBI, with sexual orientation and gender identity being the next highest group to be targeted, at 20 percent and 13.3 percent, respectively.
'Our state is meant to be a beacon of diversity, equity, and inclusion, but without the tools to protect our marginalized communities these words carry little truth behind them,' Assembly Member Karines Reyes said in a press release after Hochul's announcement.
Senator Julia Salazar agreed that data collection is pivotal in order to make a change for Asian communities.
'As New York continues to face the devastation caused by the COVID-19 public health crisis, it is essential that the needs of all of our communities be understood and met,' Salazar said.
'For the diverse Asian-American and Pacific Islander communities in New York this cannot be accomplished without detailed data that recognizes and respects the experiences of the numerous groups that make up the AAPI communities,' she added.
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