SANTA ANA, Calif. (August 13, 2021) – Last week, our community bore witness to a torrent of racist and xenophobic rhetoric directed towards Chairman Andrew Do, who is of Vietnamese descent, at the Board of Supervisors meeting. The speaker’s tirade was filled with anti-Asian tropes a true picture of the too commonplace hate activity taking place in our country today. Similarly, the first Black woman to be appointed to the Huntington Beach City Council, Rhonda Bolton, was welcomed by jeers and hateful comments by members of the public.
In a recent Statement of Solidarity, the OC Human Relations Commission committed to continuing its mission to “seek out causes of tension and conflict, discrimination and intolerance and attempt to eliminate those causes.” To do the difficult work of promoting respect, equity, and tolerance – the Commission believes it too must condemn and denounce all types of hate speech and racism. When an individual is a victim of hate, it is not only an attack on that one person but an entire community. No one should have to experience this type of vitriol regardless of who you are, skin color, language you speak, where you are from, who you love, or your religious beliefs.
Our country is reeling from the devastating effects of a pandemic that surges on. Our communities of color continue to survive the social and racial injustice and inequities that the pandemic uncovered and exposed. If there was ever a time for unity, it is now. If there ever was a time for respect and empathy, it is today. Orange County Human Relations Commission challenges all residents to look beyond our differences and celebrate the diversity that exists in Orange County. And next time hate knocks at our door – let us rally together and loudly shut it out with a resounding, “Not here, not today, not ever.”
If you have been a victim or know someone who has been a victim of a hate crime or hate incident, please call your local law enforcement agency. Additional ways to report, call our confidential hotline 714-480-6580 or report via our online portal at https://www.ochumanrelations.org/hatecrime/report/.
