April 13, 2020

OFFICERS Ronna McDaniel Quyen Dinh, Chair Southeast Asia Resource Action Center Chairwoman

Alvina Yeh, Secretary Republican National Committee Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO 310 First Street, SE

Sung Yeon Choimorrow, Treasurer , DC 20003 National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum The Honorable Thomas Perez John Yang, At-Large Advancing Justice | Chairman AAJC Democratic National Committee Becky Belcore, At-Large National Korean American Service & 430 South Capitol Street, SE Education Consortium Washington, DC 20003 Jeffrey Caballero, At-Large Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations Dear Chairwoman McDaniel and Chairman Perez,

MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS Asian American Psychological Association Asian & Pacific Islander American Health On behalf of the member organizations of the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans Forum Asian & Pacific Islander American (NCAPA), the coalition of 35 of the largest Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) civil Scholarship Fund Asian & Pacific Islander American Vote rights and nonprofit organizations in the country, we write once again to call on you to Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC Asian Pacific American Institute for reject xenophobic rhetoric that could lead to the targeting of Asian Americans. We also Congressional Studies Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO ask that make public statements that your organizations are committed to not inciting Asian Pacific Partners for Empowerment, Advocacy & Leadership racism towards Asian Americans during the upcoming election cycle. Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations BPSOS Center for Asian American Media On May 7, 2018, and February 21, 2012, we sent you similar inquiries expressing these Center for Asian Pacific American Women Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement concerns. Both letters are attached herewith. We appreciate the DNC’s response to the Hmong National Development, Inc. th Japanese American Citizens League May 7 letter. Laotian American National Alliance Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association We find ourselves re-engaging in this conversation in light of a recent campaign ad which National Asian Pacific American Bar Association flashes an image of former Gary Locke, as part of an anti- narrative. To National Asian Pacific American Families Against Substance Abuse National Asian Pacific American Women’s be very clear: we believe foreign policy debates should be a part of our national Forum National Asian Pacific Center on Aging discourse, and firmly believe there will be a time and place to discuss the role all world National Association of Asian American Professionals* leaders played in handling and responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it is National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development wholly unacceptable to frame any Asian American, let alone one of the most National Council of Asian Pacific Islander Physicians distinguished Asian American public servants in history, as part of xenophobic, political National Federation of Filipino American Associations grandstanding. National Korean American Service & Education Consortium National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance We have also observed political ads where candidates have openly blamed China for OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates Payu-ta, Inc. COVID-19. We cannot overstate how dangerous this racial blame game has been. This is Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund not a theoretical concern either as we have seen a staggering increase in anti-Asian hate South Asian Americans Leading Together South Asian Bar Association of North America incidents all over the United States over the last month. Southeast Asia Resource Action Center

NCAPA is a project of Tides Center Again, we fully expect U.S.-China relations to be a topic of debate, and meaningful discussions are important; but we should all agree that the Asian American community should not be the collateral damage for this debate. Candidates must recognize that racializing COVID-19, may be a useful campaign tactic, but in preying upon those fears, puts a target on the backs of Asian Americans.

COVID-19 has fundamentally altered our way of life. Fear and confusion should not be viewed as a political opportunity, but rather challenges we must all overcome together. Asian Americans have been uniquely impacted by this crisis, but we are committed to finding solutions in partnership with everyone. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to [email protected].

Thank you for your consideration,

Gregg Orton National Director

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