San Francisco becomes the fourth city in California to apologize to the Chinese community for its racist past

[ad_1]

The Board of Supervisors on Monday passed the apology resolution presented by City Supervisor Matt Haney, coinciding with the Lunar New Year. racism and discrimination against Chinese immigrants and the Chinese-American community by the City and County of San Francisco (which) dates back more than 150 years and has affected all aspects of life, including employment, housing, education and culture.”

A violent three-day riot targeting Chinese Americans in 1877 was also among the racist incidents for which supervisors apologized.

But anti-Asian sentiment has not yet been erased from San Francisco.

Just last week, a federal lawsuit was filed by the Alliance for Asian American Justice against the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office and the City and County of San Francisco, seeking to institute proceedings that protect the Asian American and Pacific Islander community and ensure equal protection for Justice.

San Francisco is the fourth Californian city to officially apologize for its racist past, following Los Angeles, San Jose and Antioch.

In October, San Jose formally apologized for its “role in acts of discrimination against the Chinese immigrant community and their descendants” through a unanimous resolution.

City officials, including Mayor Sam Liccardo, and community leaders announced a resolution to past racist acts against the Chinese community in downtown San Jose, the site of a Chinatown destroyed by arson in 1887. Part of the area was burned down shortly after the town. The council had declared it a public nuisance and a health hazard.

Antioch also formally apologized last year to early Chinese immigrants for treating them unfairly, calling it a “first step” towards racial reconciliation.

In the mid-1800s, Antioch — like other towns in the state — experienced a population spike as migrants, including those from China, moved into the area in search of gold. Chinese immigrants are then exploited for cheap labor, especially in the construction of railways.

CNN’s Leah Asmelash contributed to this report.

[ad_2]