A Petition to Counteract Anti-Chinese Sentiment

In the past few months, there has been a surge in bigotry and discrimination against Chinese Americans and Chinese in the United States. This is not new or exceptional. The Chinese culture in America has long been portrayed as “dirty” and “unhygienic.” We find this to be wholly untrue and erosive to the Chinese culture and people. As we look towards the future of this country - a country founded by immigrants - we should continue to strive towards celebrating our multicultural heritage. We cannot continue to disseminate the hate that has been perpetuated by our media and our leadership. In an uncertain time, it is easy to find blame wherever possible, but fear does not justify bias and microaggression. Instead, community and respect are tenants of Chinese culture, and we can use these values now in response to this pandemic. So, we propose the following.

We sign this petition to ask the media and our leaders to:
Acknowledge the resurgence in violence and bigotry aimed at Chinese and Chinese-Americans. This has been ignited by our president and we cannot stand for it. It attaches an Asian ethnicity to the virus. The lack of sufficient coverage on this perpetuates these actions. Condemn these acts of racism. As people in positions of power with a broad audience, you have a unique opportunity to educate, and we look to you to lead by example. Stand in solidarity with the Chinese population and all people of color in the fight against racism.
We sign this petition to stand with each other and:
Treat everyone with kindness and respect, especially in this time when we need our communities to stay strong.Not make assumptions of someone’s health or lifestyle based on their race.Learn about our neighbors’ cultures. We will not be afraid of them.Support local businesses, particularly the Chinese restaurants and stores that have been hit hard by xenophobia. Reach out and ask how to best support their business in this timeDo our part to be an upstander. We will not be silent or be silenced in this fight against ignorance, xenophobia, and bigotry.