维东华人举行多族裔反对亚裔歧视反对仇恨暴力抗议集会

2021年3月27日，位于弗吉尼亚东部的Newport News，当地华人和来自非裔，韩裔，印裔，泰裔，犹太裔和菲律宾裔的代表在当地警察局的大力支持下，举办了一场多族裔的反对亚裔歧视反对种族仇恨的集会。

代表弗吉尼亚第二选区的联邦众议员Bobby Scott，弗吉尼亚第93和94选区的州众议员Shelly Simonds和Mike Mullin，Newport News市议员David Jenkins等联邦，州和地方政要出席并发言。弗吉尼亚第11选区众议员Sam Rasoul虽然不能出席今天的集会，派出代表在集会上发言。

当地警方对这次集会高度重视，不仅提供警局门前的广场作为集会地点，还派出大量警员保护集会参与者的安全。警长Steve Drew更是发表了感人至深的讲话。以下是本次集会的部分难忘场景:

半岛华人协会主席林燕致开幕词

主持人Baylee Goldstein 

联邦众议员Bobby Scott讲话

弗吉尼亚州众议员Shelly Simonds讲话

弗吉尼亚州众议员Mike Mullin讲话

John Perkins 讲话(Hampton Chief Sheriff 候选人)

Newport News市议员Dave Jenkins 讲话

印裔代表讲话

David Washington (弗吉尼亚州众议员，副州长候选人Sam Rasoul 代表)

弗吉尼亚州众议员Shelly Simonds(右一)和组织者之一的Baylee Goldstein(左一)。

Newport News市警察局长Steve Drew发表讲话

Newport News市长Price讲话

Janice Underwood 讲话(维州首位推进多元文化平等和包容的首席官员)

Opening Statement 

By Yan Lin

Good morning, 

Thank you Chief Drew and officers from NN Police Dept for your supports and hosting our rally here today, and thank all the law enforcement officers for risking your lives every day to make sure we have a safe place to live. Thank you honorable dignitaries and elected officials, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls for coming out to support our rally against the hatred.

On behalf of the Peninsula Chinese American Association, we thank everyone for coming out and standing here with us today to mourn the victims and express our condolences to the families and friends who are left behind. We also stand here today to show our solidarity in making through these terrifying tragedies together and ensuring an end to this senseless hatred together.

Our hearts are broken and ache these days, for all the victims who got shot or lost their lives including eight people in Atlanta on Mar 16. Yet again, on Mar 22 the second less than a week, we lost ten more lives in another shooting in Boulder, Colorado. I just heard another shooting in Virginia Beach this morning with eight victims. They simply started their day working or shopping as usual, but at the end of that day, they could never come back home to their loved ones. One life lost is too many. 

The past year has been painful for all of us dealing with the pandemic. But as Asian Americans, we are also facing a targeted wave of hate and violence because of our appearances. Six Asian women were killed in Atlanta; a 91 year old Asian man was pushed down on the street in Oakland; a 76 year old Asian woman was punched in the face in San Francisco…. These stories are heart-breaking. A new report by (Stop Asian-American Pacific Islander Hate) documented nearly 3,800 hate incidents nationwide during the past 12 months, a 149% surge. People can question statistics, but the exact numbers don’t matter. Racial hatred is unacceptable. Enough is Enough!

Such ruthless killings, underlying racism and hatred should never be tolerated. It must end now!

To all of you are here today, who are not Asian, we are grateful for coming stand with us against racism. More and more we feel welcome into American society because of YOU. We are all Americans. We love this country; we love our community. Last year during this unprecedented pandemic, our local Chinese American community quickly raised over $16,000 and over 50,000 units of PPE, and we donated them all to local hospitals, food banks and other charities to help people in need across the Peninsula area. As Asian Americans, we care, we work hard, and we contribute to society like many do in this county. 

We cannot let ourselves become numb to such pain. We do not want to live in fear. And we cannot be silent anymore. Stop Anti-Asian Hate and Violence! It must stop now!

As Dr. King said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that; Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that!” Thank you all!

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Next, I would like to turn the podium to :

Representative for Virginia's 3rd congressional district -- Bobby Scott

Representative of the 94th District in the Virginia House of Delegates- Shelly Simon

Representative of the 93th District in the Virginia House of Delegates- Mike Mullin

NN Police Dept Chief – Steve Drew (Chief Drew)

NN City Council -- David Jenkins

(Local campaign rep for Delegate Sam Rasoul (candidate for the VA lieutenant governor-- represented by David Washington)

Closing Statement

We would like to again thank everyone for coming out supporting our rally against the hatred today. 

Thank Chief Drew and officers from NN Police Dept for allowing our rally at your place. It means an important message that the law enforcements stand right behind us to protect us from hate.  

Thank Real Property Management Peninsula VA and Mrs. Balylee Goldstein for her generous donation.

Thanks for all the supports from:

Peninsula Korean American Association

Peninsula Indian Culture Association

Jewish Community

At last, Thank the honorable dignitaries and elected officials for all the supports  :

Congressman Bobby Scott; 

Delegate Simons; 

Delegate Mullin; 

NN Mayor Mr.Price

NN city Council Mr. Jenkins; 

Representative of Delegate Sam Rasoul’ Mr. David Washington.