Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center

THE ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN LEGAL RESOURCE CENTER'S (APALRC) STOP ANTI-ASIAN HATE CAMPAIGN (CAMPAIGN) ADDRESSES THE RISE IN HATE CRIMES AND BIAS INCIDENTS AGAINST METROPOLITAN-DCS ASIAN PACIFIC ISLANDER (API) COMMUNITY SINCE 2020, AND THE UNDERREPORTING OF THESE CRIMES/INCIDENTS. THE APALRC MISSION IS TO PROTECT THE CIVIL AND LEGAL RIGHTS OF THE LOW-INCOME, LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENT (LEP) API COMMUNITY RESIDING IN METROPOLITAN-DC THROUGH THE PROVISION OF LINGUISTICALLY ACCESSIBLE AND CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE CIVIL LEGAL SERVICES. (SEE PROGRAM NARRATIVE PAGES 11-12.) THE APALRC IS REQUESTING $388,843 IN FUNDING FOR 3 YEARS TO FULLY IMPLEMENT THIS CAMPAIGN. THE CAMPAIGN'S GOALS ARE TO: (1) PROMOTE COMMUNITY AWARENESS AND PREPAREDNESS IN ADDRESSING ANTI-ASIAN HATE CRIMES/INCIDENTS; (2) ENCOURAGE THE API COMMUNITY TO REPORT ANTI-ASIAN HATE CRIMES/INCIDENTS; (3) PROVIDE LANGUAGE-ACCESSIBLE LEGAL REDRESS TO API VICTIMS OF ANTI-ASIAN HATE; (4) COLLECT DATA ON ANTI-ASIAN HATE IN METROPOLITAN-DC TO IMPROVE PREVENTION AND COMMUNITY RESPONSE; AND (5) PARTNER WITH LOCAL JURISDICTIONS AND COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS TO DE-ESCALATE COMMUNITY TENSION AND PROMOTE CONFLICT RESOLUTION. TO ADDRESS THESE GOALS, THE APALRC WILL CONDUCT COMMUNITY LEGAL EDUCATION SEMINARS ON HOW TO IDENTIFY ANTI-ASIAN HATE, AND HOW TO RESPOND AS EITHER A VICTIM OR AS A BYSTANDER. ADDITIONALLY, THE APALRC WILL ESTABLISH A LANGUAGE-ACCESSIBLE HOTLINE TO REPORT ANTI-ASIAN HATE CRIMES/INCIDENTS. THE HOTLINE WILL PROVIDE GRANULAR DATA ON THE NUMBER AND NATURE OF ANTI-ASIAN HATE CRIMES/INCIDENTS IN METROPOLITAN-DC. DATA COLLECTED WILL INCLUDE WHETHER THE INCIDENT WAS REPORTED TO A GOVERNMENT OR OTHER ENTITY, THE OUTCOME OF THE REPORTING AND, IF NOT REPORTED, WHY THE INCIDENT WAS NOT REPORTED. THE OUTCOMES OF THE CAMPAIGN INCLUDE: (1) INCREASED KNOWLEDGE BY THE API COMMUNITY IN IDENTIFYING, PREVENTING, AND RESPONDING TO ANTI-ASIAN HATE CRIMES/INCIDENTS; (2) ENHANCED ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY TO PROVIDE LANGUAGE-ACCESSIBLE LEGAL SERVICES AND RESOURCES TO VICTIMS OF ANTI-ASIAN HATE; (3) INCREASED AND MORE ACCURATE REPORTING OF ANTI-ASIAN HATE CRIMES/INCIDENTS; AND (4) ACTIVE COLLABORATION BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT, LEGAL, SOCIAL SERVICE, AND MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDERS TO REDUCE THE FREQUENCY AND IMPACT OF ANTI-ASIAN HATE.