Educate people. You know, rather than fighting and yelling and hating, its more important to love, care and support. Were trying to really make a difference and create the foundation i mentioned before to stop all these racisms and xenophobias going on. It requires every one of us to reach deep and show care not only for our own family and our own neighbors and friends, but for the broader community. Thats how we get through this pandemic. Thats how we come out on the other side a stronger community. Abc7 presents race and coronavirus a bay ara conversation. And with that backdrop, a good afternoon. Really glad you are with us. Im dan ashley. And im kristen sze. Thank you so much for joining us for this special edition of abc7 news. Instead of our normal 4 00 p. M. Newscast, today were going spend an hour engaging experts and you, our viewers in a virtual town hall on the issue of race and coronavirus. You know, this is a vitally important onehour virtual town hall erring on television here and on abc7news. Com and facebook. Over the next hour, were going have a frank conversation, an important, honest conversation with a panel of experts and questions from you watching us right now. We want to hear from you about how the virus should not lead us to hate, no matter who you are. We will strive to understand where the disconnect, and well talk about how we can all do better. So lets begin our Coverage Today with a look at the issue. Abc7 news anchor dion lim is live at the social desk in the newsroom with a look at reports of coronavirusrelated discrimination toward the chinese and Asian American communities. Dion . Yeah, kristen, in order to really understand the issue of race and coronavirus, we need to hear from the victims. Hundreds have submitted their stories online, but very few wanted to actually go on camera because they are afraid. So we asked one man to read their stories and be their voice. We do have a warning, though, because these are raw, emotional experiences that paint a clear picture of whats happening in the bay area today. Were also hearing what leaders and a new generation of uprisers are doing to fight the discrimination. Rupert stanislaw, poet, filipino immigrant. I was standing in line for coffee. And due to allergies, i sneezed into my shirt. A man who was three or four people behind me in line gets in my face, points directly at my face and says we dont want your disgusting corona disease, you dark chinese kung few wannabe. You chinese bring this virus here, you should go back home. Go back to [ bleep ] china. I need to leave this country, that im disgusting and dont look at him or hell kill me. These stories are real. Theyre just a tiny fraction of the more than 1200 fisthand accounts of Asian Americans across the country, more than a third from right here in the bay area, who have shared their experiences with coronavirusrelated racism in the past two weeks. Through stop Asian American Pacific Islander hate center and online reporting portal set up by San Francisco state universitys Asian Studies department, chinese for affirmative action and other civil rights groups. Waiting to enter walgreens to get a prescription, a group of construction workers not doing social distancing made fun of the situation by mocking me, faking coughing, spitting and making slanteyed gestures until i told them to cut it out. As the virus, first reported in wuhan, china, began to spread around the globe i would like providing an update on providing what were going with our students. So did the hate. The fbi warning americans to brace themselves for an onslaught of hate crimes against asians. I was walking with my wife in our neighborhood when a car drove by and someone with a bullhorn yelled at us something unintelligible, expect we would make out [ bleep ] virus. This didnt begin with covid19, but has been deeply rooted in american history. Starting during the gold rush whereby 1850 there were laws like the exclusion act, banning the chinese from emigrating to the United States, and more. Fast forward to today, a new generation of Asian Americans are taking up the fight against discrimination. Back 10, 15 years ago, we didnt have the four do this. But now we can use the power of social media to really fight back and create awareness and really call people out that and set an example. That sentiment prompted celebrities and instagram influencers like asians never die, asians with attitudes, a and david of the account jackfroot to use their platforms for the greater good. We discussed with all this racism and all this news on racism. So we knew in our hearts that we couldnt let it slide. We decide to use our platform for change. That change is also coming from lawmakers. Assembly member phil ting sent this letter to gavin newsom asking xenophobia be denounced. Both the mayor and london breed took action. With a whopping of 47 of racially charged incidents reported by the stop aapi hate center happening in the workplace, Community Groups and businesses are collaborating to make a statement. The founder of nonprofit better brave which combats workplace harassment and discrimination teamed up with socially conscious fashion brand uprisers and the wildly popular Facebook Community Asian Hustle Network to start the hate is a my grandmother, who i love so dearly, she emigrated when she was 21. So she has been here for a while. When i told her about what this movement meant for us and what were trying to do, i dont think she understands the digital impact, like the virtual impact that can happen. She cant wrap her head around that. But at the same time she was like whats the point of doing this . Why do you need the create chaos . And grandma, were not creating chaos. Were trying to create change. The campaigns founder say asianowned businesses are reporting an 80 drop in revenue due to xenophobia fueled by covid19. The goal of hateisisvirus is not only to educate, but to raise one million with the hope of keeping those businesses afloat. We unite with each other to really push through and stick together, fighting racism, and really support our communities right now. Now is one of the most crucial times for us to stick together. Its not just groups of asians coming together to shed light on racism in america today. This week, leaders from the congressional hispanic, black, and asian caucuses came together to condemn the racism. Aimee allison, founder of she the people, an organization dedicated to elevating the voices of women of color say the path of true acceptance must spread across ethnic backgrounds. Were in a point in our lives where many people are concerned first about food and shelter, the basics. Were concerned about our friends and our families. But were also being called to show personal courage to uphold fundamental values of fairness and protection for our communities. Back out here live, you know, some of those stories, they gave me chills, but then all of the efforts that brings me hope and a lot of joy. So we, of course, want you to join in on the conversation today. Ill be here at the social desk, reading through all of your comments and questions on facebook and twitter. Also, to join in on our interactive town hall, you can go to abc7 news bay areas Facebook Page and share your questions and comments throughout the hour today. All right, dion, thanks for sharing all that history. A lot to unpack there. The Southern Poverty Law Center has pointed to president trumps repeated reference to the virus for, quote, creating a climate of hate that is permeating the country and putting people at risk. On march 17th, the president defended his use of the term chinese virus to abc News Reporter cecilia vega. Why do you keep using this . Its not racist at all, no, not at all. It comes from china. Thats all. I want to be accurate. John, please . Are you comfortable i have great love for all of the people from our country. But as you know, china tried to say at one point, maybe they stopped now, that it was caused by american soldiers. That cant happen. Its not going to happen. Not as long as im president. It comes from china. You can see the president even crossed out the word corona and replaced wit chinese in this image, taken by a Washington Post photographer of his speech text. But while this week the president has referred to it as the coronavirus, he has not apologized to the community. He tweets it is very important that we totally protect our Asian American community in the United States and all around the world. They are amazing people, and the spreading of the virus is not their fault in any way, shape, or form. They are working closely with us to get rid of it. We will prevail together. So what is in a name . Previous pandemics and outbreaks have taken on the names of places, but doing so as consequences. Experts say naming Novel Coronavirus the chinese virus isnt just wrong, it also jeopardizes the safety of asians here in the bay area and around the globe. The first case of Novel Coronavirus was reported in wuhan, china in december 2019. Those early cases have been linked to a live animal market in wuhan, and has since spread person to person. The virus has since spread around the globe, First Showing up in the United States on january 2nd, 2020 in snohomish county, washington. Its called covid19. It is not called the china virus, the chinese virus or the wuhan virus. Dr. Alok patel is part of abc7s team of coronavirus experts. We asked him to break down the name of the virus to help us better understand where the name really comes from. Some people have assumed the c in covid19 means it came from china. No. The c stands for coronavirus. Here is the thing. The virus doesnt discriminate or differentiate based on race or ethnicity or where you come from. So we shouldnt either. The corona in coronavirus actually comes from what the virus looks like. Under a microscope, the virus has these little proteins that stick out of it, and it kind of looks like the crown of the sun, the crone. That. The Novel Coronavirus is the name of the virus. The disease it causes is called covid19. Co, corona, vi, virus, d, disease, 19, 2019 there you have it. Viruss are often given common names, but they come with stigma and potential consequences there was the swine flu in 2009 that started in the u. S. And mad cow disease in the united kingdom. Both impacted the sales of pork and beef. The asian flu in 1957, the hong kong flu in 68, ebola, named for the ebola river in africa, middle east respiratory syndrome, mers was first reported in 2012 in saudi arabia. Sometimes the name gets it wrong. The spanish flu killed at least 50 Million People in 1918. Scientists now believe it actually started in kansas, but got its name from the huge number of people in spain who died from the flu strain. We never called it 2015 Measles Outbreak the Southern California unvaccinated virus. That wouldnt have been appropriate. Thats why the world health organization, Top Health Experts with the centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of health are urging people to use the correct name for this pandemic, covid19. But heres the thing. We live in a different time now. And people can say all they want, hey, in the past, they named these viruses after geographical locations. What well say back to them is yes, but with outbreaks in this world, we see associated racism, ad we see associated prejudice. So why dont we learn from the past and why dont we set a new standard and actually get everyone on board with a more specific process. And thats called calling the virus by its actual scientific name, sars co2 and calling the virus covid19. Whats in a name, right . There are a lot of angles and issues to discuss with our live panel. We have gathered together really an impressive and insightful group for you. We sure have. Joining us are aimee allison, founder of she the people. Zara ballew, executive director of care in the San Francisco area. Peter chin hong, professor of medicine and Infectious Disease specialist from ucsf. Cynthia che, coe executive director for chinese for executive action. Russell jung, professor of Asian American studies, college of ethnic studies at San Francisco state university. Assemblyman evan lowe, who represents the south bay and silicon valley. Actor ty ma. Jacqueline marcel with the Latino Community foundation. Registered nurse kyle navarro from San Francisco. Instagram influencer jackfroot. Paul zaffo. And jeff rosen, Santa Clara County District Attorney. Lets start with russell jung. You lead the stop hate online reporting center. So what do the latest numbers show us about hostilities against asians locally and across the country. Russell . Hostility is pervasive and growing. Weve received over 1100 cases of antiasian coronavirus discrimination in just the last two weeks, without even advertising or publicizing the site. Asian americans are experiencing harrowing incidents of being yelled at, shunned and even physically attacked. Whats striking is a lot of times people are being spat and coughed upon. So it has a sort of Public Health threat as well. Okay, russell, thank you. There have been so many instances like this of people spitting and attacking and saying horrible things. Lets turn to paul sappho next. You study society, paul. Its so fascinating about the nature of human behavior. What is it about the pandemic that brings out and magnifies our send stendency to blame certain groups. This goes way back. We have to recognize the current bias is the result of a mal adaptation of a evolutionary group. We are wired to be pattern seekers. It means were finely tuned to detect patterns as a cognitive shorthand. Each one of us is here today because were the latest in an unbroken line of ancestors who were good enough at pattern detection to avoid being eaten or poisoned or beset by some other catastrophe before they reproduced. Red berries . Watch out. Shadow in the forest . Might be a predator. But the same quality today has become a liability that leads us to see patterns where there arent any. Faces in clouds, outlines of the virgin on burnt toast, and also causes and relationships with the other when there are none. In some ways, paul, it sounds like the solution is we have to observe our bias. Dont pretend we dont have it. Were all wired to be biased. Okay. But observe it and create a cognitive break when we see it. Okay, thank you, paul, very much. We are hardwired it seems. Yep. We will have much more still ahead, continue the conversation, including we have messages from leader, celebrities, and influencers direct to you, next. And we want you to join in this conversation and be part of this town hall too. Its for you. Thats why were doing this. Go to facebook to weigh in and interact in todays virtual town hall race and coronavirus, a bay area conversation continues. The best way to predict the future is to create it and change the world. Here at abbvie, were inventing medicines of the future to create tomorrows that will be healthier. And happier, while making medicines that help people right now. Because thats the present we wanted to live in. And thats the future we all want to see. Abbvie. Here. Now. No, because on a sandwich,t no they ask you if you want cheese. Abbvie. But on a papadia, cheese is whats holding the whole operation together. Get one now for just six bucks. Better ingredients. Better pizza. Better than a sandwich. Papa johns. Weve worked to provide you with the financial strength, stability, and online tools you need. And now its no different. Because helping you through this crisis is what were made for. And welcome back. Were back live with our hourlong virtual town hall on race and coronavirus. Yeah, the issue of antiasian discrimination has affected people at all levels, including celebrities who are sharing their messages on social media. Please, please stop the prejudice and senseless violence against asian people. Randomly beating elderly, sometimes homeless Asian Americans is cowardly, heartbreaking, and its inexcusable. Yes, im asian. And yes, i have coronavirus. But i did not get it from china. I got it in america, in new york city. And despite what certain political leaders want to call it, i dont consider the place where its from as important as the people who are sick and dying. If i did, i would call this thing the new york virus. But that would be silly, right . Any way, the point is the namecalling gets us nowhere. When people are ill, what matter most is how best to take care of ourselves and one another. Well said. Now actress and comedian comedin awkwafina posted this, i am saddened about the rhetoric that has come out of this and the cruelty what has resulted. I hope while we isolate and social distance to stay safe, i hope we also stay sane and calm. One of our guests today is ty ma, in mulan. The release date has been pushed back due the pandemic. Ty, welcome. You are one of the celebrities in the wash the hate campaign. Why did you participate . Was there a personal experience . Yeah. I was doing my shopping in my local Grocery Store, whole foods in pasadena, and i parked my car. Another car was turning the corner, rolling really slowly. I thought he was being courteous so i can kind of walk past. But he didnt stop. He kind of slowed down, rolled down his window at the same time, and looked at me straight in the eyes and said you should be quarantined. And he took off. And at that moment i was just kind of frozen in time. And i was kind of in shock, you know. And you feel like your world just been turned upside down. If you ever get hit in the head one time, your ears start to ring. And the ringing never goes away. So you just start i just turn around and yelled at him, but he was long gone by then. Okay. Turn to jackfroot. Youre an influencer on instagram. How are you using instagram to change perspectives. Its such a powerful tool. Are you highlighting people who spread love or people who do harm . Whats your approach . Were sharing a lot of stories that are being sent in. And im getting messages like every 10, 15 minutes and stories about being that are happening around the world. So were treating a lot of stories that are hate and evil, and at the same time were all seeing a lot of good things that people are stepping up or standing up to give back and help others out there that are in need right now. But a lot of it is really just a lot of negative stories and really bad racism. Well, you are raising awareness with your posts. I want to address this next question to dr. Chin hong. You heard in daniel dea kims testimony that he caught it in new york where he was filming. So it was a Community Spread case. And that being asian does not make him any more likely to be a carrier, nor did he catch it there. Scientifically speaking, can you clarify that . Are asians more likely to be carriers . Or is there something in Asian Society that makes them more likely to foster disease . Absolutely not, kristen. The virus doesnt care who you are, what class you have, what race you. I got a question this morning from one of the Community Members who was talking about it being clustered in high income areas in l. A. Versus lower income areas in new york. Again, it really doesnt matter if youre poor or if youre rich. It depends on how many people in that community have it. Okay, thank you very much, doctor. Lets go to the newsroom and dion lim. She is at our social desk, monitoring what our viewers and folks on facebook and instagram have to say. Dion . Boy, dan, these comments are coming in fast and furious. This isnt just a bay area conversation. Its happening around the country and around the globe, even on facebook. Some people from denmark commented. I want to share two that came in that are particularly chilling. Leanne writes in to say even though im vietnamese, everyone thinks im chinese. I get racist remarks all the time. This coming from charles, i believe in the bay area, saying my friend warned us not to walk alone. There were a group of guys in the car stopped in front of him and shouted all of this racist coronavirus rant. My friend is filipino and he is 63, and that still didnt stop the guys bullying him. It really just goes to though that racism knows no race in a way, you could say. So please, continue those questions coming on in. We are live on facebook, and we will be right back on air. Viruses dont discriminate. Please help our Community Get better by being kind. That starts with stopping bigotry when you see it. Bigotry when you see it. Just dont stand for it. Bubbles at this price . Is this for real . Oh. Its real. Believe me. I mean, this is unexpected. You would say, remarkable . Absolutely. A remarkable deal thanks, i get that all the time. Wait what . grocrey outlet jingle wow. I think ill take two. For the love oh. I felt gross. It was kind of a shock after i started cosentyx. Four years clear. Real people with psoriasis look and feel better with cosentyx. Dont use if youre allergic to cosentyx. Before starting, get checked for tuberculosis. An increased risk of infections and lowered ability to fight them may occur. Tell your doctor about an infection or symptoms, if your inflammatory bowel disease symptoms develop or worsen, or if youve had a vaccine or plan to. Serious allergic reactions may occur. Ask your dermatologist about cosentyx. Much. Were going bring back in our television. This is andrew yang, and i am deeply concerned about the episodes of racial hostility and even aggression against Asian Americans in the bay area and around the country. We have to take this opportunity to come together, educate people, and also demonstrate that Asian Americans are just as american as anybody else. Former president ial candidate andrew yang did not hesitate when we asked him to record that message. In fact, he had recently experienced an experience himself that was hateful, and he wrote about it in an oped in the Washington Post. He says three middle aged men in hoodies and sweatshirts stood outside the entrance of the Grocery Store. They huddled together, talking. One looked at me and frowned. There was something accusatory in his eyes. And then for the first time in years, i felt it. I felt selfconscious, even a bit ashamed of being asian. And i do want to thank andrew yang for being part of our special town hall race and coronavirus a bay ara conversation. Doing so through that video message. Now in his oped, yang also urged Asian Americans to take action, to be part of the cure, to heal people, to donate, to show that Asian Americans are as american as anyone else. Absolutely. So important to do that and to make that very clear to everyone. Let me turn now to jeff yang, a Media Consultant and a writer and father of actor hudson yang. You write a commentary that yangs prescription is not it. Why exactly . Yeah. So i think one of the biggest concerns about this is it really puts the onus of proving that were american on us, on Asian Americans. And weve seen before that this kind of prescription invariably accentuates the fact that, a, we are different, and b, does not protect us. Weve seen time and again that trying to wear literally our red, white and blue on our sleeves as he actually recommends in the oped does nothing but look like overcompensation, look like were defending ourselves against something we shouldnt have to defend against. The fact that we belong here. And frankly, any time when you actually take a group thats been victimized and tell them its their fault or their responsibility, youre coming from the wrong place. And while i respect andrew and where his statement is coming from, i think its a dangerous recommendation. Are you telling them, though, in fairness, jeff, its their fault. Or are you asking them to help make a change . Certainly African Americans did that under the leadership of Martin Luther king during the civil rights movement. Nobody said it was their fault. But they took he encouraged to take responsibility to fight for change. Yeah. But he also encouraged them to stand up and to march and to good out there and call out those very specific things that were oppressive against their community. And in this particular case, he will say that to support i thin the spirit and letter of what people who celebrate Martin Luther king have done, its important for us not just to call out racism when it occurs to us, but when it occurs to other people as well. Thats the best way of proving. A collective solution is standing up together. I want to turn to cynthia che, chinese for affirmative action. Your organization has been fighting for equal opportunity for Chinese Americans for some 50 years. Which approach is most effective, when you look at the history of Chinese Americans here, to sort of be mad and stand up and fight, or is it to be helpful, put our heads down and work . Well, one of the reasons we started this reporting center, in addition to making sure that we could document the extent that this was happening is because we wanted to understand the nature of it and to develop responses. So what are the resources that are available to people being subjected to this kind of treatment . We wanted to understand where it was happening. And we believe it requires a whole of government response, that its our collective responsibility to address the underlying causes of racism, and to ensure that we work with other affected communities. We are not the only community that has experienced this. So its important for us to Work Together to stand against hate wherever we see it. Right. Thank you, cynthia. On that point, not the only group to experience this, Jacqueline Martinez garcel, your Community Works to unleash the power of latinos, and certainly latinos have felt some of this type of rhetoric just in the most recent president ial election. What experiences and lessons apply to the Latino Community that could also apply to the Asian American community or any other community thats under fire for that matter . So thank you for the question. Ill start by saying that this is all evolving in a political and social context where racism has been giving an amplified microphone basically from the white house, straight from our leaders across the country. That this is right now happening is not a surprise to most of us right now. The question for us, we were on the phone this morning with the Asian American federation in Jackson Heights in queens, new york. Theyre right now at the epicenter of the epicenter. And the fact that they have to be a place of refuge for people who are experiencing hate crimes right now at the same time of defending their communities is what really hurts. What i will say to the larger audiences, this is why its so important to have anchor organizations led by people of color, because in a moment like this, they become a vehicle organizing and giving voice to these stories, and making sure their communities are protected. Were not only its not about lessons learned. Were still living these lessons because were living in america that is extremely racist still. And that is just being magnified right now in the chinese and Asian American communities. So in terms of what i want to say, we need to invest in the leadership of these communities so that we can amplify the voices and the narrative from the people themselves, number one. And number two, we need to expect more from our legal and executive and judicial branch. And i agree, this is not just about being nice. This requires some legislation that would hold people accountable at this moment in time. All right. We want to ask evan a little bit about that in a few minutes. But lets move on for the time being. Yeah, we absolutely do. Right now weve been seeing a lot of messages of stronger together on social. Lets check in with abc7 news anchor dion lim. Kristen, along with the messages, were also getting questions what to do, how can you be proactive. This question comes in and says what initiatives and organizations are working to combat hate and ignorance during this time . Can we spotlight examples of what is working in the bay area . I know from a station standpoint, we have resources at abc7news. Com takeaction. This is where you can find some solutions to complicated issues. But im curious to hear what the panelists think, dan and kristen. Thank you very much, dion. Were going hear from all of these panelists. We want you to join this conversation as well. Its why were doing this. Youre part of this town hall too, very much. Go to facebook and weigh in and interact in todays virtual town hall. Whereby. Hi, everybody, just a reminder, be kind and generous out there when you see people in the community. We have a responsibility to one another to protect each other and to make our communities safer and a better place to live. So if you get a chance, if you see any kind of hate, bigotry, put a stop to it. Put an end to it, because we are much better together. And remember, this virus does all right. Were going turn back to our tv audience. Youre watching race and coronavirus a bay ara conversation. And welcome back. Our conversation continues. And we want to hear from you. Thank you for joining us for our hourlong virtual town hall. Dion lim, kristen sze and dan ashley with you. This frank discussion about race and coronavirus, and to talk about how we can do better. Touch on the hate crimes that something is going on. I think its stupid. Everyone should remember that disease does not have a race, right. What he we should be doing right now is focusing on protecting ourselves, protecting others, and just, you know, being chill. There are thousand, hundreds of new cases every day. And our Health Care Workers dont have the supplies they need. My mom is a doctor, and she is talking about how even my aunt is a doctor. Theyre both talking about how they dont have enough masks. One thing that is really helpful is people have been donating to organizations like a million masks, which have been giving maxs to Health Care Workers. I think thats important. Rather than fighting and yelling and hating, its more important to love, care and support. Love, care and support. You probably know that face. Hudson yang from the great abc show fresh off the boat. His father, jeff yang, a writer at the post on our panel today. Whether its an actor like your son or a business owner, or so many that have faced backlash, how important is it for Asian Americans to speak up about 24 issue . I think its one of the most important things we can do. There are a number of platforms at this point where people have been given the opportunity to share incidents that have occurred, incidents of bias, incidents of racial hatred. Those are important. But i think in a broader sense, we need to be i think vigilant as we speak on social platforms as well to just ensure that we are making people conscious the fact that this is a circumstance thats happening to us as a community. Jeff, thank you very much. Jeff, i want to get to kyle navarro, a registered nurse with the San Francisco unified school district. Its not just celebrities, of course. Kyle, you were spat on by somebody walking by while delivering a prescription to a student. How did you respond . Yeah, thank you. You know, i was frozen in time as well. I felt an initial rush of just anger and fear and just a queer son on of immigrant parents. I had to recenter myself and breathe and make sure that, you know, if i escalate this or deescalate this the wrong way, i could get hurt or even worse. All i did as he was walking off was just say no thank you, and i got up and processed after word. All right. And that was your response. This is where i want to bring in zarai ballew. You work a lot with young people especially on how to deescalate when youre in that situation. And im seeing facebook posts from people saying if somebody confronts you with antiasian epithets, how should you respond. Yeah, thanks for that question. Its been unfortunately the lived experience of so many in our community to either be targeted directly for hate or be mistaken for someone that someone else was targeting for hate. And what weve been teaching people since the 2016 election is that its never the responsibility of the person who is attacked to have to respond, right. Is that their primary purpose should be get out of that situation, get to safety. The obligation is on the rest of us. If i see it at a Grocery Store, if i see it at a parking lot, if i see it on public transit, i need to intervene and do something to protect my brother or my sister in the community and say if i were there when tis happened to kyle, right, what can i do as an observer to go from observatory upstander and protect kyle. And there the key thing we tell people actually is all my interactions should be a with a targeted person. We dont call them a victim. We want to give them the agency to decide what happens in that situation. So if i were with kyle, i would have said kyle, what can i do to help you . Kyle, let me help you get to your car safely. I actually dont want to engage the attacker, because that escalates the situation. Then theyre yelling at me. Then they feel the need to make it a bigger thing. Im going take the steam entirely out of them by saying kyle, what can i do the help you . Engaging kyle, ignoring the attacker and deescalating as soon as possible. Well all want to be sarcastic, we want to be snarky. We want to fight back. But but thats not the safe thing to do in that moment. Thank you. Most americans have borne more than their fair share of riechl in recent years. Let me now to evan lowe. Represents the south bay and silicon valley. I heard one of the panelists talk of legislative approaches. What can the law do, what can you do as a legislator . And very quickly, talk about what we should expect from our leaders in terms of rhetoric around these issues. Sure. Thank you very much. Well, lets talk about the institutional racism that still may occur. For example, with another community, the lgbt community. The ban on gay men donating blood for a year which was recently changed today to three months. Its still that institutional discrimination. So we must call it as it is and based on facts and data. Specifically, we need to legislate and change laws that is based on data and fax. Thats clear. Secondly, its important that we encourage Law Enforcement to enforce the laws on the books and thats why its important that we have in my county, Santa Clara County, we have leadership from my District Attorney jeff rosen and others to help prosecute accordingly, but also encourage Community Members to feel comfortable and safe with members of our Law Enforcement to be able to report. Because much of this is a sense of fear. There is a sense within the Asian Community about shame and is there a Comfort Level . Is this the first time that one may interact with Law Enforcement . Is this the way . So we will continue to look at the budgetary augmentations of Grant Funding to nonprofit organizations that may assist in these endeavors and encourage more local officials to engage. Excellent. Thanks very much. Our town hall on race and virus will continue. Our panelists are here answering our questions and yours. Well be right back. Stay with us. They get that no two people are alike and customize your Car Insurance so you only pay for what you need. What do you think . I dont see it. Only pay for what you need. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Ive been involved in. Communications in the media for 45 years. Ive been taking prevagen on a regular basis for at least eight years. For me, the greatest benefit over the years has been that prevagen seems to help me recall things and also think more clearly. And i enthusiastically recommend prevagen. It has helped me an awful lot. Prevagen. Healthier brain. Better life. Is not a chinese virus. This is not an italian virus. Viruses do not have ethnicities, religion, sexuality, or gender. But our community does. And if you hurt or threaten someone because of those things, youll have a lot more to worry about than covid19. When you attack a member of our community because of their ethnicity, the color of their skin, or where you think someone is from, then you have attacked us all. You have attacked us all. That message is from the Santa Clara County District Attorneys office. We saw a Rainbow Coalition of prosecutors there. So d. A. Jeff rosen is with us today. Jeff, that message is both clear and powerful, but to what extent will you really go after hatebased attacks . There are some in the Asian American community who might feel that in the past, their cases have not been taken as seriously. The reason that we put the psa out was to do a few things. One was to remind our community of what our values are, what our shared humanity is. Second, it was a message to perpetrators or would be perpetrators that would think to commit some kind of act of violence against someone who is Asian American. And three, it was really to empower the victims of these crimes to come forward and to report them. And i want was a way of trying to encourage them in saying if you report these crimes to police, we will prosecute them. And i unfortunately, there is already a case where were prosecuting in our county someone that threatened a vietnamese couple at a Grocery Store and said if i had an ak47, id kill all of you mfers, and then put his fingerer into the shape of a gun. And thats somebody that we charged with a misdemeanor hate crime, and theyre in custody now. So we encourage people to come forward if these terrible things happen to them. So you clearly are taking it extremely seriously. Jeff, great to have you on this program. Thank you. Let me turn now to aimee allison. Aimee, your group, she the people, great name, brings women of color together to fight for democracy, to fight for change in this country. How can different groups, different color, different backgrounds support one another for the greater good . I mean, this is a bay area conversation. We got to remember we want to get something done and build a better community, we have to do it together and across race. And its working in solidarity. The black community, black folks, we understand the pain and the damage and the danger of racism, and we understand what it feels like to be targeted, and we also understand what its going take for us to overcome it. It really requires us to show up and speak up for another one. I mean, in solidarity, across race, weve gotten a lot of really positive things done in terms of organizing in defense of immigrants and in defense of muslim rights. And even raising the minimum wage in the bay area. We look at that connection that we have with each other, standing up for each other and saying look, this could happen to any one of us. I has happened to a lot of us at different times. At a time of great uncertainty and great fear, the only way forward is to speak up in defense of the Asian American community and other communities that are facing target and hate crimes right now. We can overcome racism that way. Again, that notion, we are all in this together, not just in terms of fighting this virus, but fighting racism. And the message that im getting from all our panelists is that when the society is cohesi cohesive, we are stronger. Thats when were at our best. Yes. Lets check in with dion once ben at the live desk to see what folks are telling us on facebook. Kristen and dan, first off i have to applaud everyone for being so vulnerable for sharing these very raw and emotional stories with me on facebook. Also on my instagram page. And i want to share one that comes in from sophie. She said dion, i have had some random lady call me those damn Chinese People while i was putting away groceries at the Grocery Store. Ive been reading your post in regards to Asian Americans experiencing racism. You can add me to another one of those folks. And this coming from raymond, who is a big supporter of abc7. He says here in the bay area, i was on a walk with my mom the other day, and a latino family saw us wearing masks. They didnt know i understood spanish. They had said stay away. They most likely have the virus. So you can imagine how these people felt in the moment, how much they wanted to respond, but felt like it wasnt their place or they were scared to. Now if you want to take action, you can always log on the our website that is abc7 news news. Com takeaction. There you can find links to resources on racism and other issues you may be dealing with. Stay with us. Well be right back after this. Lately, ive discovered that while keeping safe and staying in, we can still go out sort of. So while youre discovering new things to do in the box, well be here for you. At the drivethru, on the mobile app, and with delivery. On the mobile app, i of metastatic breast cancer. E but i did pick clarity by knowing i have a treatment that goes right at it. Discover piqray, a treatment that specifically targets pik3ca mutations in hr , her2 mbc. Piqray is taken with fulvestrant after progression on hormone therapy and helps people live longer without disease progression. Do not take piqray if youve had severe allergic reactions to it or any of its ingredients. Piqray can cause serious side effects, including severe allergic and skin reactions, high blood sugar levels, and diarrhea, that are common and can be severe, and pneumonitis. Tell your doctor right away if you have symptoms of severe allergic reactions or high blood sugar while taking piqray. Your doctor will monitor your blood sugar before and during treatment, and more often if you have type 2 diabetes. Before starting, tell your doctor if you have a history of diabetes, skin reactions, are or plan to become pregnant, or breastfeeding. Common side effects include rash, nausea, tiredness, weakness, decreased appetite, mouth sores, vomiting, weight loss, hair loss, and changes in some blood tests. Ask your doctor about piqray. Wont be a new thing. And it wont be their First Experience with social distancing. Overcoming challenges is what defines the military community. Usaa has been standing with them, for nearly a hundred years. And well be here to serve for a hundred more. While keeping safe and staying in, we can still go out sort of. So while youre discovering new things to do in the box, well be here for you. At the drivethru, on the mobile app, and with delivery. Hello, this is nancy pelosi. I send my thoughts to all those in the bay area amidst this pandemic and my greetings to those participating in this critical conversation about race and coronavirus. In San Francisco, we like to say that the beauty is in the mix. As we move forward to combat the coronavirus threat prayerfully and with purpose, we must never lose sight of the beautiful diversity that strengthens and unifies our Bay Area Community, and indeed, our nation. During this unprecedented time, it is essential that we reject hatred, discrimination, and xenophobia and come together to support our friends and neighbors. A message from speaker of the house nancy pelosi. We appreciate hearing from her. And we want to thank our panel of experts for taking time out of their busy schedules today to talk with us and with you about race and coronavirus. Its only the beginning of an important conversation, but one that is certainly worth having. Dion . And to echo that sentiment, i mentioned this before, but vulnerability is the key to making change. To share a little bit about my background, i grew up in ohio and connecticut where i was only one of several asians at my school. All i wanted, all i wished and hoped for was to be white because it would be easier than kids calling me a chink in school. But as i grew up, as i learned to celebrate my own heritage and the backgrounds of others, i discovered the importance of sharing my story of being marginalized. As a child and now as an adult during this time of coronavirus, so many of you are doing the same now, and i encourage you to keep going, to continue. Because if we can share our vulnerability, we can then realize we are not alone. This is how we truly gain strength, by doing it together. Kristen . Yeah. And i just want to say so much respect for all our panelists for being part of our town hall today. It would be easier to stay silent in todays climate when you speak from the heart, especially on a topic that can be politicized. You risk painting a target on your back. There were a couple of influencers we asked to be part of the panel who declined. Y now, they shouldnt be judged. There have been times when ive shied away from controversy out of consideration for my loved ones. On this issue, if we cant move away from blame, then my loved ones would suffer, could suffer. I dont want my parents to fear going to the Grocery Store. I dont want my kids to hear the kind of teasing i sometimes heard growing up. I do want to see the Bay Area Community supporting each other instead of fighting each other. And continuing these conversations with respect and with love. Well, finally here as we conclude this hour and conversation about such a vitally important topic, a few thoughts about what really matters. Were in the midst of something the likes of which none of us has ever seen in our lifetimes and we hope will not see again. As in every National Crisis or calamity, we as a nation rise to the challenge, and we are doing that now. Great tests bring out the greatness within us. Acts of courage and kindness, sacrifice and selflessness. Big and small. Sadly, they can also expose our lesser selves, prodded by fear and prejudice. During world war ii, american soldiers fought bravely overseas while 127,000 japanese americans were interned in concentration camps here at home. After the 9 11 attacks, Muslim Americans endured suspicion, abuse and assault for no other reason than their ethnicity. Now Asian Americans face backlash as if the coronavirus was somehow their fault. It was wrong in our past, and its wrong now. Wrong, ignorant, and destructive. In this pandemic, the repeated phrase, were all in this together, its true. And what really matters is no one be made to feel otherwise. Thank you for joining us. Im dan ashley. And im kristen sze. Thanks for joining race and coronavirus a bay ara coronavirus a bay ara conversation. Their medicare options. Ere people go to learn about before theyre on medicare. Come on in. Youre turning 65 soon . Yep. And youre retiring at 67 . Thats the plan well, youve come to the right place. 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