Governor Cooper proclaims May as Asian American-Pacific Islander Heritage Month, condemns rise in AAPI discrimination

RALEIGH: Governor Roy Cooper has proclaimed May as Asian American-Pacific Islander Heritage Month to celebrate the many contributions Asian Americans have made, and continue to make, to North Carolina’s communities, schools and workforce. This year’s proclamation also serves as a reminder of the need to stop increased discrimination that many members of the Asian American-Pacific Islander (AAPI) community have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“The hate speech and violence that we have seen aimed at Asian Americans across the country is alarming, and I encourage North Carolinians to speak out against it until it ends,” Governor Cooper said. “Diversity makes our communities, our economy and our quality of life stronger and better.”

An analysis released by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism revealed that while hate crimes decreased overall by 7 percent in 2020, such crimes targeting Asian people rose 150 percent in 16 of America’s largest cities. 

Stop AAPI Hate, a reporting center that tracks incidents of discrimination against Asian Americans, found that more than 3,200 incidents of AAPI hate were reported in 2020, though the actual number of incidents is believed to be much higher. 

National trends show that AAPI women reported incidents of hate 2.3 more times than men, and that most of these incidents occurred in business settings. Governor Cooper and his Administration are committed to ending the harassment and violence toward Asian Americans in our communities.

Federal efforts are currently underway to address hate and xenophobia against the AAPI community, including funding for critical research to help combat further discrimination and steps to promote inclusion in communities. 

Read the proclamation.