November 25, 2024
NATIONWIDE – Following President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet and White House announcements, Stop AAPI Hate issued the following statement on key appointments’ well-known history of anti-Asian hate and racism, expressing concerns for the safety and civil rights of Asian American and Pacific Islanders. The following statement can be attributed to Cynthia Choi, Co-Founder of Stop AAPI Hate.
“Over the past few weeks, President-elect Donald Trump has made a series of nominations and appointments for his incoming administration that raise serious alarms about the future of our democracy and the safety, freedoms, and rights of AAPI communities. A number of these individuals have known histories of spearheading anti-Asian rhetoric and xenophobic policies, legitimizing the deep concerns of millions of AAPIs about their safety and the possibility of a steep surge in hate and discrimination similar to what we witnessed during his first term.”
“Tom Homan, Trump’s pick for “border czar”, was one of the contributors to Project 2025 and has numerous ties to hate groups and white nationalists. The architect of Trump’s family separation policy, Homan has already promised to execute Trump’s deportation plan, which includes inhumane, militarized mass deportations of undocumented Chinese nationals under the guise of national security. Homan has also alarmingly voiced support for deporting U.S. citizens who are part of mixed-status families. Meanwhile, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, selected for Secretary of Homeland Security, made false claims that Chinese entities are taking over America’s food supply chain.”
“Most recently, Noem and Interior Secretary appointee Doug Burgum strongly supported racist land ownership bans in dozens of states that criminalize Chinese immigrants for buying property. These are working families who have done nothing wrong and are simply trying to build a better life in America. Additionally, Trump’s appointee for the Environmental Protection Agency, Lee Zeldin, led the resurgence of the previously failed China Initiative, which has resulted in wrongful convictions and egregious civil rights violations against numerous Asian American scholars who call the U.S. home.”
“Trump’s unprincipled staff and cabinet picks pose a serious threat to all of us, regardless of citizenship status or national origin. History has shown that xenophobic policies and rhetoric targeting Asian immigrants also has devastating residual effects on the broader Asian American community, including citizens, by fueling racial profiling and anti-Asian sentiment. They have made it clear that they do not care about the safety, rights, and freedoms of Asian immigrants nor U.S. citizens.”
“This is just the tip of the iceberg: Whether in the form of xenophobic policies or anti-Asian rhetoric, our communities are bracing for numerous assaults on our safety and rights under the next Trump administration. As an organization committed to fighting back against anti-AAPI hate, we will not sit idly by as Trump and his loyalists promote racist, xenophobic rhetoric and policies. We will mobilize our communities and hold the incoming administration accountable to preserve our rights and our safety — and ensure that America holds true to its promise of freedom, opportunity, and equality for all.”
