All 23 Democratic governors sign letter condemning anti-Asian hate – but only two Republicans join them

‘Hate will not divide our states, territories, and communities,’ letter of solidarity reads

All 23 Democratic governors have signed a letter denouncing hate against Asian-Americans, but were joined by only two Republicans.

On Friday, a letter condemning violence against Asian-Americans was signed by 23 Democratic governors and the governor of Guam, following an increase in hate crimes against the community over the last 12 months.

However, of the 27 Republican governors in the US, Charlie Baker of Massachusetts and Larry Hogan of Maryland were the only two to sign the letter that showed solidarity with Asian-Americans.

“Today, and every day, we stand in solidarity, in support, and in shared resolve with the Asian American community,” the letter, released on Friday, read.

“Hate will not divide our states, territories, and communities. We condemn all expressions of racism, xenophobia, scapegoating, and anti-Asian sentiment.”

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“What is happening to Asian Americans is simply un-American. We condemn racism, violence, and hatred against our AAPI communities, and we must do more to protect, lift up, and support,” the officials added.

The letter was signed on Stop AAPI Hate’s virtual day of action, which was held to highlight prejudice and violence towards Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders.

The Empire State Building shone its lights in black and gold on Friday to mark the day, as US residents and companies were urged to use the hashtag #StopAsianHate in support of the campaign.

Since March 2020, nearly 3,800 incidents have been reported to Stop AAPI Hate, which is a California-based reporting centre for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, with 68 per cent of the incidents recorded against Asian women.

The United Nations also expects to have recorded a significant rise in hate crimes against Asian-Americans in the US over the past 12 months, with the anti-China rhetoric of former President Donald Trump and other Republicans in relation to the coronavirus pandemic being blamed by many experts.

A separate statement urging the Biden administration to protect Asian-American communities was also signed by 60 former White House staff on Friday.

The letter was signed by officials who worked under former Republican presidents George W Bush and Donald Trump, and Democrats Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.

The letters were created less than two weeks after a gunman went on a shooting rampage in Atlanta, Georgia, that left eight people dead, six of them women of Asian descent.

The tragic incident ignited calls for action on Asian-American discrimination and sparked an outpouring of grief, as the hashtag #StopAsianHate was a top trending topic on Twitter hours after the shootings.