‘We must walk together.’ Charlotte, Meck leaders condemn violence against AAPI community
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Mecklenburg County officials on Tuesday condemned mounting violence against Asian-American and Pacific Islander communities, renewing their commitment to foster inclusion while “rooting out racism and xenophobia by building stronger relationships and supporting community-led solutions.”
County Commissioner Leigh Altman read the proclamation, issued jointly with the city of Charlotte, just moments after leaders also marked the upcoming two-year anniversary of the UNC Charlotte shooting. Mecklenburg is home to more than 67,000 members of the AAPI community, the proclamation notes.
Between 2019 and 2020, hate crimes nationally against Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders increased 150%, according to the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino.
That surge should concern all Charlotte and Mecklenburg residents, Altman said.
”In order to address hatred and violence against those who are vulnerable, we must be willing to look inward and find solutions to the betterment of our diverse community, to set aside exclusion and to recognize the efforts of those seeking equal rights for all,” Altman read. “We must turn our pain into action, our words into advocacy and acceptance, and our divisions into community.”
The proclamation was signed by Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles and George Dunlap, chairman of the Mecklenburg County commissioners.
‘We must take action’
Richard Yang, chairman and founding president of the Carolinas Chinese Chamber of Commerce, said the Asian-American community loves “peaceful coexistence.”
But hate crimes have been increasing by an “unprecedented rate,” Yang told commissioners.
“We must take action to stop it,” Yang said. “We are looking forward to working with all of you to build a more safe, respectful, harmonious and prosperous community.”
After eight people were killed in Atlanta last month — six of them Asian-American women working in massage parlors — Charlotte residents gathered at a vigil in Marshall Park, chanting messages of love and support.
When a Korean-owned convenience store near the Charlotte Transit Center was trashed, about 1,000 people this month raised over $47,500 on Plaza Sundries’ GoFundMe page. The goal was $5,000.
Mark Sung, whose parents own the store, said his family has endured physical and verbal harassment, the Observer previously reported. Now the Sungs see a shifting narrative — and hope for future change. As the donations poured, they thanked strangers for working to stop hate against the Asian-American community.
“We are eternally grateful for each and every one of you,” the Sungs wrote on GoFundMe. “We want you to know what your kindness has meant to us and how your actions completely turned the story around for us. We will tell our children and our children’s children.”
Man wielding metal post trashes Korean-owned convenience store at Transit Center
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Anxiety is spreading
Charlotte City Council member Dimple Ajmera told the Observer Tuesday that anxiety is spreading throughout vulnerable communities in Charlotte. But many residents are afraid to report hate crimes like racial slurs to law enforcement, Ajmera said.
It’s deeply personal for Ajmera, the first Asian-American council member. As an immigrant and a woman of color, she has received hate email, been called a terrorist, and at times required police protection outside her home.
Monday, she will read the joint proclamation at the next council meeting.
“We must walk together to make sure that our voices, our stories, and all our simple demands for equal justice and equal protection are granted,” Ajmera said in an interview. “We have to find a long-term solution where people are not living in constant fear for their safety.”
Last weekend, Kung Fu Tea Charlotte reported stores on Providence Road and South Boulevard were broken into and vandalized. In a follow-up social media post, Kung Fu Tea praised customers for their “tremendous amount of support” and love.
A Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department spokesman said it “would be too premature at this point” to say whether the incidents are racially motivated, the Observer reported.
