Across the nation we are witnessing hate crimes against Asian and Pacific Islander Americans. Tompkins and Cortland Counties are not exempt from this hurtful intimation and brutality. As members of this community, we want all constituents to feel safe and protected.

We stand in solidarity with the Ithaca Asian American Association as they launch the Virus Has No Nationality campaign. The goal of this campaign is to bring awareness to the struggles of our local Asian and Pacific Islander neighbors and community members. As we support them, we want to make clear in one voice that intimation and hateful actions will not be tolerant in our communities and that any criminal behavior will be investigated and prosecuted.

We want to send a clear message that there is no place for hate or intolerance here and we affirm our commitment to protecting all of our residents. We want to encourage and invite all local businesses, organizations, and agencies to prominently display the Virus Has No Nationality image to the public. Displaying this image communicates that your location is a place of refuge for anyone in our community who is experiencing intimidation or harassment.

To anyone who is feeling threatened, please call 911. If an incident has passed, and you do not feel comfortable contacting the authorities,please report any incidents to https://stopaapihate.org/ and help us protect each other and the community.

As May approaches, we hope we can celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month with a renewed sense of community and respect.Please contact IAAA at IAAA607@yahoo.com if you would like a poster or sticker to display your support. For more information, you can visit www.ithacaasian.org or www.ny.gov/content/hate-crime-report-incident.

In Solidarity,

Assemblymember Anna Kelles