Resolution 1476RESOLUTION NO. 1476
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF EDMONDS, WASHINGTON,
REJECTING RACIALLY BASED HARASSMENT AND HATE CRIMES, PARTICULARLY
AGAINST ASIAN AMERICANS AND PACIFIC ISLANDERS
Whereas, the City of Edmonds previously adopted Resolution No 1381 in 2017 declaring the
City of Edmonds to be an equitable, safe, and inviting community for everyone who lives in,
works in and visits Edmonds; and,
WHEREAS, we strongly condemn bullying, intimidation or any other acts of hate based on race
or ethnicity; and,
WHEREAS, we stand in solidarity with Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI)
communities and assert in the strongest possible terms that anti -Asian racism, intimidation, and
hate crimes will not be tolerated and have no place in our society; and
WHEREAS, AAPI communities are immensely diverse, consisting of multiple ethnicities,
hundreds of languages and dialects, wide-ranging socioeconomic characteristics, and distinct
immigration patterns; and
WHEREAS, racism and scapegoating toward the AAPI community has persisted since the 19th
century and contributed toward policies like the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which
prohibited the immigration of Chinese laborers, and introduction of the term "yellow peril,"
which represented East Asians as dangerous and threatening to the United States; and
WHEREAS, racist policies continued into the 20th century with the Immigration Act of 1924
effectively banning all immigration from Asia; Executive Order 9066 in 1942 authorizing the
incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II; and others that have impacted
Southeast Asian Americans, South Asians, Muslims, and Sikhs, among others; and
WHEREAS, since the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in
Snohomish County in January 2020, hateful rhetoric regarding COVID-19 has contributed to a
spike in discrimination and hate crimes toward Asian Americans; and
WHEREAS, since the outbreak of Covid-19 there has been a marked increase in harassment and
hate crimes, particularly against Asian American and Pacific Islanders; and
WHEREAS, misinformation and the use of anti -Asian terminology and rhetoric have perpetuated
anti -Asian stigma and resulted in an increase of acts of hate against Asian Americans, Pacific
Islanders and immigrants and refugees; and
WHEREAS, as this hateful anti -Asian rhetoric spread, especially as it intensified this past year,
has resulted in Asian Americans being harassed, assaulted, and scapegoated for the COVID-19
pandemic; and violence and hate crimes against Asian Americans have increased by 150 percent
in major U.S. cities; and
WHEREAS, Asian women are often fetishized, exoticized, and objectified throughout media and
throughout history and this affects the racialized, gendered, and sexualized violence AAPI
women have experienced, historically and now; and
WHEREAS, after the Atlanta spa shooting, which left 8 dead, including six women of Asian
descent, there was a constant dehumanization of Asian women during media discussions; and
WHEREAS, even prior to the pandemic, AAPI women were experiencing a great deal of
violence and discrimination at the intersection of race/ethnicity, gender, immigration status, and
socioeconomic class, among many other factors; and
WHEREAS, despite these increasing acts of hate and bigotry, an estimated two million Asian
Americans and Pacific Islanders served on the front lines of this crisis as healthcare providers, as
first responders, and in other essential roles; and
WHEREAS acts of hate and discrimination are antithetical to our values as Edmonds' residents,
Washingtonians, and Americans. As a community, it is our duty to promote respect, inclusion,
and a welcoming community for people of all races, national origins, and ethnicities, sexual
orientations, genders, gender identities, gender expressions, disabilities, and ages; and
WHEREAS, all Edmonds residents can play a role in establishing a safe and welcoming
community by intervening and reporting instances of hate and discrimination. Reporting these
incidents is critical to holding perpetrators accountable and fully addressing the issue. The City
of Edmonds encourages community members who observe or are experiencing incidents of
harassment or hate crimes to call 911 in emergency situations and to report all incidents to the
Washington State Human Rights Commission (1-800-233-3247); and
WHEREAS, we have a responsibility, as elected representatives, to speak out against hate and
discrimination against our residents or visitors to our city; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT, the Edmonds City Council and the City of
Edmonds stand in solidarity with Asian American and Pacific Islander communities; and
condemns all acts of racism, xenophobia, sexism, gender -based violence, discrimination, anti -
Asian bias, scapegoating, and ethnic or religious intolerance against all people; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED The Edmonds City Council commits to following the leadership
of communities most impacted by hate violence in the wake of COVID19, working jointly with
members of the community to develop tangible, community -led solutions to root out
discrimination, hate, and systemic racism, and uplift solidarity.
RESOLVED this 13th day of July, 2021.
CITY OF EDMONDS
MIKE NELSON, MAYOR
ATTEST:
CLERK, SC ASSEY
FILED WITH THE CITY CLERK: July 9, 2021
PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL: July 13, 2021
RESOLUTION NO.: 1476