September 19, 2024
ASIAN AMERICAN PACIFIC ISLANDER ISSUES CAUCUS RELEASES STATEMENT FOLLOWING COMMENTS BY FORMER NEW BRITAIN MAYOR
Today, the Asian American Pacific Islander Issues Caucus, which features a number of legislators who are members of and supporters of Connecticut’s Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, released a statement supporting Connecticut’s AAPI communities following a recent offensive social media comment made by former New Britain mayor Tim Stewart. The former mayor made a comment in response to inaccurate stereotypical comments about Haitian-Americans made by prominent Republican federal political leaders; he in turn referenced denigrating stereotypes about Asian-Americans.
“Hate speech, misrepresentation and manipulation of facts in all forms, especially when targeted toward our AAPI communities, are entirely unacceptable. Our diverse membership may hold differing political views, but these should be expressed within a culture of respect and civility. Stereotypical and biased comments, such as those linking members of our community to the eating of cats and dogs, are not political views – they are harmful and have no place in any discourse. Such rhetoric demeans the communities it targets and fails to reflect the values we strive to uphold.
We unequivocally denounce anyone who engages in this kind of speech and encourage everyone to drive for better.
Public officials, whether prospective, current or former, must hold themselves to the highest standards of awareness and leadership. As representatives of our state and communities, it is their duty to foster an environment of respect, inclusivity and dignity for all.”
The AAPI Issues Caucus includes State Senators Saud Anwar, James Maroney and Tony Hwang and State Representatives Miryam Khan, Kate Farrar, Gary Turco and Rachel Khanna. |
