Rep. Steel Joins Seal Beach Rally in Support of the AAPI Community

Seal Beach, C.A. – Today Rep. Michelle Steel (CA-48) joined hundreds of residents at a rally in Seal Beach at Leisure World in support of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. The rally was held following an incident against one of the residents, who was targeted and left a hateful letter after her husband recently passed away.

“We have to support each other, not hate each other. Hate is not acceptable. Let’s raise our voices and stop hate crimes all over America. We really have to speak up and I’m glad that everybody joined today,” Rep. Steel said at the rally.

Last week, Leisure World resident Yong Choi received a letter following the death of her husband, Byong. The letter referenced his passing, saying there was “one less Asian to put up with in Leisure World.” The community has rallied around the Choi family, whose experience only highlights ongoing anti-Asian American hate crimes and discrimination across the country. Leisure World is home to more than 1,000 Korean Americans.

The group Stop AAPI Hate has recorded nearly 4,000 hate incidents against the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community since last March. 45% of these incidents occurred in California.

Last month, Rep. Steel and Rep. Katie Porter (CA-45) led a resolution condemning the rise in hate crimes committed against the AAPI community. The resolution also calls on federal law enforcement to work with state and local officials to investigate all reports of AAPI hate crimes, work to improve the reporting of these crimes, and to hold the perpetrators of crimes, incidents or threats accountable and to bring them to justice. You can view the bipartisan resolution here.

Earlier this month, Rep. Steel testified in front of the House Judiciary Committee during a hearing on discrimination and violence against Asian Americans. The hearing, which was held in the committee’s Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties Subcommittee, examined the history of anti-Asian American discrimination and violence, and highlighted many of the recent horrible attacks seen across the country against members of the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. Rep. Steel joined Reps. Young Kim (CA-39), Doris Matsui (CA-06), Judy Chu (CA-27), Grace Meng (NY-06) and Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) on the first panel of witnesses.

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