By Molly Burke, Bay City News.
Assemblyman Phil Ting, D-San Francisco, and others active in addressing anti-Asian and Pacific Islander hate celebrated a victory Wednesday after the California Department of Social Services approved the distribution of $30.3 million to local nonprofits fighting AAPI hate.
The money, which will be distributed in grants to organizations that provide services to victims and strengthen violence prevention programs, is part of the $166.5 million budget for Asians and Pacific Islanders that was approved in California last year.
Assembly Budget Chairman Ting announced the legislation as one of the largest appropriations bills to address the rise in hate crimes against the AAPI community seen during the pandemic in California and across the United States.
It is reported that during the pandemic there has been an increase in hate and bias crimes in many communities, with anti-AAPI bias incidents increasing by 177 percent from 2020 to 2021, according to the CDC.