Legislative members of the State Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans take stand against hatred

ST. PAUL, Minn. (Nov. 16, 2016) — The State Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans on Wednesday issued a joint statement to urge all Minnesotans to be pro-active in curbing an environment of growing hatred.

The message, from Minn. State Senators’ Foung Hawj (DFL-67), Roger C. Chamberlain (R-38), State Sen.-elect Carolyn Laine (DFL-41B) and State Rep. Rod Hamilton (R-22B), is in response to public feedback about incidents in the aftermath of the national election on Nov. 8, 2016:

We call on all Minnesotans to stand in solidarity with one another against hatred. In light of especially divisive rhetoric and harassing behaviors in recent weeks, we, the bi-partisan legislative members of the board for the Council on Asian-Pacific Minnesotans, feel compelled to speak out. The Council is Minnesota’s official body charged with connecting the multiple Asian American and Pacific Islander communities to the legislative and executive branches. As the duly appointed representatives of the legislative branch, we value our relationships with all Minnesotans.

We ask all Minnesotans, immigrant and native born, all ethnicities, urban and greater Minnesotan, and all political ideologies, to pause and remember our American motto – “E Pluribus Unum,” Out of Many, One.

Many ethnicities, many languages, many religions, and many cultural traditions have become a part of the One: the United States of America. We have all changed and contributed to America, and America has changed and contributed to us. America is stronger and richer for the merging of our many tapestries.

We ask all Minnesotans to put forward their better selves, and to stand tall in calling out indecent behavior, with grace. Our country is wounded with division; let us work together to bind up our wounds.

Together, we can insist that all are welcome here. We are, indeed, mutually interdependent and so much stronger when we honor this reality.

We reject hate. Please join us.