San Francisco May Soon Formally Apologize for Historical Treatment of Asians

VACCINE BY THEN THEY HAVE TO WEAR MASKS AND BE TESTED WEEKLY FOR COVID. >> IT COULD BE THE FOURTH CITY TO APOLOGIZE FOR THE TREATMENT OF PACIFIC ISLANDERS FOR A CENTURY AND A HALF OF RACIST LAWS AND PRACTICES. BUT IT WON'T COME UP FOR A VOTE UNTIL LATER THIS YEAR. HERE'S NBC BAY AREA'S THOM JENSEN. >> Reporter: THE SAN FRANCISCO BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FINALLY ADMITTING TO MORE THAN 150 YEARS CAN OF RACISM TOWARD CHINESE AND OTHER ASIAN RESIDENTS DATING BACK TO THE CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH IN THE 1860s. >> POLICIES THAT DENIED ACCESS TO EDUCATION, HOUSING, EMPLOYMENT. >> LAW AFTER LAW TARGETING CHINESE IMMIGRANTS. >> Reporter: A JUNIOR AT UC BERKLEY BROUGHT THE IDEA TO THE SUPERVISOR AFTER ANTIOCH AND L.A. ALREADY MADE THEIR OWN APOLOGIES. >> IF NOT SAN FRANCISCO THEN WHERE, WHEN THERE IS SUCH A LONG HISTORY IN THIS PARTICULAR CITY. >> Reporter: THEY RESEARCHED THE HISTORY OF THE TREATMENT OF AAPI RESIDENTS AND WERE APPALLED BY WHAT THEY FOUND. >> WE ALL WERE SHOCKED THAT THERE WERE THESE ATROCITIES COMMITTED IN THIS CITY TO CHINESE AMERICAN COMMUNITY. AND HE WAS ALSO SHOCKED THAT AN APOLOGY HAD NEVER BEEN ISSUED BY THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. >> Reporter: THEY ALSO LEARNED THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MADE THE FRAMEWORK FOR RACIST LAWS DUPLICATED ACROSS THE STATE AND NATION. LAWS THAT TARGETED CHINESE WORKERS AND STUDENTS EVEN INTO THE 1950s. >> WHETHER WE DON'T CONFRONT IT, THAT'S WHEN WE SEE IT BEING USED AND CONTINUED. >> Reporter: SOMETHING PROVEN BY THOUSANDS OF PHYSICAL ATTACKS ON ASIAN-AMERICANS AND PACIFIC ISLANDERS JUST THIS YEAR, A THIRD OF THEM IN CALIFORNIA. >> IT JUST GOES TO SHOW THAT HISTORY IS NOT SO FAR. AND HISTORY TENDS TO REPEAT ITSELF. WHAT BETTER WAY TO TRY TO COMMEND THE FUTURE THAN

Channel: NBC Bay Area

Views: 320

Rating: 4.4285712 out of 5

Keywords: San Francisco, San Francisco Board of Supervisors, AAPI, Asian community, apology, racism, Thom Jensen

Id: CbLdLSp7QSE

Length: 2min 17sec (137 seconds)

Published: Tue Nov 09 2021