May 18, 2025: Asian American Pacific Islander Day Against Hate and Bullying

WHEREAS, May is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month; and,

WHEREAS, May 18 is the birthday of Vincent Chin, who was brutally murdered in a hate crime in Michigan in 1982. His murder fueled a national Asian American activist movement that continues to this day; and,

WHEREAS, we have seen a staggering rise in bullying, discrimination, and hate crimes against the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic; and,

WHEREAS, every day, kids of all ages in the AAPI community are bullied in schools and online; and,

WHEREAS, in the AAPI community, this problem is often compounded by cultural, religious, and linguistic barriers that can keep these youth from seeking and receiving help; and,

WHEREAS, certain AAPI groups, including South Asian, Muslim, Sikh, Micronesian, LGBTQ+, immigrant, and limited English proficient youth, are more likely to be targets of bullying; and, 

WHEREAS, 80% of Asian American youth report being bullied, online or in school, and 77% of AAPI youth express anger over the current anti-Asian hate; and,

WHEREAS, Act to Change is a national nonprofit dedicated to fighting bullying for AAPI youth; and,

WHEREAS, we join Act to Change to ensure all youth can grow up feeling proud and supported as they develop their identities and write their own stories;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan, and Garlin Gilchrist II, lieutenant governor of Michigan, do hereby proclaim May 18, 2025, as Asian American Pacific Islander Day Against Hate and Bullying in Michigan.