Austin Mayor Steve Adler speaks out against anti-Asian attacks
AUSTIN, Texas - Austin Mayor Steve Adler is speaking out against the recent increase in crimes that target the country's Asian American Pacific Islander community.
"The racial targeting and hate crimes against the Asian American Pacific Islander community is a national issue, and in Austin as well," Mayor Adler said, in part. "The members of the Austin City Council and I recognized this in 2020."
This week, a man was arrested for shootings that left eight people, including six Asian women, in the Atlanta area. Robert Aaron Long, 21, of Woodstock, was taken into custody in Crisp County after driving more than 180 miles, being on the run for almost four hours, and making three deadly stops along the way, investigators said.
These killings happened as a recent wave of attacks against Asian Americans that coincided with the spread of the coronavirus across the United States have been reported. Just this past weekend, an Asian American Pacific Islander-owned restaurant in San Antonio was vandalized and graffitied with racial slurs.
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Austin Mayor Steve Adler made the following comment:
"The racial targeting and hate crimes against the Asian American Pacific Islander community is a national issue, and in Austin as well. The members of the City Council and I recognized this in 2020.
The Asian American Pacific Islander community makes up 8% of the city’s total population, and Asian American Pacific Islander-owned businesses make up a significant portion of Austin’s overall economy.
One of the things that makes Austin one of the greatest places to live and work is its people. The city is rich in its overall diversity, and that heterogeneity benefits our overall community and economy.
We support, protect and celebrate our city’s Asian American Pacific Islander families, their businesses, and cultural contributions to the Austin community."