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Press Release
For Immediate Release
June 12, 2002
Contact: Giles Li
202-223-5500
OCA
OUTRAGED BY RECENT EVENTS SURROUNDING HATE CRIMES BILL
Washington, DC - The Organization of Chinese
Americans (OCA), a national Asian Pacific American (APA) civil rights and
education group with over 85 chapters and affiliates nationwide, is outraged by
the recent events in the Senate surrounding the Local Law Enforcement
Enhancement Act (S. 625). A vote was taken on Tuesday over "cloture," a process
that would have closed debate on the bill and brought it to a vote on the Senate
floor. The vote was 54 to 43 in favor of ending debate, but a vote of 60 or more
is required to actually close debate through cloture; thus the Local Law
Enforcement Enhancement Act (LLEEA) is not on the Senate floor and cannot be
considered for a vote at present.
Current federal law states that a crime cannot be investigated as a hate crime
unless the victim is targeted because of his or her race, ethnicity, religion or
national origin AND because he or she is engaged in a federally protected
activity (i.e. voting, public education). The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement
Act (LLEEA) would broaden the current law to cover all crimes motivated by a
person's real or perceived race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, sexual
orientation, gender or disability when the defendant causes bodily injury or,
through the use of fire, a firearm, or an explosive device, attempts to cause
injury.
Hate-motivated violence is nothing new to the APA community. Next week will mark
the 20th anniversary of the death of Vincent Chin, a Chinese American who was
killed in a hate crime during a time of severe anti-Japanese sentiment. The
legislation is especially relevant since September 11, because countless APAs,
especially South Asian Americans, Muslims and Sikhs, as well as Arab Americans
and others have been brutally attacked and murdered for no other reason but
their race or religion, sometimes the race or religion they are perceived to be.
The LLEEA has widespread bipartisan support; the vote for cloture, however, was
decided quite rigidly along party lines; only four members of the minority party
voted in favor of ending discussion: Senators Lincoln Chafee (R-RI), Susan
Collins (R-ME), Gordon Smith (R-OR), and Olympia Snowe (R-ME). OCA finds it
morally reprehensible that certain opponents of the bill - most notably Senators
Trent Lott (R-MS) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT) - have used their influence to
negatively affect a bill that is tremendously important to the APA community and
all Americans.
"It is disheartening to see a bill as widely supported and urgent as the LLEEA
get bogged down by petty partisan bickering," stated George M. Ong, OCA National
President. "Our nation needs comprehensive hate crimes legislation immediately.
A hate crime is even more heinous than a crime not motivated by bias; a hate
crime is meant to send a message to an entire community. Passing the Local Law
Enforcement Enhancement Act would help our government investigate and prosecute
perpetrators of these atrocious acts."
OCA encourages all Americans to contact their Senators and urge them to support
any action in favor of the LLEEA.
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The Organization of Chinese Americans, a national civil rights organization
with 77 chapters and affiliates across the country, was founded in 1973 to
ensure the civil rights of the Asian Pacific American community. It maintains
its headquarters in Washington, D.C.
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