District passes resolution in support of equal treatment for Asian Americans

After both Woodland’s City Council and the Yolo County supervisors passed similar resolutions in support of condemning and combating racism, xenophobia, and intolerance against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, Woodland School District trustees have joined in.

During Thursday night’s school board meeting, trustees unanimously voted to pass a resolution in favor of the support of equal treatment for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

“We brought this forward for the board tonight to consider joining in solidarity with our fellow local elected officials to support this cause,” said board President Jake Whitaker.

The outpouring support from each group comes out after an uptick of racist attacks against Asians and Pacific Islanders, not just in Yolo County but across the state. Multiple reports regarding attacks on elderly Asians in the Bay Area have also surfaced.

“The Woodland Joint Unified School District’s support for inclusion and belonging for people of all races, national origins, and ethnicities is critical to guaranteeing the safety and security of all people,” the district stated. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, inflammatory and xenophobic rhetoric has put Asian American and Pacific Islander persons, families, communities, and businesses at risk. The Woodland Joint Unified School District recognizes that statements at the federal level have played a role in furthering xenophobic sentiments, including references to the COVID-19 pandemic by the geographic location of its origin.”

“Such statements have promoted unfounded fears and perpetuated stigma about Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, which have contributed to increasing rates of bullying, harassment, and hate crimes against AAPI persons,” the statement continued. “The WJUSD should combat racism, xenophobia, and intolerance against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and work to ensure that all members of AAPI communities — no matter their background, the language they speak, or their religious beliefs — are treated with dignity and equity.”