DOJ Targets Hate Crimes or Racial Scapegoating for Asian-Americans
This is a menu of the topics on this page (click on any): Federal Government Resources for Asian Pacific Americans Targeted for Hate Crimes or Racial Scapegoating DOJ ESTABLISHES HATE CRIMES INITIATIVE DOT ACCEPTING COMPLAINTS OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION ON AIRLINES NAPALC AND AFFILIATES DOCUMENTS RACIALLY MOTIVATED INCIDENTS FOR ANNUAL AUDIT .
NAPALC NEWS WIRE, October 4, 2001
The following information is also posted on the website of the National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium at http://www.napalc.org/programs/antiviolence/issues/Terror%20Attacks/index.html .
DOJ ESTABLISHES HATE CRIMES INITIATIVE
In response to the recent backlash against people perceived to be foreigners, including Arab Americans, South Asian Americans, Muslims and Sikhs, the Department of Justice has set up an initiative to combat post-terrorism discrimination. The initiative involves a working of DOJ attorneys who will seek to combat discrimination by:
- receiving reports of violations based on national origin, citizenship status and religion, including those related to housing, education, employment, access to government services, and law enforcement, and referring them to the appropriate federal authorities;
- conducting outreach to vulnerable communities to provide them with information about Department of Justice services and connect them with other government agencies that can assist them; and
- working with other Department of Justice components and other governmental agencies to ensure accurate referral, effective outreach and provision of services to victims of civil rights violations.
Individuals can file complaints with the section of DOJ's civil rights division, www.usdoj.gov/crt that addresses the specific racial discrimination, i.e. employment, or contact Aryani Ong at NAPALC, aong@napalc.org for assistance with this process.
DOT ACCEPTING COMPLAINTS OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION ON AIRLINES
There have been several reports of passengers who have been singled out to be removed from airplanes on the basis of race. The U.S. Department of Transportation's Air Consumer Protection Division (ACPT) states that it will accept complaints, which will be "will be fully investigated by [DOT's] office and the passenger will receive a dispositive written reply from the airline, and then a closing letter from [DOT's] office once [DOT's] investigation is complete (which may take a while as [DOT] work[s] through the several hundred or so such complaints [DOT] [is] currently investigating, in addition to the larger enforcement investigations which have been underway for some time.) If [DOT] find[s] an airline policy or procedure that is not in compliance w/ACAA or Part 382, [DOT] take prompt corrective action with the carrier involved. In the rare instances that such action is not successful, we have the authority to consider enforcement action."
To file a complaint by email, the individual filing a complaint (not a third party) should send the following information to Airconsumer@ost.dot.gov :
- individual's name
- individual's summary of the issue
- statement that the individual wants the matter considered as a complaint and wants action from USDOT
- sufficient detail about the flight/date/time/etc.
- individual's phone number and complete e-mail and mailing address
More information about the complaint process can be read at the following link:
http://www.dot.gov/airconsumer/problems.htm .
Or, contact the office at:
Aviation Consumer Protection Division
U.S. Department of Transportation
Room 4107, C-75
Washington, DC 20590
202-366-5957/5945.
To see a letter sent by DOT to the airlines regarding complaints of racial scapegoating following September 11, see http://www.dot.gov/airconsumer/20010921.htm .
NAPALC AND AFFILIATES DOCUMENTS RACIALLY MOTIVATED INCIDENTS FOR ANNUAL AUDIT
The National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium and its Affiliates - the Asian Pacific American Legal Center of Southern California, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund and the Asian Law Caucus - are documenting racially motivated incidents of backlash, including hate crimes, hate incidents, racial profiling and racial scapegoating against Asian Pacific Americans. If you or someone you know would like to report an incident for the purposes of informing the general public, law enforcement and lawmakers about hate crimes and for inclusion in the ninth edition of the Audit of Violence Against Asian Pacific Americans, please download the incident report form at http://www.napalc.org/programs/antiviolence/issues/Terror%20Attacks/index.html . In some cases, legal and other assistance may be provided. A national compilation of the incidents will be posted on a special section of the NAPALC website in the near future.
Aryani Ong, Staff Attorney
National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium
1140 Connecticut Ave., N.W., Suite 1200
Washington, D.C. 20036
(202) 296-2300
(202) 296-2318 - fax
aong@napalc.org
www.napalc.org
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