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September 21, 2022
Yet another sponsor has pulled out of an “anti-hate” event occurring at Don Knabe Park in Cerritos Sept. 24 after HMG-CN published an article last week exposing one of the sponsors as a hate crime perpetrator.
LA vs Hate learned of James Mai as a sponsor and Jane Yim as the lead organizer and immediately withdrew their sponsorship.
Like Supervisor Hahn, LA vs. Hate was never told about Mai and Yim by the other major sponsor, Torrance Police Detective and Cerritos Mayor Chuong Vo, who has yet to withdraw from the event.
Cerritos Councilman Frank Yokoyama did not mince words, “Once again, I am outraged and deeply saddened whenever racism and racists are discovered or revealed in our City of Cerritos. The prevalence and tolerance of hateful and racist people threaten peace and safety in our City of Cerritos.I denounce these hateful and racist people as well as their hateful racist acts and speech that strike fear into the hearts of our own diverse communities. I urge my fellow leaders and residents to stand together with me against racism and racists.”
In a statement sent into HMG-CN, LA vs. Hate wrote the following:
Statement on LA vs Hate’s Withdrawal From Unite for Progress Event, September 24, 2022
For over 70 years, the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations has worked to promote better human relations in Los Angeles County by working to transform prejudice into acceptance, inequity into justice, and hostility into peace.
The LA vs Hate program was launched in 2019, at the request of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to counter the historic rise in hate by providing messaging promoting solidarity, and feelings of inclusion and respect for all. LA vs Hate provides a hate reporting line through 211LA; assistance for victims of hate through Asian/Pacific Islander linguistically competent Care Coordinators and case managers at 211LA; and a network of trusted partner agencies to respond to individuals and communities impacted by hate. Our vision is to develop a hate-free Los Angeles County where all feel welcome and safe. In over three years of operation, LA vs Hate has received over 1,900 reports of hate; and has assisted hundreds of victims with compassion, empathy and needed resources.
LA vs Hate was invited to participate in the upcoming Unite for Progress event set for this Saturday, September 24 . LA vs Hate is often invited to participate in grassroots-led events to inform county residents about resources available for victims of hate incidents and hate crimes.
However, recent news accounts involving the Unite for Progress event organizers have prompted us to withdraw from this event.
LA vs Hate is a program dedicated to inclusion for all county residents and we do not support hate, bias-motivated hostility, or violence.
LA vs Hate will continue to reach out to the Cerritos South Asian and Asian communities to ensure they know about the resources provided by LA vs Hate, the anti-hate Los Angeles County initiative. For further information, please visit www.lavshate.org.
