Statement of Solidarity with the Asian American Community, April 8, 2021 Written by Allister Chang
On March 22, I joined ANC Commissioners from across the city to sign onto a letter to Mayor Bowser, Councilmembers, and fellow residents of DC to condemn anti-AAPI violence and hate.
Dear Mayor Bowser, Councilmembers, and Fellow Residents of the District of Columbia,
Hate has no place here. Whether the vandalism of a historic Black church downtown, or the insurrection at the Capitol, or the chemical attack on Valley Brook Tea, an Asian American tea house barely one block off Dupont Circle, these unspeakable acts are an attack on every one of us.
The mass murders in Georgia this past week are only the latest in a seemingly endless series of hate crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Day after day, in city after city, from one coast to the other, our fellow Americans have been subjected to racist insults, threats, and violence. The incidents have taken place in stores, on public streets, and in parks. Many of these were never reported. We condemn racial hatred in the strongest of terms, and demand perpetrators are brought to justice.
We reach out to our all Asian American and Pacific Islander friends and neighbors with this message: You are not alone. You are part of the beloved community. We stand together with you at this hour and always. The battle against racism is part of our DNA.
We urge everyone to make a special effort to patronize AAPI shops and restaurants all week. We are asking for your support for programs such as Takeout Tuesday, which helps all local merchants. This week, by supporting AAPI businesses, we can strengthen everyone’s sense of community and belonging.
Let us comfort our friends and neighbors as we share the wisdom of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “Darkness cannot drive out darkness. Only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that.”
We treasure and celebrate our diversity. We will not walk in fear, one of another. This is the District of Columbia, and hate has no place here.
Sincerely,
Sabel Harris, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 1B12
Mike Silverstein, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 2B06
Meg Roggensack, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 2B01
Kyle Mulhall, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 2B09
Alexandra Bailey, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 2F08
Alison Horn, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 6B09
James A. Turner, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 1B09
Pavan Khoobchandani, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 4A08
Lisa R. Gore, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 3/4G01
Jonah Goodman, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 4C10
William Zeh Herbig, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 2B05
Robert Vinson Brannum, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 5E08
Keya Chatterjee, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 6A01
Brian Romanowski, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 2F01
Robb Dooling, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 6A06
Mo Pasternak, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 2B04
Emily Singer Lucio, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 5A03
Zachary Israel, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 4D04
Jeri Epstein, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 2A06
Laura Gentile, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 6A05
Victoria Sanchez, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 1B05
K. Denise Rucker Krepp, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 6B10 Kishan Putta, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 2E01
Tom Quinn, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 3E04
Dorothy Douglas, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 7D03
Jamila White, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 8A05
Trupti Patel, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 2A03
Yannik Omictin, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 2A01
Patrick Parlej, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 6E05
Connie K. N. Chang, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 3/4G05
Gerald E. Sroufe, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 6B02
Matthew Holden, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 2B08
Milton Hardy, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 7D04
John Fanning, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 2F04
Tiffani Johnson, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 4B06
Prita Piekara, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 5B03
Erin Palmer, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 4B02
Evan Yeats, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 4B01
Matthew Cohen, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 3E01
Ursula Higgins, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 5B02
Cydne Smith Nash, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 7B04 Ronald Collins, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 6D03
Janell Pagats, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 3C03
Anna Landre, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 2E04
Christian Damiana, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 3D07
Larry Handerhan, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 1B01
Rehana Mohammed, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 2F07
Delia Houseal, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 7E06
Michael Zeldin, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 3G04
Monika Nemeth, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 3F06
Anthony Lorenzo Green, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 7C04
Japer Bowles, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 1C07
Gigi Nelson, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 2C03
Eric Behna, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 1B08
John Guggenmos, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 2F02
Andy Litsky, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 6D04
Meghan Faulkner, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 1C04 Michelle Yan, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 2F03
Max Ewart, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 1B07
Aryan Rodriguez Bocquet, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 4D03
Deborah Thomas, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 1B04 Sherene Joseph, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, 2F05
Allister Chang, DC State Board of Education Member, Ward 2
DC’s Chevy Chase neighborhood looks to reverse its history of exclusion, December 3, 2021 Greater Greater Washington
“With this new focus on equity, the Chevy Chase planning effort has the potential to benefit from input beyond the usual suspects of affluent, mostly white, long-time homeowners. To broaden the reach of the public engagement process, ANC 3/4G conducted “Information Exchanges” in the fall of 202[1]. In one session in September, Commissioner Connie Chang convened three residents living in Chevy Chase apartment buildings to learn their perspective and how they’d like to see the neighborhood change. One of the residents who spoke explained how the District’s affordable housing Inclusionary Zoning program enabled him to find an apartment in Chevy Chase, a neighborhood he said enjoyed living in.
The session put a face on the residents who might live in new buildings that many say would be “inconsistent with the character of the neighborhood.” All the participants said that the only way they can afford to live in this neighborhood of multi-million dollar single family houses is the limited availability of apartments and condominiums.