Columbus Day parades exist, as do St. Patrick Day parades, as a reminder of immigrant groups that were once considered “the other,” apart from and not “real Americans”. Now we have those who stir up hate, for political gain, against Jews, Muslims and Asians, as well as refugees seeking legal asylum from unbearable poverty and oppression in their home countries. Unfortunately, a new wave of anti-Asian rhetoric and action washed over us in the past year due in part to some awful words from our former President. I spent time this Spring and Summer at anti-Asian hate rallies, large and small in Ardsley, Hastings, Pelham, Scarsdale and, in a particularly intimate gathering at which I was the only elected official present, at the gazebo across the street from Eastchester Town Hall.
And so I was happy to vote for our new County legislation shoring up our regional human rights law and Westchester County Human Rights Commission just signed by County Executive George Latimer, mentioned toward the end of this LoHud article about a local forum against Antisemitism and hate sponsored by our State Senator Shelley Mayer, pictured with me above.