The National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA) today issued a statement of solidarity with the community of Ferguson, Missouri, and called upon federal officials to review the "ongoing pattern and practice of racial violence and systemic discriminatory treatment by law enforcement" in communities of color.
NCAPA is a 31-member coalition of Asian Pacific American organizations across the country.
"As people of color and immigrants," the statement reads, "our own communities’ histories in the United States include violence and targeting, often by law enforcement." Recent examples include the harassment and surveillance of South Asian, Sikh and Muslim communities after the attacks of September 11th, the targeted attack on a Sikh place of worship in Wisconsin, and the 2006 killing of teenager Fong Lee by a Minneapolis police officer who was later found not guilty.
"We call for justice for Michael Brown, and for all those routinely subjected to profiling, harassment and physical attacks on the streets, in schools and neighborhoods of our nation," said the NCAPA statement.
IN-DEPTH:
- Ferguson Chief Names Darren Wilson as Cop Who Shot Michael Brown
- Michael Brown Case: Authorities Acknowledge Right to Record Police
- New Outrage in Ferguson Over Robbery Report Naming Slain Teen
--Amna Nawaz