South Coast Chinese Cultural Center CEO/Principal of Irvine Chinese School Yulan Chung was invited to speak at the Irvine Hate Crimes Roundtable with Attorney General Rob Bonta and Mayor Farrah Khan on Oct 23rd.
As part of a statewide effort to address hate, California Attorney General Rob Bonta is leading a series of anti-hate roundtable discussions across the state. Bringing together local community voices and elected leaders, the roundtables are broadly aimed at developing strategies to address bias and hate at their roots, increasing awareness around available resources for members of the public, and strengthening responses to hate crime in California.
Around 50 community leaders were invited to the event. Panel speakers included Orange County District Attorney Tod Spitzer, Irvine Police Chief Michael Kent, South Coast Chinese Cultural Center CEO Yulan Chung, Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Orange County Regional Director Peter Levi, NCCAP Orange County Criminal Justice Chair Christopher Meza, among others.
Yulan Chung emphasized that hate crimes not only harm the immediate victims but also inflict broader damage on the entire community. Due to the increase in hate crimes targeting Asian Americans, the South Coast Chinese Cultural Center introduced the Asian American Youth Leaders project, in collaboration with UC Irvine. This initiative selected high school students to learn about Asian American history and used interviews, photo essays, and digital tools to tell their stories. The educational program has expanded from summer sessions to a year-round program and has fostered the next generation of leaders who will stand up against hate crimes and incidents.
Attorney General Rob Bonta's engagement with Orange County's community leaders reflects the commitment to inclusivity and unity in the face of hate, especially during challenging times. The collaborative efforts of government officials, law enforcement, and nonprofit organizations in Irvine and across Orange County are essential in creating a safer and more harmonious environment for all residents.
加州總檢察長邦塔(Rob Bonta)及爾灣市長康恩（Farrah Khan）10月23日在爾灣市召開社區領袖圓桌會議，南海岸中華文化中心執行長兼爾灣中文學校校長鍾幼蘭應邀擔任座談講員，介紹南海岸中華文化中心為對抗仇亞風潮，與爾灣加大合作創設的亞太裔青少年領導計畫。
加州總檢察長邦塔指出，最近幾天加州各地社區都受到以色列和巴勒斯坦戰事的效應波及，在此時此刻更需要社區成員站在一起，對抗任何以仇恨為出發點的攻擊。他安排到加州主要城市舉行反仇恨圓桌會議，就是希望與社區領袖集思廣益，探討對抗仇恨犯罪最有效的策略。
南海岸中華文化中心執行長鍾幼蘭在座談會中表示，仇恨犯罪案件中受到攻擊的不僅是直接的受害人，更會進一步傷害到整個社區。有鑑於仇亞事件大增，南海岸中華文化中心與爾灣加大合作，推出亞太裔青少年領袖計畫，甄選高中生利用暑期學習美國亞裔歷史，並透過訪談、攝影及數字工具來講述他們的故事，這項教育計劃已從暑期課程擴展到全年的課程，培養新一代的青年領袖，在必要的時刻挺身而出對抗仇恨。
應邀出席反仇恨犯罪圓桌會議的包括近50位民選官員、執法單位主管及非營利組織代表，座談會講員除了加州總檢察長邦塔及爾灣市長康恩之外，還有橙縣檢察長Tod Spitzer、爾灣警長Michael Kent、南海岸中華文化中心執行長鍾幼蘭、橙縣ADL執行長Peter Levi、橙縣NCCAP法務主席Christopher Meza等人。