On April 3rd, 2024, the Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans hosted an event known as API Day at the Minnesota State Capitol. The event, intended to celebrate and recognize the contributions of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, unfortunately took an unwelcome turn. Saraswati Singh, the Chair of the Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans, interrupted speeches by several AAPI legislators. Chair Singh rudely instructed them to cease their speeches and leave the podium and directed disparaging comments towards two of them, Rep. Ethan Cha and Rep. Kaohly Vang-Her. Despite the occasion being dedicated to API Day, it was noted with disappointment that none of the ten AAPI legislators were formally invited to participate.
Senate Majority Leader, Senator Erin Murphy, who was invited to speak, chose to stand in solidarity with the AAPI legislators by offering her allotted time to them, specifically to Sen. Foung Hawj and Sen. Susan Pha, who attended the event upon her invitation. It's important to note that Sen. Pha also serves as a legislative-appointed board member of the Council.
This incident, marked by an apparent lack of respect and recognition towards AAPI legislators by the Council's leadership, is deeply troubling. This petition strongly urges that Chair Singh issue a formal apology for the council's actions, which were discriminatory and undermined the dignity of our AAPI legislators. Furthermore, it is imperative that appropriate disciplinary measures are taken against the Council. Their actions have significantly eroded the trust, credibility, and confidence of the AAPI community and the AAPI legislators. It is crucial that these steps are taken to begin the process of rebuilding trust and ensuring such incidents do not occur in the future.
To watch the incident from the API Day event, please see the YouTube video below.
* The purpose of this petition is to get a formal apology from Chair Saraswati Singh and have the Governor's office do a proper investigation on the integrity of the Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans.
* Your information will be kept private from the public and only shared with the Governor's office. We will email you updates when we send the petition out and if we get any updates from the Governor's office. Thank you for your support.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact the governor's office.
*Note: This petition will be sent to Governor Waltz's Office.
Office of Governor Tim Walz & Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan
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