Governor Evers: An Advocate For The AAPI Community

     Governor Tony Evers has made a notable and forward-thinking effort to make civil rights for Asian-American Wisconsinites an important issue in his administration.

     In September 2019, Evers visited Wisconsin's sister state, the Chiba Prefecture in Japan, to work out details related to the trade of goods and commodities. It was his first foreign trip.

     In February 2020, Evers took action to stop Donald Trump's plan, initiated by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, to deport hundreds of Hmong Wisconsinites to Laos, a nation notorious for human rights abuses against the Hmong people. The plan prompted fears among the Hmong communities of Wisconsin (as well as Minnesota and California) and resulted in Evers writing to denounce the plan to Pompeo and Wisconsin members of Congress Tammy Baldwin, Ron Kind, and Gwen Moore introducing legislation to stop the deportations. With Iran, Trump's first impeachment, the COVID-19 pandemic, Black Lives Matter protests, and 2020 elections dominating the year, the plan was never carried out.

     With a rise in hate crimes against Asian-Americans spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic and racist rhetoric by the former president, Evers held virtual listening sessions with activists from Wisconsin's Asian community and the #StopAAPIHate movement, among others.

     In May 2021, Evers signed an act designating May 14th as Hmong-Lao Veteran's Day, recognizing the contributions of Wisconsin's Hmong-Lao veterans.

     With more in the works, Wisconsinites should take a moment to thank Governor Evers for his efforts to ensure the state government works for all, regardless of their race.