Island Pacific supermarket chain condemns attacks on Asians

island Pacific in Walnut, California. HANDOUT

WALNUT, California – A supermarket chain that caters to the general public but sees Filipinos and Asian Americans as its biggest and most loyal customer base expressed support for victims of anti-Asian hate crimes.

Island Pacific supermarket “stands united to protect and serve the Asian American communities against bigotry and hate due to the horrific rise in bias occurring across the country,” its press statement said.

“Island Pacific will never tolerate discrimination and violence towards our community and will make every effort to provide a safe place in all our locations and provide all resources necessary to combat growing violence against our employees and customers. We encourage all our customers and employees to raise awareness in the rising hate crime in our community by immediately reporting such crime to law enforcement,” the supermarket stated further.

Its statement also cited President Biden’s Jan. 26, 2021″Presidential Memorandum Condemning and Combating Racism, Xenophobia and Intolerance Against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States” which authorizes the Attorney General to “explore opportunities to support, consistent with applicable law, the efforts of State and local agencies, as well as AAPI communities and community-based organizations, to prevent discrimination, bullying, harassment, and hate crimes against AAPI individuals, and expand collection of data and public reporting regarding hate incidents against such individuals.”