2021-09-28 00:00:00 - Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight
2021-09-28 00:00:00 - Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight
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Good morning to everyone. I would like to call the
meeting of the committee, the Joint Committee on State administration and regulatory oversight to order. I would like to begin by recognizing the coach here. Chairman Cabral Chair of the House um to ah say a few words Chairman. Cabral Yeah. Good morning everyone. Uh Good morning to the members of the committee and the general public testifying today that be presiding uh today And I'll be presiding the next one. So we are rotating. Yeah, yeah. This way gives an opportunity not only to cheer, but at the same time, you know, uh the fair and democratic correct. I know we have a long list of folks who want to testify.
Mhm.
Just for I think Pacheco will make that decision today. Um how he's going to handle those who have signed up. But going forward, I think it's pretty clear. I think we forward for the public that is listening abnormally and we do is on the based on the bill that the person signed up. Um The order is 1st 1st come, first serve,102 another whoever signs that first first and so and so it goes107 that way. I know there was an attempt to and now stand up. I'm talking about in favor or post. Right? Normally that's the way we've done this and I think it's a fair way who signed up to in favor of a post123 in the order that you signed up to testify. Um that's normally the way it's done. I think today, Senate Pacheco probably want to handle slightly different because we have a lot of people and we have signed up a future future notice, future information, that's how we've always done it and that's how the best way to do it. I think the most democratic way to do it. So have you said that? I'll turn it over to Senator Pacheco again testimony.
Thank you very much. Mr Chairman. There's a number of members both from the Senate and the House that are with us today that will be testifying and they will uh the beginning the hearing testifying out of turn is a courtesy. We provide members that have a extremely busy schedule but trying to make a number of different meetings in schedules in the district and other places throughout the commonwealth. So we'll be doing that in a few moments. I want to uh also ask that if you are not speaking, please make sure you are muted ah and ah place yourself from you and double check it, make sure you are because a lot of times people inadvertently have it on and we're picking up uh information that I'm sure many of you may not want to share. I think it's important for you and everyone to realize that you are being broadcast over the State Legislature website which goes out, you know internationally. So I want to make sure you're aware of your surroundings in what you're saying and what you're doing. So we do not witness any embarrassing moments. Uh uh also
everyone that has signed up will have an opportunity to speak. Uh I must say though we have a very full agenda and we typically allow for three minutes, we'll see how it goes. We would like everybody to be as concise as possible and you know, please try to get to the point. Obviously the the committee accepts written testimony as well and we have literally hundreds of pieces of written testimony that have been submitted for this particular hearing. Uh and that's the case in many of our hearings, if you are not prepared to speak when your name is called. And I know it's very difficult to judge when your name will be called, but that's part of the process, whether you're in a hearing room room, sitting there physically in a room or you hear virtually, we will do this in order of people signing up the way you had signed up uh and SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
we will be unable to take your oral testimony if you're not if you're not ready to go when uh when we call your name and so obviously written testimony will certainly be,332 you know, be accepted. And again, don't forget this is airing life in this hearing on the legislature's website. So let me begin by I announced a Representative Cabral and he gave a few353 words as the House chair, My Senate vice chair is senator Rausch that is with us in a few moments, we'll hear from senator Comerford who is uh is with us? I'm not sure if there are any other senators that are on at this point in time but represented Cabral Would you like to introduce any of the House members that are with us? I I can't see hear my end the list of the folks who are on right now. So I just say to all the House members welcome to the hearing, prepare yourself for a slightly long hearing.393 We have quite a number of folks that have signed up. Yeah the bills that have been heard and it's not a long list of bills. Just a long list of you want to testify in specific bills. Okay so again thank you and the house members. You guys are great. All right thank you very much. Mr Chairman and so we will go in order of uh the requests for signing up with Senator joe Comerford On House 31 24 and Senate 2026 senator the floor is yours.
[SEN COMERFORD:] [SB2027] [HB3191] SB2026] [HB3120] Thank you so much and good morning. Mr Chair Chair Pacheco and chair Cabral honourable colleagues439 on the committee. I'm pleased to offer verbal testimony in support of 2027 h that S 2027 H 3191 an act establishing indigenous peoples day which I filed alongside Representatives Jack Lewis and brandy Fluker Oakley. I've submitted written testimony on this legislation as well as S 2026 H 31 20 for an act establishing gender neutral bathrooms, which I introduced along with my colleague out west Representative Mindy Domb I also want to say this morning that I support strongly the non binary identification legislation led by representatives, Domb and Decker for time chairs. I'll focus only on indigenous peoples day. Um and this legislation would re designate the second monday in october as indigenous peoples day in the commonwealth. As you well know currently the Day is named in honor of Christopher columbus largely celebrating him as the person who tackled a flat world to discover America.
I'll make three quick points and then I'll close the first one is that columbus sailed west not to find new worlds, but to find a water route to the east. Trade route to boundless riches as we now know, he never succeeded. Instead, he traveled to the Americas four times turbocharging a brutal european colonization of two continents that would enslave and nearly decimate the indigenous peoples already thriving in what is now known as north and south. America. Number two columbus did not discover the Americas. This is another myth chairs that is very, very destructive. It's hubris steeped in racism that has allowed history to credit a european man with discovering a land already teeming with societies and finally three columbus didn't want to simply discover these folks, These fellow humans who are already here entries from his own journal, Tell us that columbus reveled in finding people without iron weapons who could be easily subjugated and that's exactly what happened under his watch with his direction.
Now we could spend this569 hearing and dozens more recounting the courageous adventurers and explorers in our in our collective past, explorers like columbus who leapt into unknown futures for myriad reasons, but we don't afford them a state holiday as we do Christopher columbus. This brings me back to the589 pressing reason for this legislation As a law making body with the unique power594 to create holidays and elevate certain historic figures or groups. We have an awesome responsibility chairs, as you know, to get it right. Not to disseminate false information, not to engage in historical revisionism, to know, understand and acknowledge an accurate history. Columbus was indeed one of the first explorers to land on our shores. He absolutely forged a path for countless to follow. But what's true is that he also helped open the door to war and acts of genocide directed toward indigenous nations on631 two continents. In elevating this one man, we have perpetuated a dangerous revisionist, sanitized history, one in which indigenous people who predate us on this land are all but erased.
Native americans in the commonwealth and across the United States have been working for decades to provide accurate information to the public about columbus as well as about the lasting impact657 of colonization. Their work recognizing recognizes that columbus played an important role in our country's history, but not a roll worthy of one sided celebration. I agree. 19 states and the District of Columbia observed native american or indigenous peoples day in addition to or in replacement of columbus day with in my district, six cities and towns have already taken this leap and I urge massachusetts to do the same. I strongly support a state holiday that celebrates and honors those who first settled this land and elevates their692 contributions past, present and future. I respectfully request that s 2027 H 31 91 be reported favorably701 out of this committee and I thank you so much for taking me out of turn.
[SEN PACHECO:] Thank you very much Senator for your testimony so that you will know senator and those that are testifying. The committee thus far has received over 575 um pieces of testimony on this725 particular piece of legislation this year in favor of the in favor of the petition.
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Next we have Representative Mindy, Domb Mindy representative, thank you sir, are you able to hear me? I am. Good morning.
[REP DOMB:] [HB3124] [HB3126] .Good morning Chairman, Pacheco chair, Cabral members of the committee. I first want to say that this agenda for this hearing although you'll be here a long time is one of the most thoughtful agendas I've seen in the state house because it really sort of seems to include multiple pieces of legislation that that seek to make the commonwealth more inclusive and our understanding of our own residents more accurate and so I'm excited to be here to be able to support some piece of legislation that I followed. But I'm also going to try and listen in throughout the day because I think that today's hearing is going to be a very important one for all781 of us to pay attention to. So thank you for your organizing. Um, I'm here to speak on behalf of two bills that I filed H 3124 and H 3126. I'll speak on the latter one first. It's an act that provides for a gender neutral designation on state documents and identification and I'm so honored that I have co filed it again this session with Representative marjorie Decker Um, I want to make sure that I respectfully request a favorable action on this legislation that I want to thank the committee because last session it did such action um, and advance this bill.
Um, there's no reason this year. Um, not to advance it. Again, the situation has not really changed every aspect of government needs to reflect the people we serve and thus the language in our laws on our forms and identification should be inclusive and reflect the ways our constituents identify, especially as it relates to gender. This bill would accommodate this in creating a gender neutral designation and X. On all state documents and I. D. Forms, which is why this bill sometimes goes by the nickname as the gender X. Bill. This is already being implemented within the RMV For driver's licenses and ST IDes. And it has also recently received support at the860 federal level from President biden in relationship to us passports. A very significant move denying a person's gender identity can contribute to a potentially dangerous situation. And this mismatch between how an individual identifies themselves and how their identity is reflected on their legal documents increases the risk of discrimination and violence against the individual who has been mis gendered, consistent and accurate gender markers will increase a person's safety and public spaces and their access to resources and appropriate services, including health care. Following this legislation was motivated by constituents.
Stories that reflect these very real fears, stresses902 and experiences. We've heard hours of testimony as this committee did in the hearing process last session on the significant improvement the gender neutral option would make in their lives. It is also clear that by not providing a gender neutral option, we dismissed the person and their sense of self identity. Often forcing them to pretend to be someone, they're not to conduct their lives as a masquerade to deceive others and commit fraud. This has lots of consequences and lots of health risks attached. The registry of motor vehicles has provided this option for driver's licenses since 2019 and in that time there have been no problems noted, no challenges resulting from this option, no reason to think it should be discontinued. This bill now, as a result of the armed visa action would serve to make all state forms applications and identification is consistent with current practices at the R. M. V. And ensure that the non binary option is available on every relevant form. The lack of consistency could potentially create a security issue which would also be resolved by this legislation.
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I want to thank you again for the opportunity to speak on it. I welcome questions and I don't know if you like me just to go right into the next bill or if you would like to ask questions on this one.
Seeing no questions, I would have987 you just continue your testimony.
Thank you. Mr Chairman. Um this bill H3124 to create zoning for an option to establish gender neutral bathrooms was brought to my attention when I was running for office several years ago by students at the University of massachusetts in Amherst right now, as the law stands, the state organization like humus can apply for a variance from the building code in order to implement gender neutral bathrooms. Those variances are usually provided. And so U. Mass. Amherst has in fact provided gender neutral bathrooms for students uh variances. This bill would remove the need for a variance, it would authorize the establishment of a code for a gender neutral bathrooms so that places like U. Mass. Amherst could just follow the code and create the bathroom and not waste resources or administrators time and creating application packages to ask for special permission, which in fact should not even be necessary.
But since that time I'd like to recall an experience. I had last session as a member of the joint Committee on Higher Education. We were touring public campuses throughout the commonwealth and one day we were at a community1063 college in central massachusetts. I got there a little bit earlier than my colleagues, which is unusual for me. But nonetheless, um, and as I was waiting for my colleagues, a student came through the hallway looking incredibly anxious, scared, almost threatened. They approached me and they said, do you know where the gender neutral bathroom is? And I did not, I hadn't been in this building before. I knew where the women's bathroom was, but I didn't know where the gender neutral bathroom was and I said, I'm sorry,1093 I don't, I'm not from the school. And truly the student who must have been in their early 20's looked panicked. I said to them, I can show you where the women's bathroom is and I can stand outside and make sure nobody goes in while you're inside. If that would be something that you would want, They took me up on that offer.
We went over to the women's bathroom. I stood outside, but it's at that point that I realized that the absence of gender neutral bathrooms can create such anxiety and fear on the part of people who are seeking them and that in fact this zoning change because it allows for something very easy to happen removes a significant barrier for institutions across the commonwealth to be able to provide these facilities. So I urge1137 you to give this a favorable response. I'm so pleased that last session the committee did um we really need just to get this through um if there's no reason for special permission to be granted for a gender neutral bathroom, it should be part of our building code to be able to do it. And if I may, I just would also like to put in just a word of support for direct chance um Equitable representation bill because I really do believe that in addition to these bills, his bill seeks to collect data that's meaningful and inclusive. That can help us be a better commonwealth in the same way that these bills can. Thank you
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And I welcome questions.
Thank you very much. Representative. Any questions members on the committee
hearing? None. We thank you very much for your testimony. Thank you very much will be submitting written testimony as well. Yes we're going to be submitted. We're gonna be glad to accept that written testimony. Representative Next we'll go to represent a marjorie Decker Representative are you with us? I'm with you.
[REP DECKER:] [HB3126] Hi there. I trying to do this. I have written testimony that I will be sending you but I am here to say that I do respectfully request that we move House 3126 act providing for gender neutral destiny designation on state documents. I'm here really instead of providing you with the data and the fact that I know that you've actually seen before and that many will be testifying on today to just really implore us to do this in a timely way that allows us to really move this bill through the Legislature were not the first state to actually adopt this. Um, but certainly we have been a state that has been in1240 the forefront of being inclusive and recognizing the dignity of every human being in our community. This really is a human rights issue. When I tell you for me when I filed this bill. Truthful, I didn't know many people personally who identified as non binary. Since then, I can tell you that there are so many people in my life who do identify as non binary,1261 which only makes me feel prouder that I knew that this was right to do. Even if I didn't have to know anyone to know it was the right thing to do. And really I have an amazing group of Children who are in my life who over the last couple of years have come out as non binary, their courage and their bravery to really be true to who they are ranging in ages five years old all the way up to 18.
Those are the ranges of ages of Children that I personally know. I'm so inspired by them and I also worry deeply as as a mom of two is a Mom of of1294 Children who I just know and love and as a person who is responsible for ensuring that we really do uphold the human rights of every individual in our commonwealth. We know the ability to be able to correctly identify yourself and be identified in all of the legal documents that are in our lives. Really just normalizes the truth of allowing people to have agency in their own lives and their own their own identity to not do1322 that, which is where we are today. We do not do this today. It also has an incredible impact on one self esteem and on the mental health of many. I particularly worry about the mental health of our adolescence, although this is there, it is not just adolescents are1336 impacted by this, but as someone who has been very focused on trying to strengthen the kind of support and services that adolescents have needed prior to the pandemic and exponentially during the pandemic.
This is the1348 right thing to do and often we come together as a legislature that knows and agrees on the right thing to do. But sometimes we lose the ability to do it in a timely way. I am really asking today to please join and and telling um every single person in our commonwealth that we see them. We love them, we honor them and we respect the dignity of the agency and the identity in their life by passing this today and getting it through the legislature into law. I want to thank my colleague and my my partner representative Mindy Domb has been an incredible champion on this and to all of the families out there that have reached out to us over the years and all the individuals. Thank you for really working with us to ensure that we are doing right by all of you. Um And thank you mr Chairman for your time.
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hank you very much Representative and thank you for your leadership on this issue as well. Any questions of the good Representative
hearing Seeing none. Thank you very much. Representative for your testimony Next we'll go to Representative Brandy Fluker Oakley Representative
[REP FLUKER OAKLEY:] [HB3191] [SB2027] Hi good morning Mr Chair. Good morning. My name is Brandy Fluker Oakley and I'm the state representative for the 12th Suffolk district representing parts of Hyde park, Mattapan and Dorchester in the city of boston and parts of the town of Milton. Thank you so much. Chair Pacheco share Cabral and the committee for holding this hearing and for considering H 3191 S 2027 act establishing an indigenous peoples day presented by myself, rep Lewis and senator Commerford whom we've already heard from. I urge you to support this legislation and pass this bill out of committee with a favorable report. Massachusetts should celebrate the indigenous people on whose land we sit by honouring indigenous heritage and not Commemorating their oppressor1465 every year on columbus day. Indigenous people are subjected to the painful in disappointing reminder about the false discovery of America while ignoring the subsequent genocide and forced relocation of indigenous people.
Instead, massachusetts should publicly recognize the thriving indigenous communities around the commonwealth and the valuable contributions that indigenous people have made throughout our history. This change would properly center our reflection to celebrate indigenous people and shift the focus from a romanticized false narrative to understanding this true original sin in american history, Hawaii south Dakota maine, new Mexico Oregon and Vermont have permanently replaced columbus day to recognize native american and indigenous contributions. Since 2018 8 states and the District of Columbia issued proclamations recognizing Indigenous peoples Day and Alabama and Oklahoma commemorate both days who we choose to1534 celebrate demonstrates who's contribution to revalue in massachusetts as we rightly criticize states and localities that claim to racist monuments of the confederacy.
Massachusetts should lead by recognizing that columbus day promotes a troubling racial history and instead we should show our support for indigenous neighbours by officially declaring this holiday For these reasons. The commonwealth of massachusetts should enact H 3191 S 2027 act establishing an indigenous peoples day. I commend the joint committee on State administration and regulatory oversight for scheduling this hearing and I hope that the committee will report this bill out favorably. I'll also be submitting written testimony and thank you so1579 much for your time and attention to this matter. Thank you very much. Representative. And we do have a question from Representative Barber Thank you Chairman. Um and I want to thank uh Fluker ugly for her testimony. Um uh in uh the community I come from in Somerville, we did change to Indigenous1601 Peoples Day a number of years ago. It's been an incredibly helpful way to educate people and um to raise awareness about um indigenous people who continue to live in our community and whose land were on. And I'm hopeful that we can um also move this bill. So thank you for your your work on this and it's a really critical issue. Thank you mr. Chairman,
thank you very much Representative. Any question for the questions of Representative Fluker Oakley
seeing none. Thank you very much for your testimony next. Um And we got you out before 1145. Here you go. Um Representative trim do you mean
are you here? Representatives? Hi, thank you so much, Senator. Thank you and
[REP NGUYEN] [HB3115] good afternoon to you and uh Representative and chair Cabral as well as members of the committee. I'm actually at the manufacturing award so I apologize for this awkward set up but thank you for calling me and I'm here to testify in strong support1675 of H 3115 commonly referred to as the data equity bill uh, filed by Representative tacky Chan and a priority for the asian caucus as a former legal aid attorney who represented members of various asian american communities and now representing the diverse communities in my district. I fully support this data equity bill. Data collection as we all know, particularly desegregated data collection is crucial in securing funding and resources to serve people from various communities in the commonwealth. And data brings money into the state since data shows where resources are needed and grantmakers look at such data to determine approval.
1716 For example, when I was working as a legal services attorney and at greater boston legal services as one of the only Vietnamese speaking attorney and the entire state to provide the legal services to our1728 residents. I was able to apply for a grant after law school to particularly serve victims of domestic violence as well as other vulnerable people in the Vietnamese community because Because we were able to show that there is a great need for instance that 27% of Vietnamese American families in Boston living in poverty or that 47% of people from this community experienced domestic violence at some point in their lifetime. Um as well as that 30% of people from this community have experienced physical violence and so and enabled um, in being able to show the sort of data I was able to secure funding that's much needed1765 to provide the services to this community And disaggregated data would be beneficial to my district now, for example, it would show how we can better implement uh the laws and programs that we've been able to put in place.
For example, regarding bilingual education that we were passed, that was passed in 2017. Uh it would allow us to know which languages are needed um so that we1788 can better serve our students and so for all of these reasons and more and we will certainly submit uh written testimony in support of this. We want to make sure that we are able to have this conversation with the committee and we look forward to working with the committee. We hope that the committee would consider reporting this out favorably. Um and I'm here to answer any questions that you may have.
Well thank you very much and let me just comment. Thank you for sharing with us your unique uh experiences as well uh legal experiences in bringing those to our attention as a is a committee. Thank you1827 very much. Representative. We1828 do have a question from Senator Becca Rausch
[SEN RAUSCH:] Thank you so much. Mr Chair. Good morning wrap. It's nice to see you. Um I wonder if you could talk more about the disaggregate asian of the information, how that works within the structure of the bill so that we have a better think all of us would have a benefit from having a greater understanding of that desegregation and the privacy protections.
[NGUYEN:] Absolutely. So right now we are already collecting data, but mostly as you've seen informs, it would say asian american versus a breakdown in the various groups. And as I'm sure many of, you know, the asian american community is very diverse. Um, and so in terms of being able to show that, let's say in the aggregate, asian americans tend to do very well in terms of graduation, social economic status, etcetera. And if we're able to break that down to smaller ethnic groups, we'll see where there's a greater need. For instance, the Vietnamese american community. As I mentioned, we have a lot of people who are new or immigrants who are uh struggling socio economically. And so, uh, in terms of the breakup, we're hoping that this will help build in the data that already exists to break down into those various ethnic groups. And I know that back in 20171910 when the bill was filed the first time, there were a lot of concerns that, well, why are we only breaking it up for Asian American communities? Perhaps we should do that and expand that out to other communities as well. Like the Latin latin X community. And that is something that has been added to the bill to make sure that if communities do want to show the, uh, the desegregated apart for lack of a better church, uh, that they would be able to do so so that we can have a better picture of the commonwealth to answer your question.
[RAUSCH] Yes. Thanks very much appreciate that.
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Thank you very much. Senator Rausch Thank you very much. Representative for your testimony. Any further questions from the Representative seeing none. Thank you very much for your testimony next No right Representative Tackey chan representative Chan
[REP CHAN:] [HB3115] thank you so much. Thank you very much. Mr Chairman and to you to the committee for taking the time you're taking me out of turn. Um, I'm here to testify in favor of 3115 following my colleague from and over we actually have a lot of testimony be coming into the committee to save some time on bringing a lot of testify ours. Uh, I fully appreciate the chair of the committee the challenges of working in this format. The bill before you has been modified with the course of three years as Representative Nguyen has pointed out to address a lot of concerns of many of the opponents. But ultimately at the end of Day the state government should be able to recognize and see the people they are serving asian americans being the example we're going to use today, you know, is largely diversified and under the model, minority myth and other aggregate data. We tend to get masked. So certain demographics do not get attention nor are north things customized for us because we either too big or too small depending for us. I always use the example of meals on wheels.
So we have a large senior population now of immigrants from many different asian countries who do not like to participate in meals on wheels because meet the dietary concerns. But if I was going to give an indian simosa to a korean senior and claim its asian food, how is that being respectful toward accomplishing the goal of having seniors actually eat their meals? It's a very simple small concept that seems to be lost in folks when I tell people that we can recognize using americans buy food culture, but a2055 neighborhood identify us as individuals. And this bill actually brings that to light because we don't do this to other demographics when you really think about and you know, making another point regarding disparities, you know, there are lower their higher challenges and mental health as well as education on folks like cambodians being uneasily oceans among2075 versus people in the in the community in the meanwhile the chinese community is very diversified.
We have people doing2081 very well in the state and we have people who do not do as well above education and social economics. However, people assume major americans, people with my complexion, which is completely false. Brown americans include indians, cambodians, Filipinos, the oceans, Indonesians and many other folks who have adopted complexion to mind in breaking down this data will help identify those and have the state actually target resources in a manner to help those who need it the most by identifying who they are. And this is a self identification bill. It isn't like we're mandating you have to tell us your necessity. It is optional to you. But social programs that have a better survey who were serving makes the better argument for us in the legislature as well as advocates outside the building to ensure that we can provide the best service to every individual in the state. Uh, Acknowledgment and respect of who they are. So I can go at length about this. Mr Chairman, I'm sure we'll at some point later on with you. However, I try to summarize as best I can regarding the benefits of doing it this way, other2148 states and move forward2149 California Oregon Washington. At least a handful of other states are trying to figure out how to do this type of work as well. I hope that2157 the committee will give us a fair report so we can move forward down the future to ensure all people in massachusetts are properly represented. Thank you.
[PACHECO:] Thank you very much. Representative Chan And uh let me just say thank you for including the other uh many other groups in this uh in this version of the bill this time, which was requested the last time around so that we could begin uh drilling down so to speak2191 on on the information uh for a number of different, you know, uh, you know, groups in in in our society here in the commonwealth as you know that there are a number of people that have signed up in opposition ah to the bill. And you know while you were here, I know that we have we have some people that have testified in favor will be will be testifying in favor. And I know that you have worked with a lot of people in the asian american community in general to try to2232 get those that were in favour of the bill to limit their testimony so that uh instead of possibly ending at seven o'clock tonight, we would not end at you know, say midnight. But uh so I appreciate appreciate, I appreciate your willingness to to do that and we will be staying to listen to all the testimony. But could you for the committee just give us a little bit of an overview as to why you think there is such ah uh a large group of people within the community that is testifying in opposition to uh to getting this information?
[CHAN:] I think there's been some arguments here. Maybe we address for example, we address the2290 issue of data privacy which is reinforcing the current federal laws in here. We address the issue of non singling out one demographic as you pointed out, we address all ethnic groups through this bill a similar to the U. S. Census. Uh we are requiring this information to be provided, argued for researchers. Uh we are making this option for people to fill out these forms if they volunteer this information themselves, there's no mandatory component nor can you lose any benefits. Associate of non participation of identification of necessities in this in these. I think there's some concerns they're going to here today about singling out. Um, this bill eliminates that singling out component. And also the argument asian americans are stronger as an aggregate, good group In politics and uh, I am a bit older than people realize and the conservation Americanisms really late 80s concept. I'm Chinese American. We're proud Chinese Americans that we refer to ourselves and we always have and we also drill down to the fact there from Hong Kong the Hong Kong immigrants or my parents in Hong Kong immigrants. But I mean we trace our roots back there. Uh, this concept of strength and aggregate has proven false time and time again and no more time as you've seen this past year regarding a high level of asian racism. Uh, as we have a tax on the seat population as well as the chinese and korean populations, all of us who come from very different parts of the world being attacked with different reasons. So as I've been told by more than once by educators, uh, we know more about asian americans uh, as a whole than we ever known before. But again, we don't know us as well as individuals. And the opposition has some concerns about recognize us as individual groups and not unique challenges. Vietnamese for example, have a higher case of cervical cancer. We have no programs in this state to bring higher awareness of cervical cancer in the Vietnamese community. Because in aggregate, we have a very low cervical cancer rate among asian women's as a halt same thing of diabetes. We actually have 47% higher chance of prediabetic uh than than any other demographic, particularly drilling down to chinese and japanese. We have a higher rate there than others. But again, these myths are retained by keeping us in aggregate. So, you know, a lot of opposition concerns, you2432 know, evolve fear of data theft, fear of singling out, fear of um uh locked back of political strength. Um and uh you know, doesn't uh feel that we have any disadvantages. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
[PACHECO:] We just, you know, thank you very much for that. And and uh I think that, you know, this bill this year is very different than the bill that we I saw before. Uh And so I thank you for including a lot of the concerns uh from people that were opposing the bill the last time around. Any questions of members of the committee, Only people that are members of the state administration and regulatory oversight committee. I can't ask a question if they choose to any questions of members of the committee seeing none. Hearing none, thank you very much. Representative Church leadership on this. Very important issue. Thank you. Next on the agenda, we will go to2505 item three testimony uh h 3191 and S 2027 and act establishing an indigenous peoples Day. Representative Lewis and senator Commerford um you know senator Comerford had testified early. Um we will now go in order of the sign up on the on2532 the agenda to uh various gray a Shaggy Moore uh massachusetts tribe at parker park
uni Montauban, do you need a car watch on the top?
Good morning. Hello, my name is Farris great from the segment of the massachusetts tribe at Pacheco Hogg massachusetts try being the tribe in which the commonwealth taking our name. The massachusetts tribe is supporting H 3191 At S 2027 um an act to establish an indigenous peoples day. I'm sure all of everyone that's here understands um what indigenous means and the fact that there are still indigenous peoples here. I'd like to be clear on what it means to indigenous people that we have the columbus day columbus. You know, we all grew up learning about columbus and he discovered America, we didn't grow up knowing the things that he did to the arawak and taino people with the Caribbean. Now as adults, we know these things and with the internet and all this information so easily accessible. We all should know exactly what columbus did for the indigenous people of all the Americas columbus was and is a terrorist. He terrorized a people which makes him a terrorist. The fact2631 that we show him honour by giving a Day Not just show2636 him honour but we celebrate these acts of terrorism says a lot about us as a culture and we are all leaders here. Yeah and we are2648 all responsible for our actions. We're not responsible Things that happened 400 years ago, 300 years ago, 500 years ago. We are responsible for the actions that we do today.
So we need to get rid of columbus day, we're teaching our young our Children that is acceptable to do this to indigenous people. This is the history of the commonwealth and this is the history of the United States. We need2680 to change that narrative. Well we need to start showing honor. Honor is really important in the indigenous community and it should be important in all of our lives to always carry ourselves with honor because the ancestors, our ancestors, your ancestors, they're always watching us no matter who you pray to no matter what God you pray to. They are always watching us. And so our actions are important. So it's really important to the indigenous community that we stopped celebrating a terrorist.
This cannot continue. It's been going on for far too long and we're at a point in our culture what we can make a change and that is what we are asking all2727 of our leaders to do to make this change and change is difficult. We understand that difficult for everyone, but this is long overdue. This is the way to show honor and the way to acknowledge the atrocities network happened to the arawak and taino people, you know, columbus day comes around the indigenous community. No, no matter what part of the americans this indigenous communities from, they all say f columbus, we're talking millions of people and that's how they feel about columbus. We also have another saying on columbus day, it's a holiday towards acceptable to go into somebody's home, kill them and take what they want because that's exactly what columbus did. So it's time we stopped showing terrorist honor, especially in this day and age to what we have a war on terrorism. How can we justify showing a terrorist O'Connor when we have a war against terrorism.
And so in closing, I have a gift for all of you. It's a gift of remembering my name is2801 Farah Square. I'm an indigenous person from the massachusetts tribe. No matter where you're from, where your ancestry is from, you have indigenous roots. You two are indigenous. We are all indigenous. We are all related. All of us. No matter where we're from, we need to remember this because the world needs us to remember our indigenous roots because it's time to heal for all of our communities and we as the leaders that responsibility falls on us so too. But in a and thank you for your time.
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Thank you very much various for your time and your powerful uh testimony. Any questions of uh, just a great
seeing none. We thank you very much. Micro house Lee uh the executive director of north american indian center of boston,
are you with us?
Try to a mute if you are
going once,
twice,
three times
next we'll go to ah martin um Monroe Indigenous Peoples Day um, United American indians of New England Oh here in massachusetts the indigenous legislative agenda.
[MAHTOWIN MUNRO:] I'm painter wash Day My name is Natalie munroe. I am lakota and I'm speaking from the shared territory of the massachusetts and network tribes today on behalf of United American indians of New England and the statewide indigenous peoples day campaign in support of the legislation before you to replace columbus day with indigenous peoples day, we've worked in towns and cities across massachusetts to advise and help bring forward indigenous peoples day resolutions every year. More cities, towns and school systems across the commonwealth have chosen to make this change from Nantucket to marblehead. Somerville to east Hampton Cambridge to Holyoke with Newburyport just making the change last night. An increasing number of states have followed suit including our neighbors in maine and Vermont we need a statewide bill in massachusetts because indigenous peoples day2965 will more properly reflect equitable values in our state and also because indigenous people are too often insulted and demeaned publicly and privately in some towns where indigenous Peoples Day2979 hearings have taken place inside and outside of town halls. We unfortunately have been called cannibals and heathens and savages told to go back where we came from and asked why we are there since we are extinct.
Indigenous people have been asking That indigenous peoples, they replace Columbus Day since at least the 19 seventies, nearly all of us were falsely taught as young Children that columbus discovered America. Indigenous people were not discovered by anybody since we were already here and we're certainly not lost. We did not need to have civilization or spirituality brought to us since we already had many civilizations and beliefs we had and continue to have the inherent right to live in our own ways on our own lands. The brutality of columbus's actions would reverberate through all the other invasions to come and the tens of millions of deaths that would follow celebrating columbus a racist centuries of indigenous reality. It erases the decimation of Taino Arawak and many other people's and the endlessly spiraling impacts of the transatlantic slave trade that he started. It's an effort to silence us and make us invisible. It has a terrible impact, not only on us and especially on our kids, but frankly it has3069 a terrible impact on non native people to pretend it is all right to continue to do3074 this.
Indigenous Peoples Day brings something positive in place of columbus Day, It changes the conversation from columbus to indigenous history and even more important a celebration of our resilient cultures and convicted and continuing presence on our own lands. An important aspect of indigenous peoples day is for non native people to learn to listen to indigenous voices. I believe that the only way we can try to address climate collapse and seek any measure of climate justice is for indigenous peoples experience and leadership to be respected. We've been warning about climate change for decades. Non native people have unfortunately not listened sufficiently because of the ways in which our voices and knowledge is have been dismissed erased and belittled for centuries celebrating indigenous peoples day can also be an important 1st step in this regard and we believe will more properly reflect the values of the commonwealth of massachusetts. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Popular
thank you. Thank you very, very, very we have
is somebody that's on union. Please please mute.
Um,
well thank you very much for any questions of members of the state administration panel seeing none. Hearing none, we'll continue next, representing the United confederation of kind of people. Uh, they're representative.
I'm sorry you're going to have to help me pronounce your first name. Don's D O N. E S is last name. You have the floor. Please introduce yourself to Auckland. Thank you.
Can you hear me? Can everyone hear me? Yes, we can hear you. Tig way the to know Diana did tying out Deano did charlie Nahro hurricane taino data.
Thank you for having me here everyone. My name is charlie Naru. I am body can't I know I represent the united confederation of final people. I am liaison. I'm also a Newton president Newton resident as well as co founder of indigenous peoples day New in committee. I'm here in support of the bill age 31 91 s 2027 as an indigenous Diana woman, I'm here to express reasons why we should have the state indigenous peoples day America has to unlearn in order to learn again to unlearn hate in order to love to unlearn white supremacy for justice to rise to unlearn false narrative. Like Christopher columbus discovered America. Not only did he not discover America, he enslaved, tortured and raped indigenous peoples. My ancestors in the caribbean. After Christopher columbus reign of terror. My people went from millions to a few 100. I am a descendant of those who survived. I am a proud Diana woman, warrior, final meaning good noble. I am honored to claim dino as my lineage. For those who believe Christopher columbus was noble because he was christian. Let me remind you that Hitler and Mussolini were also christians. Christopher columbus should not represent the pride and joy of italian americans.
They are benevolent. Nonviolent Italians like davinci or galilee who offered much more to the world in Christopher columbus it is traumatic and offensive for Giannino and other indigenous folks to witness a country celebrate colonizers, white supremacist and violent aggressors. Could we take a moment and ask why we continue to celebrate a man who has harmed so many. But I cannot be the answer. We are better than that. Celebrating indigenous peoples day brings harmony and unity to the forefront. It means telling the truth of this nation and if this nation wants to heal truth telling must be made a priority. Reconciliation is medicine for the soul to get us there. Celebrating indigenous peoples day is a wonderful first step. Massachusetts has a huge has a huge opportunity a Golden one to set the tone for the rest of the United States of America to officially adopt I. P. D. And eradicate columbus day and for the italian american population who are afraid of letting columbus day go.
I invite you to consider what can be gained when you let go of a horrific icon, you gain pride honor, love, you gain a new found respect for your culture and you gain allegiance with peace. I am here to urge all of you to turn your hearts toward unity and love. I invite you to value indigenous voices and presence and see that in doing so you're not taking away from your culture whatever that may be. But instead you're adding to so much more. You're giving your Children a chance to hear for the first time the story of the land and its peoples and to guide them towards uplifting principles and compassion. You're giving your Children the gift you might not have had. And isn't that what3432 we all want at the3433 end of the day for our Children to have a more enriched life than we had han han Katou Sena coca cola. Thank you abundant blessings. So it shall be. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Thank you so much for your testimony. Any questions from members of the panel, our panel on state administration seeing none, we thank you so much for your testimony. Next we have Erica scott. Puppolo
Yes, thank you. Good morning chairman Pacheco and Cabral and all the committee members. Thank you for the opportunity to3474 testify today. My name is Erica scott. Puppolo I strongly support indigenous peoples day in massachusetts. I'm a lifelong south coast resident and I have a unique perspective on this act because I am both indigenous from the LaNatra tribe and italian american from Manzano Apulia in southern Italy. I am very proud of both sides of my family. Dancing at Powell is attending italian feast throughout my life. My family has deep roots in the boston italian community. Puppolo park in the north end is3503 named after my cousin Andrew my grandfather Angelo was the first generation born in America right here in boston not far from the state house. He proudly served our country in the navy in World war two. Today I speak to honor and represent both sides of my family given my family background, I do not celebrate columbus day because Christopher columbus3523 is simply not worth celebrating.
The historical record teaches us that he started a genocide of indigenous people throughout what we call Turtle Island or the Americas. He didn't discover us3534 vibrant indigenous communities were already here and thriving communities which columbus harmed with physical and sexual violence and enslavement. Columbus is also noteworthy as a father of the transatlantic slave trade which led to centuries of oppression, exploitation and dehumanisation of Africans and their descendants. Today the legacy of columbus is structural inequalities in our black and brown communities. Finally, columbus sailed for spain3562 At that time in the 1400, there was no United Modern Day country of Italy. Columbus was considered Giannino is not italian. In fact in fact most italian americans like me to send from southern Italians who were also victims of aggressive spanish colonization of southern Italy and Sicily at the time of columbus side note that's how we have folks like boston boston, mayoral candidate Richard Spagnola, whose last name literally means Spaniard a reflection of the spanish colonization.
It does not make sense for me as a native or an italian american to celebrate a cruel individual who helped facilitate spanish colonization and violence on both sides of my heritage. It is clear to me that columbus is not a hero3608 to be celebrated in the italian american community and we must do better in massachusetts, your support in establishing indigenous peoples day will at long last bring needing and deserving recognition to the massachusetts, wampanoag net, Mark and other indigenous peoples in our commonwealth. It is time to give respect to the original caretakers of this land that we all now call our home.3632 I respectfully ask that this committee exercises its leadership and advances. 8:31 91 S. 2027. Thank you for your time.
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Thank you very much. Erica.
Any questions of members of the piano
seeing none. Thank you very much for your testimony
together. Uh we have Dele italian americans for indigenous peoples day.
Yes, I'm here. Thank you. Thank you Committee members for the opportunity3666 to speak with you today. My name is heather level. I live in Bedford Mass on the unseated traditional territory of the massachusetts tribe. I mean the second generation italian american and co founder of italian americans for indigenous peoples day. We are a rapidly growing group comprised of hundreds of massachusetts, residents of italian descent, including some of your colleagues who stand in solidarity with indigenous peoples. In our support Of age 31 91, S. 2027.3694 An Act establishing Indigenous Peoples Day. We have listened to the voices of indigenous peoples and learned the complete history of columbus, a man responsible for the genocide of the people of the caribbean and the establishment of the transatlantic slave trade. These facts were well documented by columbus and his sons in their own journals and letters and in writings of contemporaries. While a couple of outlier historians continue to defend columbus in their writings, they are not representative of the vast majority of scholars on this topic.
Through analysis of primary sources as well as anthropological, demographic and historical data, scholars like Roxanne Dunbar, Ortiz, David, Stannard, James Lohan and many, many others have dismantled the myth of columbus as a quote, Great Admiral, whose heroic deeds brought civilization to3745 a new world. Those who continue to peddle myths and mistruth3749 about columbus, rub salt in the wounds of indigenous peoples living with intergenerational trauma and undermine the lessons. We are trying to teach our Children about the importance of critical thinking, historical truth and empathy for some italian americans, columbus day commemorates a time when our ancestors overcame terrible ethnic and religious discrimination. We empathize with those feelings. My mother and grandparents could certainly tell you some stories but things are much different for us today.
Our culture is celebrated especially throughout october which is officially recognized as a talent in american heritage month in the commonwealth we enjoy a level of status and recognition in society that native people do not and we have a responsibility to use the platform. We now have to ensure that we are not repeating the same patterns of abuse that our ancestors endured. Pro columbus italian american groups often set up a false equivalence3805 that pits indigenous people against italian americans since both groups experience discrimination, they say, why should the pain of indigenous people be prioritized over hours? First, genocide and discrimination are not the same. Second, many immigrant groups suffered while assimilating in this country. We are not unique in this regard. The issue of how immigrants were and continue to be treated in this country is an entirely separate conversation. This indigenous peoples day bill is about acknowledging and making amends for one of our country's original sins, the way we have treated the first people of this land. Indigenous people are presenting us with a wonderful opportunity to take a first step toward healing and reconciliation together and we must welcome3851 it. Thank you so much for your time.3853
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Thank you very much heather for your testimony. Any questions from members of the state administration committee hearing none. Thank you very much for your testimony.
Uh laurel Davis Jehlen Oh, laurel.
And we're yourself please
meeting can handle. Okay.
Um, so my name is laurel Davis Delano. I'm a white professor of sociology from western massachusetts and I study representations of native americans in us culture. I will begin by explaining why massachusetts should eliminate columbus day first columbus engaged in murder, torture, enslavement and other forms of exploitation against indigenous people in the Americas. Second, from the perspective of many indigenous peoples in the Americas columbus is perceived as the first colonizer or among the first colonizer colonizers who began their suffering? This suffering includes loss of indigenous lives. Indigenous3926 societies. Indigenous lands. Indigenous ways of life and indigenous control over their3932 own societies. Third, as a result of historical and present day3937 oppression, indigenous people have higher rates of poverty and health problems as well as lower levels3943 of education and the like. Fourth problematic representations, including representations associated with holidays, are one cause3953 of this suffering. Fifth, indigenous peoples from out from3958 throughout the Americas have been leading a movement which aims to provide accurate information about3963 columbus as well as about colonization.
More generally, they argue that although we should recognize columbus as playing a major role in history, um, we should definitely not celebrate this role when we celebrate columbus. We are celebrating3979 the colonization and oppression of indigenous people in the Americas and thus we are sending the message to indigenous peoples that we do not care about them. So why should we celebrate indigenous peoples day? First, indigenous peoples have been here for over 10,000 years. Second, indigenous peoples have experienced horrific processes of colonization here in massachusetts. 3rd, many indigenous tribal nations in Massachusetts and elsewhere have survived in um evidencing or demonstrating incredible resilience in the face of oppression.
Certainly, this resilience is something to celebrate. Fourth, research demonstrates that most non native people in the United States are barely aware of the existence of contemporary native americans, let alone having accurate information about contemporary native tribal nations and peoples and this lack of knowledge contributes to stereotypes, intentional and unintentional discrimination, harmful4047 cultural practices, barriers faced by tribal native tribal nations and ultimately to higher rates of social problems. Holiday focused on indigenous peoples will raise awareness about indigenous peoples, which can ultimately improve lives. So please vote um, to move this bill out of committee and thank you for letting me speak.
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Thank you very much and thank you for sharing some of your research with us. Uh, if there's any questions of members of the state administration committing seeing none. Thank you very much Alex uh, Keefe renzo Pease Park Sailing center Alex.
Good morning everyone. Thank you for your service on this committee and for hearing all of our testimony today. My name is Alex to France on the executive director of Pierce Park Sailing Center and a resident of east boston moved to testify today as an italian american and as someone who runs a nonprofit that teaches kids and people with disabilities out of sale. I want to speak in solidarity with everyone who's commented already. Thanks celebrating Christopher columbus is a real injustice and think about what the holiday means to the people of the4127 commonwealth of massachusetts columbus in his own writings, documented his legacy of genocide against the taino and carry people's sex trafficking of indigenous women and girls and enslavement of hundreds of indigenous people. On the other hand of thinking4145 about what indigenous people stay would mean to residents of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Montana people for over 8000 years before the arrival of European colonizers took care of this land in a sustainable way. And I think if we're going to honor and celebrate one or the other on the second monday of october it's obvious which is worthy and which is not. Thank you very much. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Thank you very4171 much Alex for your testimony. Any questions of
Alex from members of the state administration committee
seeing none, thank you very much.
That exhausts the testimony that we had signed up for and in support of of the bill and now we have um testimony in opposition
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Christopher, Spagnola, all Christopher. Thank you sir. Yes sir, can you hear me? Yes,
great, good morning chair, Cabral chair, Pacheco and the committee. Thank you for your time. The first national observance of columbus day in 18 92 was to atone for a racist crime. The roots of columbus day go back to 18 91 lynching of 11 innocent italian men by an angry mob in new Orleans. The largest note mass lynching in the United States in 18 99. To italian shopkeepers and three customers also italian were lynched in tallulah Louisiana for refusing to wait on caucasians before african american customers, italian americans were subject to jim crow4240 laws in the american south Italians and jews weren't4243 considered white until after the second World World war lynchings of Italians also took place in Mississippi texas florida colorado Kentucky Illinois and new york and we're used as a method of social control italian language newspapers frequently record reported the heinous crimes committed here. Even4261 in massachusetts, Sacco and Vanzetti were executed for a crime they did not commit removing columbus day sets a bad precedent.
It elevates one culture while marginalising another and is heartful to all immigrants that view the Day as a celebration of being accepted in America. After decades of experiencing racism, prejudice and violence, columbus day symbolizes the immigrant experience in the US and the struggle for acceptance. Human rights and dignity. All cultures should be honored in our state in the spirit of diversity. Let's choose to treat all members of our community with respect and support and compromise to honour both italian americans october and indigenous people in november in new york city the second monday in4302 october is celebrated as italian heritage day and indigenous peoples day. Indigenous people. They have many days of celebration. In 2000 and nine, President Obama signed legislation permanently designating the friday after thanksgiving as national native american heritage Day.
The bill was supported by 184 federally recognized tribes and the date coincides with native american heritage month in november, Which was established 30 years ago by President Bush. The United Nations have established August nine as International Indigenous Peoples Day, Christopher columbus is a complicated historical figure who has recently been4338 portrayed as a villain responsible for the transatlantic slave trade. He wasn't And the genocide of 17 million indigenous people. All revisionist history and lies. This view is based largely on one controversial figure. Howard Zinn. What happened to the indigenous people in the Americas was a tragedy. We can study and listen to various historians and authors and get two different perspectives.
We can even get different interpretations of columbus diary so we can disagree on what he did or didn't do and what was in his heart. But as a community, we should easily be able to agree that all members and ethnic groups should be valued. We should also be able to acknowledge the4376 discovery of America and its painful past led to a new culture, a great civilisation and democracy that we all enjoy today. Columbus opened the new world to immigration from the old world. It is why many of us are here today. Lastly replacing columbus state would affirm an environment in our state and our country where compromise is no longer an option. We should all view this as dangerous precedent to set in our country. We ask you to oppose4401 the House Bill H 3191 S 20 to 7. Thank you. I will submit written testimony as well. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Thank you very much Christopher. Any questions of members of the state administration committee 39. Well, thank you very much for your testimony. Thank you for your time. Next uh, we have some people that signed up but they did not designate4427 whether they were in favor or opposed to the petition. Leora Norwich network4435 for social justice Winchester massachusetts. Leora. Are you with us?
Yes, I am. Um I'm4443 in favour. Okay. Your testimony, please go ahead. I believe it was a moral imperative for our legislators to pass an act establishing an Indigenous Peoples Day. I am the director of the Network for Social Justice, a nonprofit based in Winchester massachusetts, and I'm happy to report that like so many towns across the state, including Newton, Wellesley and Bedford, the network is collaborating with several groups to organize a celebration of Indigenous peoples Day on october 11th. Even without an official declaration made by our town, I hope that your actions on this legislation will create an official statewide celebration of Indigenous Peoples Day in 2022. For far too long. Our society has affirmed erroneous and dangerous historical narratives about the peaceful arrival of4489 the pilgrims on the shores in columbus as a brave explorer worthy of our honour and our elevation. We know this documented history and this myth cannot be further from the truth, columbus, as we've heard inflicted horrors upon the indigenous people he encountered in the Caribbean, including murder enslavement and rape, establishing indigenous peoples Day is not we believe in a ratio of history.
It is part of a reexamination that will promote ongoing conversations about history resilience and the contribution of indigenous peoples follows a season where indigenous people4520 see themselves degraded in costumes for Halloween and annually are confronted with a false narrative told about the pilgrims at thanksgiving which by focusing on peaceful collaboration obscured the truth about the genocide that they suffered. By marking the second monday in october indigenous peoples day. You would be providing a protected space to O'Connor indigenous peoples, their history and contributions to this land and encouraging Children and adults alike to learn about current native cultures and customs as legislatures. You4549 have an opportunity to help start writing the historical record and engaging the peoples of massachusetts from students to seniors, indigenous and non indigenous. It's an important conversation about the rights and recognition of indigenous peoples to be had inter generationally. Thank you for your leadership on this bill and your willingness to join states like maine Vermont Mexico Alaska hawaii Oregon in south Dakota and officially celebrating indigenous peoples day, Ayodhya to vote this bill favorably out of your committee. Thank you.
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Thank you very much the aura. Any questions
Well a witness
here we know, thank you very very4590 much. Cheryl Delaney. America Professor at stanford University carol
carol are you with us
carol going once
carol. Delaney going twice
carol Delaney.
He's not with us to testify. Thank you.4620 Uh Reema Lewis rima. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Creem a lower
um is not with us justify a coal Harrison massachusetts peace action.
Coal
call is not with us to testify.
[PACHECO:]4654 That concludes testimony on the indigenous peoples day. We will now move to item number four On the agenda, testimony for H3124 and S 2026 and act establishing gender neutral, you know, bathrooms filed by representative domb and senator comerford
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And so we will begin testimony representing the massachusetts transgender political coalition ah three andre valentine
Miranda are you with us?
4692 She andre
is not with us. Don m Bond University of massachusetts. Amherst on
are you with us?
Not with us
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john and ari massachusetts chapter of the American Institute of Architects.
Thank you. Senator john I am here. Ok we can hear you, we can see you the floor is yours.
[JOHN NUNNARI:] [HB3124] [SB2026] Thank you Senator. Thank you. Mr Chairman Mr chairman. It's good to see you. I uh certainly been a while since I've seen a lot of your faces and hopefully may become the new year, we'll get to4749 see you all again in the building. Um my name is John Nunnery and I'm the executive director of the Massachusetts chapter of the American Institute of Architects Uh were established in 1963 and we represent over 5000 architects design professionals and allied4765 members statewide. We're the state chapter of our national organization, the american Institute4770 of Architects which consists of over 90,000 members representing more than 200,000 U. S. Jobs In late 2018. Just prior to Rep Domb and Senator Comerford Comerford being sworn in as freshmen. Our organization held a freshman breakfast in Amherst which was attended by both the rep and the senator and it was there that this topic was first broached by the weapons senator whether organization and in discussing the topic.
It led into a conversation regarding how in general construction codes in massachusetts are developed and promulgated and a discussion of how some boards have somewhat zealously protected the continued use of their homegrown massachusetts specific construction code over the commonwealth movement, over many administrations towards the adoption of national model codes and standards. So of the 14 different construction codes and use here in the Commonwealth only to have not moved to a national standard. And that's the Massachusetts architectural4830 access board and the state plumbing board. So without getting into the reasons why those two boards have resisted those changes, which is a very different conversation than what we're here to discuss today. My organization felt that not only is the proposed change to a gender neutral bathroom design, the correct social and moral position to take, but it would have the added benefit of helping to lower construction costs. How would it help lower construction costs.
It's simply because as it relates to plumbing fixture accounts, which is part of the design process where you take the population of the building, you split them into Children and adults. Male female run a formula which tells you how many fixtures you're going to need and how much square footage you're going to need a move to general neutral accounting would reduce the overall square footage required for bathroom space because people from different sexes would be able to use the same fixtures. Um, it's no secret that on a per square footage basis, plumbing spaces of the most expensive spaces in all of construction. And that's mainly due to the fact that all of the material essentially as copper that's being installed and the prevailing wage4901 for plumbers is certainly one of the highest of our licensed trades in the state of Um, so much like what the legislature did when they took action on social policy as it relates to climate with the recent passage of SB nine, where the legislature provided specific instructions to both the Department of Energy Resources and the Board of Building regulations and standards as to what you expect from them.
Or will you expect them to do with regard to building energy code regulation? This committee has an opportunity to do the exact same thing as it relates to gender neutral bathrooms. By passing this legislation, you would be instructing the plumbing board to quote, allow gender neutral bathrooms to be designed and installed in any use group defined by the 7 80 cm are massachusetts. State building code regardless of whether the work being performed as new construction or repair renovation or alteration work. That's the entire bill. This is not mandating requirement, but instead it would direct the plumbing board to create the regulations that as opposed to the current process, which requires as a first step of the filing of the variance or an appeal with the plumbing board to consider the allowance of a gender neutral facility within the structure. This would require the plumbing board to allow an as of right option for the design of gender neutral bathroom facilities. So for all these reasons, we hope you'll give this these bills H 3124 and S 2026 a favorable reporting. And with that I'll in my testimony I will certainly submit written testimony but I would ask if there are any questions I would be happy to answer them.
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Thank you very much john and we look forward to to written testimony as well. Any questions of john from members of the state administration committee. Mhm. Going down, thank you very much for your testimony. Thank you. Next we go to jean ah Mckinney from the University of massachusetts.
Yes, thank you. Chairman. My name is Jeanne Mckinney. I am the Director of Residents education5036 at the University of massachusetts Amherst but I appreciate your time today. Um at U mass Amherst we have the capacity to house over 13,500 residential students on our campus. And the majority of our housing is traditional housing built before 1970 with shared community baths. The current Massachusetts plumbing code requires that these shared community bass be designated as either male or female. Our mission of course is to provide safe environments and to build inclusive communities in our residence halls. The ability for a student to use5074 a bathroom including a shower facility that meets their needs is critical to the students being successful on5080 campus and in their living environment.
U. Mass. Amherst is consistently ranked top one of the5091 top LGBT friendly colleges by college choice and campus pride. One of the drawbacks identified by college choice was the lack of gender inclusive bathrooms and restrooms, including in the residence halls. Although we have made great strides through the variance request process and through renovation to increase gender inclusive restrooms and bathrooms on campus, we are not able to do this in many of our residents halls based on the construction. As a result, many of our students do not have the right to use the bathroom that aligns with their sincerely held gender identity a little bit about our college students is that according to the Pew Research Center, about half of gen z ers the generation that includes traditional age college students say that society isn't accepting enough Of people who don't identify as a man, a woman and about six in 10 say form should offer other gender options are young people expect that we5148 join them in leading on this issue.
Let me tell you a short story about our experience several years ago With the plumbing board, which was a successful experience in September of 2017. I started meeting with a group of students who participate in our spectrum to find residential community for LGBT students and their allies in the gender inclusive5172 housing option. Both included in the first floor of baker hall. There are two single user chapter inclusive, accessible bathroom to the President's hall. Um houses 3 9, 319 students. However, these bathrooms were not5189 meeting the needs of the students in the community we met, we discussed and ultimately the university decided to present a variance to um the massachusetts planning board um to allow us to designate those two community bathrooms as gender inclusive.
The Planning Board did allow temporary variance. And then a year later we went back to the Planning Board to seek a permanent variants and were granted that permanent variance for this specific community. 60 students of our 13,500 other variances for the campus have not been approved over time. There have been no concerns at all, no reports of vandalism, no supports of anything negative from those community bathrooms in that hall. Um and the students there really appreciate the effort. So we strongly request that state legislature take action to change the regulatory language that john so eloquently just described um to provide more opportunity to meet the needs of the residents of the commonwealth and to fulfill our commitment not to discriminate based on gender identity. Thank you for your time. And I want to thank representative dumb and Senator Comerford for their support and for sponsoring this bill. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Thank you very much jean for your testimony. Any questions from members of the committee
seeing none.
[PACHECO:] We thank you very much for your testimony and this concludes testimony on I was 3124 and Senate 2026. Well now go into Section five of the agenda testimony on H 3126 An act providing for agenda neutral designation on state documents and identification. Representative Dawn's bill.
SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Um and we have first on the agenda to sign up, Michael
take care. Do you share? Uh Okay, thank you.
Thank you. Chair Pacheco chair, Cabral and members of the joint committee. My name is Michael Dickey Era. I'm testifying in support of H- 3126. I am the person Ask Rep Tom to file legislation in December 2018 to address this issue. Most importantly, I'm the father of a 26 year old non binary person who currently resides in Somerville. I am not an expert,5359 but I come to you before. You just share my observations based on my experience. My old, excuse me, my oldest child identifies as non binary. My wife and I learned about this five years ago. Like many, if not all of you being non binary is not something I grew up knowing was a possibility as a5380 parent wanting to support my child. I began my learning journey. The most powerful thing I learned is that pronouns mattered deeply. They are not some trivial matter many people when they are new to the issue of gender identity. Myself included stumble over using the pronouns, they them and often joke that it isn't grammatically correct. What I learned is that by not acknowledging someone's correct, pronoun is deeply hurtful. You are not recognizing who they are for non binary people.
This means they are made invisible. This is what drove me to ask rep Domb to file legislation to address this issue. Our state should not be making residents feel invisible that they don't belong as a parent and a citizen of the commonwealth. It is my responsibility to bring this to light and help, right this wrong as legislators. It is your responsibility to change the law. If the legal status5432 quo from massachusetts sides is only binary, male or female, my child and many others don't have a place in the state's official world. If the choices are only male and female, non binary people have no box to check and no door to walk through. That reflects who they are denying residents the ability to correctly identify themselves as an issue.5452 A fundamental justice and human rights. We all deserve to be recognized for who we are to place non binary people in context in America in5462 june 2021 in the Washington post reported that U. C. L. A. Completed the first national survey, documenting there are 100 there are 100. Excuse me if there were a million non binary people in our nation. This is not a small number.
It's time that the commonwealth took the legal, not just administrative steps to recognize our non binary and trans residents. I also want to recognize that you are all policymakers. I am sure that you take pride in creating thoughtful policy to help our society function better As a local elected official myself for the past 15 years select board, school committee and planning board. I do the same on the municipal level. It is with this in mind that I suggest that the current policy is dysfunctional and bad identification by definition is intended to identify who someone is. Yet. The current law regarding identification creates situations where people are misidentified. In fact, current law forces people to lie about who they are. If a person is non binary and they are forced to pick either a male or female identity on their mass. I'd they're being asked to5527 falsify this documentation. This is simply bad policy. Not only do we need to need identification that is consistent with who a person is, We also need identification that is consistent across forms of documentation.
For example, our birth certificate should correspond to a driver's license. We should also remember that a growing number of other states have already allowed trans friendly identification. This means that if another state correctly identifies the person's gender, their massachusetts. It should correspond rather than conflict. In closing. I would like to point out that in the US there has been increasingly hostile culture war resulting in laws targeting the transgender community. Massachusetts has a chance to protect rather than attack our residents. Last week, the Massachusetts Senate voted 39 0 in support of similar gender. I'd legislation in light of the importance of this issue and to show that massachusetts values all its residents. I asked that you forcefully and in a timely matter vote H3126 favorably out of committee so the legislature can do in 2021 what was unable to achieve this last legislative session. Similarly, I requested the committee favorably vote to support H3124 and S 2-6 to support the establishment of gender neutral bathrooms. Thank you for your time and consideration.
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Thank you very much Michael. Any questions of members of the state administration committee here we done Thank you very much Jordan me5615 in mass Commission on L G B T Q. Youth in the commonwealth Jordan,
thank you. Chair Pacheco and she Cabral Members of the joint committee. My name is Jordan me and I am the Legislative policy manager for the Commission on LGBTQ Youth here to testify in support of House 3126 act providing for gender designation on state documents and identifications And Senate 2026 and House 3124 for gender bathrooms. It's imperative that every individual has access identification documents that reflect their full identity. This is especially urgent as more and more individuals built in massachusetts and nationwide identify as non binary and or transgender. House 31 26 would make it much easier for individuals to request and non binary gender gender designation on state documents and guides. Uh and Senate 2026 and House 31 24 to make it easier as we've heard to install and design generally two bathrooms on House 315675 26. This makes several small but significant changes that will ensure that non binary5680 and 200 individuals have legal documents that more accurately reflect their identity and has three main components.
Um Section one would allow individuals to request to change in their sex as a nation and gender and name on their birth record to properly reflect their gender identity. Section two would direct the ag's office to prepare a report to list all forms and other documents in the Commonwealth that require individuals to indicate the gender or sex on a form or documents. And Section three would require all state issued forms, documents and I. D. Cards and licenses provide for this X. Um neutral designation. This bill is tremendously important as every year, more youth in massachusetts identify as something more than strictly male or strictly female and many want or will want their legal documents to have a non binary market to recognize their identity According to recent data from the state, the youth risk behaviour survey from a few years ago, 3.1% of youth in Massachusetts identify as transgender or questioning their gender identity.
That it should be noted that this survey in the past has not provided for a non binary gender option for you to select. So we estimate that this is actually an undercount. Um, data from school districts across the Commonwealth have shown that 400 and about 480 students have requested a non binary designation on their school records in their internal school systems. Um, so we would also note that considering how new this option is in schools and factoring in the youth who are not out as non binary. We estimate this is also an underestimate Looking to national numbers though 29 2019 report and poll found that 18% of Americans know someone who uses gendered pronouns. A recent survey also found that nearly a third of transgender individuals who showed I'd5784 that was incongruent to their gender presentation had a negative experience, such as being harassed, denied services or attacked physically. And lastly as we've heard, we are lagging behind other states on this issue. Eight states maine Rhode island indiana Illinois colorado and Nevada California and Washington allow a non binary gender Margaret on both drivers licenses and state AIDS as well as birth certificates. Well, we only have this on licenses and IEDs. We would also note our strong support for Senate 2026 and House 31 24 will be submitting written testimony in favour of both of these as well. But for these reasons we urge a favorable report on this.
SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Delta. Thank you very much Jordan. Thank you for your testimony. Any questions from members of the state administration committee. Seeing none. We thank you for your testimony. Next Colleen. Isaacson Sure.
D O B T. Q. Political caucus. Nice to see you again.
Uh for the record, I'm testifying today. My name is Arlene Isaacson. I'm testifying today in my capacity as the co chair of the massachusetts gay and lesbian political caucus which was as the chairman just said recently renamed with the arguably unpronounceable massachusetts's glbt Q political caucus when they will simplify it. Um Our organization is supporting three of the bills today uh in particular. Uh the two gender neutral bathroom bills House 3124 Senate 2026. Um but my the focus of my testimony today will be on the gender X. Bill, House 3126 which requires that government documents allow for a gender x designation option. Uh many of you know that we've lobbied LGBTQ issues for the last 30 plus years and many of the people in on this committee have help to advance legislation supporting our equality for that. We sincerely thank you. Um this bill is the next step and moving forward on equal and fair treatment for LGBTQ people. It recognizes the reality of the lives of many non binary5923 residents.
You know, there is no social value and certainly no legal value in pretending that nonviolent Carey and gender non conforming people don't exist. Likewise, there is5936 no legal value in misrepresenting them on official documents. So this bill catch essentially marks the law catching up with the reality of people's lives. It's important that our laws reflect the truths of people's lives, not the biases and prejudices of others. So this legislation will help our non binary friends and family while doing absolutely no harm to anyone else. Civil rights and equality should never be marred by other people's lack of understanding or compassion. Just as it would be wrong to misidentify you the members of the committee or to miss gender, you the members of the committee or any person. Of course, it's just as wrong to prevent someone from identifying themselves truthfully and honestly on5983 official documents. It would be analogous to when the government used to ask people what their race was on documents and provided only a black or white checkoff box, totally ignoring all the other options that so obviously exist for race.
There is no public policy good to be achieved by forcing people to lie about their gender identity. I would note that we recognize and appreciate the fact that6008 the R. M. V. Has changed their forms to allow gender neutral designations. But the LGBTQ communities was reminded under donald trump that regulations and policies on how we're treated can change radically with the stroke of the pen. So we ask that you codify into law the R. And B. S. Current policy on gender X. So it can easily cannot be easily changed by a future governor. And we ask that you apply the same logic to6034 all other government documents by passing this bill. Thank you for your time and consideration. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Thank you very much ali in any questions of
Arlene Isaacson.
Seeing none. Hearing none. Thank you very much for your testimony. Next call ST uh medical doctor
Dr streed
going once
twice
treat is not with us. Uh MEREDITH level
progressive bill recur MEREDITH are you with us?
MEREDITH?
She's not with us.
Grossly
Kalinsky, Western New England School of Law Center for Social Justice
rosa. Hi, I'm here. Can you hear me? Okay? Okay. Yes. Yes.
Great. Uh, my name is Rosalie Kalinowski. I'm a second year law students studying at Western New England University School of Law in Springfield. I'm here in my own capacity as a transgender woman who transitioned uh, Early in the 2000s to kind of shed some light on what the process was like. And before this point. Um, so I grew up in neighboring Connecticut changed my name in 2003. My driver's license in 2005 and my birth certificate in 2009. And as a function of doing so I was required to submit copious documentation. Okay, so I required a letter from a therapist stating that, you know, I was a particular gender. I required a letter from a medical doctor stating that I was under treatment for for gender reassignment, including but not limited to hormone use. And then when it came time to change my birth certificate, um, it was incredibly difficult to do so. Um, there was actually a surgical requirement at the time. And um, I had made it clear that I didn't I wasn't seeking a surgical solution to this particular issue.
The state explain6194 to me that this was a necessary part of the process. In order to obtain an identity document, I ended up paying for my own gender affirming surgery and change my identity documents. But the reason I bring this up is to say there should be fewer barriers to transgender and gender. Nonconforming individuals. Changing their identification is to corrected status. The fact that there are individuals that have changed their um, driver's licenses to X. Those individuals should be afforded the same right to obtain a birth certificate with an X. On it. That's good policy. It's about equity. It's about human rights. It's about decency dignity. Um, access to the state. Um basically saying, we recognize you, you know,6244 we recognize you, you are not invisible. Um, and the data show that the empirical data showed that sex and gender are on a continuum. So, um when we're discussing um biological sex and I strongly use that word but biological sex. Um the incarnation of intersex individuals when we talk about gender identity, gender nonconforming. And um individuals show us demonstrate to us factually that there are people who are outside of a6278 male and female.
This is not a polarized male and female to polls, but actually a continuum where there are plenty of people that are in between or choose to be outside of male and female. Those people deserve recognition under the law in the state of massachusetts. Um I can tell you that in Connecticut we have an executive order in place allowing excess on6301 birth certificates. This is a neighboring state. Um I believe that having the legislator codify into law which was stated by some earlier speakers would be able to better enshrine this right to X. Designation on a birth certificates uh passed changing administrations uh and changing as we saw through federal changes. Uh not all of the medical ah the medical care for transgender and gender non conforming people has been accepted the same way in the federal government depending on which which party is in power. So um I respectfully request that this bill get voted out of committee favorably 3126 in support also as of 3124 I appreciate your time today. Thank you.
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Thank you very much rosa. Any questions of rosa from members of the state administration community seeing none. We thank you for your testimony. Thank you. Deborah zucker greater boston. Yes.
Hi thank you. Thank you. Chair Pacheco and thank you. Chair Cabral and the other members of the joint committee. My name is Debbie Tucker My pronouns are she her. I'm here today as the board chair for greater boston P. Flag to testify in support of two bills H 136 and act providing for gender neutral designation on state documents and identification as well as H 3124 S 2026 and act establishing gender neutral bathrooms. My testimony is mostly focused on H 13 H 3126 the gender X marker bill but please no greater boston P. Flag fully supports both bills and we urge this committee to move them both forward immediately. Greater boston P flag is the largest chapter of the national P flag network. We have 16 support groups throughout Massachusetts. Six of these groups are specifically focused on providing support to caregivers of6430 Children of all ages who are transgender, non binary or otherwise exploring their gender identity.
These six groups exist because there is such a high demand for them, including many whose Children have an ex marker on their identification. Excuse me. Including uh these including many whose Children would have an ex marker on their identification documents if it were available For now. Their documents don't match who they are6457 in fact based on available data from studies, we we can predict a future in which a full 8% of Massachusetts residents would not have access to hide that matches their identity. That's an estimated 443,000 people. Yes. Having correct ideas important from a legal perspective. And I want to thank Representative Dome and Senator Comerford who expressed those reasons very well. I want to add another perspective as parents. We all want what's best for our Children. Every time we sign up for our child for a camp, a sports team, a school, even opening a bank account,
we're entrusting our Children to others. We fill out the forms to help these adults take the best care of our Children. We give those adults information to verify your child's identity. The same as anyone who has a child regardless of their child's gender identity. But what isn't the same for everyone is when parents know that the simple act of filling out a form or handing in the required ID document shares incorrect information about our child information that affects how the adults they're being entrusted with will treat them and think of them throughout greater boston. P Flags network. We hear constantly about how families have to pull people aside, set up private meetings and try to ensure that unnecessary incorrect information stays private and it doesn't always no matter how much we prepare or how understanding the individual organization is and one shared. You can't unknowing it And each time this happens real harm is done. Our families are desperate to figure out how we can avoid this next time. But when state documents and forms don't include the right options, there's nothing we can do. This bill would fix that. Having all state forms and I. D. Documents aligned, especially birth certificates and driver's license, not only affirms a person's I'D. And protects their privacy. It avoids the unnecessary complications. Bureau bureaucratic tangles and denials due to mismatched forms. In doing so.
We could also avoid many, many stressful and traumatic situations for ourselves and our Children. Gender is often used as an additional piece of information to verify identity, which only works if those documents have the same gender marker. Since 2019, Massachusetts has issued driver's license with gender marker acts and public school students are able to select a non binary option for their school records, but this isn't a consistent across all documents. Having a student I. D. With the right gender marker is important. Having a driver's license with the right gender marker is important. But having every identity document, every state form have the right option and be in alignment with each other. That makes a difference. This bill makes that difference. In reality it protects the privacy and dignity of those massachusetts, residents of all ages who are non binary, who are intersects and all of6632 those who do not identify with the binary options of male female. It gives them the same chance that everyone else has to have their identifying documents match their identity. It makes their lives better and simpler and a tangible and straightforward way I and all of greater boston P flag urge you to report favorably on both these bills. Thank you for your time. I'm happy to answer any questions. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Thank you very much. Deborah any questions from members of the state administration committee
hearing None. We thank you for your testimony
next. Ah Kanye
Miss loosen from massequality time.
Thank you Chair Pacheco My name is Tanya loosen and I'm here today to testify on behalf of massequality in support of H 3124 S 2026 and at uh an act establishing gender neutral bathrooms and H 3126 and act providing for a gender neutral designation on state documents and identification, transgender people, non binary people and all those who do not6701 conform to gender norms of appearance might not be safe. And single space single sex spaces where they are at risk for gender for verbal and physical assault beyond the benefit. Gender nonconforming people. Gender neutral restrooms benefit the entire community. Not only do they foster an inclusive environment that shows that you care about diversity and infirm differences. It's also beneficial to for caregivers and single parents of those who genders are not the same as their own. There are also more efficient using only stalls would mean equal wait times for both men and women. Using a combination6738 of stalls and urinals results in the lowest combined wait time overall.
There is no need for variances6744 to be required for a building to construct bathrooms letter gender neutral And gender segregated bathrooms were not even a requirement in Massachusetts until 1886 seven, making these a fairly new and unnecessary unnecessary requirements with regard to H 3126 and act providing for gender neutral designation on state documents and identification. It is vitally important not only to uphold the dignity and identity of non binary and intersex people within the commonwealth, but also as a matter of data integrity without enabling a gender neutral designation by law, we simply cannot ensure consistency across documentation6786 or assess impact on nonviolent non binary people of any issues which may be segregated by gender. Gender neutral markers would also increase gender affirmation and have helped to show decreased levels of gender based mistreatment. It is for these reasons and many others that I urge the committee to move these bills favorably out of committee as quickly as possible. Thank you for your time and attention on this matter.
Thank you Tanya. Any questions from members of the state administration committee. Seeing none. Thank you very6824 much for your testimony time. Next chris uh google uh from the G. O. B. Teach you legal uh advocates and defenders. Hi, Hi. Chairperson. Thank you.6842 Chairperson Pacheco Chairperson Cabral Members of the committee. Can you hear me? Yes. And um so my name is chris circle. I'm an attorney at Glbt Q. Legal advocates and defenders. Um6855 If you6856 don't know, glad has been based in boston for over6859 40 years. Now we're new England's premier um L. G. B. T. Q.6864 Legal advocacy organization. And uh you know, I'm here today in support of I want to be very clear. I'm here in support of H 3126 and H 3024. Um I'm gonna I just want to say I endorse the testimony that's been presented by everybody who has spoken in support of H3126. I think that the testimony has been really comprehensive and I am disappointed that we didn't get to hear from uh dr dr street.
So I just want to make a couple of points about about about young people who experience gender dysphoria because I believe that's what he would have testified about. Um for young people who experience gender dysphoria. And I want to be6913 clear that not all non binary people experience gender dysphoria, but many do. And for those who do gender dysphoria is a really serious medical condition that's characterized by an in congruence between a person's gender identity and their sex6928 assigned at birth. And when somebody experiences that6931 kind of distressed only acceptable treatment. The only treatment that works to help alleviate gender dysphoria is affirmation. And so um affirmation in the form of having your gender recognized by the people around you. That is the most important thing that can be done for somebody who is experiencing gender dysphoria. And I could go on and on about the seriousness of gender dysphoria. Um that's experienced by young people and the negative consequences that come as a result of gender dysphoria.
The affirmation is the sole and um and gender affirmation is the sole and exclusive, you know, reinforcement and treatment that can that can help alleviate that a young person. So um having identification documents having a birth certificate, having the school, having, having every every place that you interact with every institution you interact with. Affirm your6985 gender identity is really important. And that's a key part of why having a birth certificate reflector actual gender identity is so important. Um I want to say a word or two about non binary people as a as a general matter, not just because of the definition, you know, of the word is is elusive. Um So non binary is a really big umbrella term and it refers to so many different people. It refers to anyone who doesn't identify exclusively as male or exclusively as female. So it's an umbrella term that we're using here. And um you know, many non binary people use a plethora of different words to describe themselves, but that's not really what's important here. What's important here is that all these people have one thing in common and it's that neither an M. Nor an F on any identification document is an accurate way to just to reflect who they are. And as multiple7038 others have have pointed out. It's not in the state's interest at all to uh you know, require people to have identification documents that don't reflect their true gender identity.
Um It might seem too many of us that birth certificates are not something that a lot of people see. And it's true that, and especially when you're an adult, you're not walking around showing your birth certificate to people to get to get into uh to get into a club or to or to or to attend a concert or to or or or even at the workplace. For the most part, your birth certificate is something that stays in the back of a file cabinet somewhere. But for young people, um in particular, birth certificates are often used as the primary form of identification. And um as others have pointed out before, it's an invasion of a person's privacy when they don't when there are gender identity is neither male nor female. And uh and and they and their family have determined that it's best for them to present publicly as non binary for the state to then say, we're going to force you to have this document that then you have to uh you have to show to the school that discloses private information about your assigned sex at birth that's, that's really violative. And I just want to really emphasize that point that this is a matter of privacy for families.
Um, and also as others have said, it's a matter of accuracy and um, you know, not forcing people to identify with documents that don't reflect who they truly are. It's in the state's interest to make sure that everybody has the option of having accurate identification. Um, I want to flag that. There are minor substantive and technical differences7141 between the version of the bill that just passed in the Senate and the version that's before you today. Uh Glad supports both versions of the legislation. But I'm happy to yeah. Talk if anybody has any specific questions about those differences. I also want to tell a quick anecdote and this relates to both bills. But I want to emphasize that um that in the, that I'm sorry, I want to I want to tell a quick anecdote to emphasize the importance of having access to restrooms that are consistent with their gender identity.
I recently worked with a young person, an elementary school student who is non binary in Connecticut and they experienced extreme dysphoria um, in their everyday life at school because there were no gender neutral restroom options and the school just like every school in massachusetts and every school you see everywhere. Schools generally want to be extremely supportive of the students that they have, I've never met a school administrator who is not looking out for the best interests of students. And so this is a situation where there was no gender neutral restroom option. But the school, in an effort to accommodate the student and to make sure they felt safe at school gave that student complete and total access to uh, to the restroom in the nurse's office, which was a single stall restroom. And what ended up happening in practice for the student. And I think this is just such a universal story that everyone can understand and relate to is that the adults who happened to be sitting at the desk in the nurse's office7234 aren't always the same person every day.
And sometimes there's not even anybody there to allow the student access and the student faced regular questioning and their identity and their right to use the restroom was questioned on a regular basis. And it caused this young person so much distress that they came home crying and pleading with their family every day to not make them go back to school. And I've heard this kind of story a million times before making sure that people have access to restrooms that reflect who they are so that they are not singled out so that they are not forced to go through, uh, to jump through hoops or go through unnecessary obstacles to be able to use the restroom. This is just such an important thing. Um, and, and, and it goes right in hand with the state honoring their gender identity by by providing them with documentation that reflects who they truly are. So I do think that these two pieces of legislation are extremely important. I don't see any downsides to either of them and I'm happy to answer any questions7297 that anybody has about about these bills.
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Thank you very much chris for your testimony and questions of members of the state administration committee. Seeing none. Thank you very much for your testimony that concludes testimony on these bills.
And now we will move to item Number six testimony on H3115 an7325 act7325 ensuring equitable representation in the commonwealth. A bill filed by Representative Chan Before I go into this testimony. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
I want to make sure everyone is aware based upon the president sign up on
on this bill in particular. Ah if7353 everyone took three minutes to testify, we will absolutely be here till About 6:30 this evening. Uh, that's uh very easily calculated all and I'm not trying to discourage anyone from using the total testimony time they have, but I want to make sure you know that we have
1,
56789 people who signed up in support of the bill because Representative Chan7394 has tried to work with many of the advocacy organizations to bring down the number of testimony. And and we have already received 575
uh, pieces of mail on this bill in7412 terms of testimony. Uh7415 so all the rest of the testimony that we have. Well, there's a good portion of the testimony that we have is opposed to the legislation. And there are
7430 some7430 people here that we just don't know because they they did not report to us if they are testifying in favour or not. So we're going to take the people that support the legislation first and then we're going to go with the opposition and then we will go with unknown uh in terms of,7451 you know, the testimony and I would urge everyone to please try to be concise in your testimony, especially when we get to the opposition, not because we don't want to hear it from the opposition. We certainly want to hear from the opposition, but we want you to know that when you are testifying in opposition,
that you will actually be uh ensuring that the people that signed up last. Well, we'll definitely be here very late uh this evening and they're on the same side of the question that you're on wouldn't be uh the case of, you know, just being against it in you're holding up somebody that's in supportive of it. So, I just want to make sure you have an overview of that better understanding as we begin the testimony.
7509 So first on the list is uh jasmine uh
Adam C Forbes, asian american7519 and pacific Islanders Commission uh jasmine and
thank you chairs and committee member as for holding today's hearing. I also want to thank the bill sponsor rep cec e. Chan along with the many7534 community leaders here today Tommy Aston programs Forbes and I'm the executive director of the massachusetts, asian american and pacific islander Commission. So I'm here to testify in strong support for H 3115. Our commission has had the opportunity to discuss this bill in depth, including the impact it would have on ap residents and we voted to endorse this legislation.
I urge you to pass the Data Equity7565 Act for the following reasons. First, this bill recognizes the growing diversity of the commonwealth and the need for accurate comprehensive data that reflects residents diverse needs. Disaggregated data allows policy makers to ally on government services with the needs of specific residents and an opportunity to improve outreach to under resourced communities. For example, the new have gone migrants being resettled in the massachusetts area. We'll have very different needs, some long term established communities here that are probably dealing with the impact of covid on business. Secondly, data decks, desegregation could reveal significant disparities across ethnic subgroups and dr for more equitable policy responses. Our written testimony includes a number of critical data points highlighting such disparities, but I'll leave you with one eye opening figure. The Filipino Americans account for 4% of nurses in America
But represented 25% of all nurses Who died from COVID-19. It is clear that we need more data understand and address these disparities. And finally this bill includes a number of safeguards and would only apply to state agencies that already collect racial and ethnic data. Furthermore. The bills measures would be voluntary and any individual could decide to opt out. It is a narrowly tailored bill that would improve the clarity of data that the commonwealth is already collecting. The potential economic and health7678 benefits of this bill is important to the communities. So I urge you to favor an advanced this bill favorably7686 out of committee. Thank you again for your time.
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Thank you very much Yasmin for your testimony. Any questions for the witness from the committee seeing none. Thank you very much Don
some Asian Task force against domestic violence john oh
good afternoon chairman Pacheco chairman Cabral and members of the committee, my name is Don Salman. I'm the co executive director of the asian Task Force against domestic violence otherwise known as a task And a member of A P. I. S. Can A P. I. S. Can is a statewide network of 24 organizations and allies with the focus on low income api communities in massachusetts. A pease can represents a large breath of the Asian7740 American population. From Worcester to Boston to local. I am here to testify in a task and a pecans shared agenda in support of H3115 and ensuring equitable representation in the Commonwealth. A task is the only culturally and linguistically specific organization in massachusetts, serving asian victims of violence and trauma. We have served Asian victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking trafficking from over 35 different countries and that have spoken over 40 Asian languages. This ethnically and linguistically diverse population of asian survivors have education levels7778 ranging from fourth grade to graduate degrees are low income living in unstable housing, limited english proficient working service industry jobs can't access proper healthcare and are often single mothers with school age Children.
They do not fit the dominant narrative that asians are well educated, own their own homes are self sufficient and upwardly mobile aggregated data fails to show the vast inequities among racial and ethnic group fails to show that although asians, when compared with other racial groups have the highest income, they also have the lowest household incomes with almost 50% of asian ethnic groups earning less than median household incomes, particularly thai Bangladesh Nepal nepali and lough groups and also the lowest household incomes, particularly in recently settle refugee groups such as Bhutanese micronesian. When asian education attainment is disaggregated by asian subgroups, nearly half have lower educational attainments than the national average, many with less than a high school education, particularly in Cambodian Vietnamese and chinese groups further disparity is attributed to high rates of limited english proficiency among certain asian ethnic groups.
Many asian languages are labeled as low incident, which in many respects is re interpreted as low priority. This very data is what creates the foundation of policy. It is the evidence and evidence based practices. It is the information used to train providers on diversity equity and inclusion and the rationale that drives the budget and the allocation of funds to populations in need and prioritizes these issues without disaggregated data. This unique the unique experience of asian pacific islander groups are rendered invisible and underrepresented in the stories of poverty, homelessness, racism, trauma and health disparities. We urge you as a task and a Pease can to support Data equity in7911 moving H3115 favourable through the legislative process for affirmative vote in the legislature. Thank you so much.
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Thank you very much. Don any questions of Dawn. Um seeing none. Thank you.
Somebody has there.
Mhm.
Are you on? Okay now it's off. Okay. Dr lisa choi
Yeah, good afternoon. Thank you. Chair Pacheco and share Cabral and members of the Joint committee on the State administration and regulatory oversight. My name is dr Alyssa choi my pronouns are she her hers And I'm a board certified physician in internal medicine and infectious diseases and a fierce advocate7962 for health equity and I'm here speaking as an individual in strong support of H3115 which is a necessary step toward achieving health equity by enabling collection of specific accurate and disaggregated data. The U. S. Census is already collecting disaggregated data for multiple racial groups. This bill would enable that same data collection for massachusetts. Asians are the fastest growing racial ethnic group, but also the most heterogeneous with the greatest proportion of limited, limited english proficiency. Foreign born individuals with no common unifying language, religion, cultural background or entry point into the US. Health data for our asian community is typically aggregated, but this fails to reveal deep health disparities within the larger asian community, Cambodian and southeast asian community members have higher rates of post traumatic stress disorder.
South asians and Filipinos die more due to heart disease than any other asian subgroups and white counterparts. Asians overall have cancer as the leading cause of death. But disaggregated data reveals South asian men are twice as likely to die of heart disease than from cancer. For Koreans, the opposite is true. The death rate for cancer is nearly twice the death rate8038 for heart disease. We now recognize the importance of non medical social determinants of health in affecting health outcomes. And while the model minority myth proposes the false narrative that asians are all more financially educationally and professionally successful, inaccurate, aggregated data on asians fails to address the widest income and educational disparities which occur within the asian community itself, not between asians and other races. Disproportionate distributions of asian subgroups in frontline essential workers such as Filipinos and native Hawaiian pacific Islanders in front line health care workers and in the uninsured,
For example, greatest proportion of uninsured is in the Korean and Korean American community and the lowest rates are in the Japanese and Japanese American community. These have all contributed to COVID-19 disparities and other health disparities accurate specific Disaggregated data collection. As proposed by age 3115 will enable all asians to be seen and counted so that those most in need and suffering from disparities and health are not overlooked. And so that true health equity for all can ultimately be achieved. I urge you to vote age 3115 favorably out of committee. Thank you to representative tacky Chan and Representative tram Nguyen for presenting in favour of H 3115. Thank you to the committee for the opportunity to provide my testimony and I will be submitting written testimony afterwards. Thank you.
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Thank you very very much Doctor for your testimony. Any questions for the doctor.
We see none. Thank you very much. I have a question. Is it too late care. Uh the8149 questions are not,8151 I have a question. There are no questions from uh anyone outside of the committee. The committee is the only one that can ask questions. Thank you. I'm sorry. Yeah Kimberly trying
good afternoon and chair Pacheco uh Check overall and members of the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory oversight. My name is Kim Jong and my gender pronouns are she heard her say them. There's I'm a social justice educator and higher education and the health professions with more than 20 years of experience. I've been recognized by the National Association for Diversity Officers in Our Education for my exceptional contributions to research, administration practice advocacy and policy for informing and advancing and understanding of diversity equity and inclusive excellence. And higher education Data equity is an integral part of best practices in education. McNair, Bensimon and Malcolm Pacheco in 2020 published a book called from equity talk to equity walk, expanding practitioner knowledge for racial justice and higher education. The authors draw on research that they conducted, sponsored by the Association of American Colleges and Universities and the Center for Urban Education at the8227 University of Southern California.
One major recommendation is to disaggregate data for racial equity. This past year I participated in the Bridgewater State University of Racial Equity and Justice Institute along with representatives from over 40 other colleges and universities in Massachusetts. As a result of these conversations, many member institutions, including the one that I'm affiliated with, committed to data equity as part of our d. I. And judy strategic planning processes. Over the years, I have advocated for data equity to better understand the diverse experiences of racial and ethnic subgroups. Data equity provides us with more nuanced understandings of the experiences of ethnic subgroups and allows us to provide targeted outreach to these groups as well as targeted support to better improve outcomes and education. This means providing better quality of life by increasing educational attainment, life earnings and career opportunities for instance, in education.
When we disaggregate data on educational8286 outcomes, were able to see how some ethnic subgroups are underrepresented and they need additional support to improve their outcomes. This includes Southeast asians, pacific Islanders, individuals who are descendants of enslaved people in the US mexican americans and other central americans and indigenous populations and health. This could mean the opportunity to live longer. For instance, data equity could help us to better understand some ethnic subgroups are susceptible to certain health conditions, provide opportunities for research funding to examine these issues and to develop medical interventions to improve their life outcomes. I hope that you will positively consider the data equity bill, House Bill8327 3115. In addition, I'm in support of the indigenous people say House bill 3191 and Senate bill 2027. Being able to provide gender neutral designations and state documents and identification of House Bill 3126 and establishing gender neutral bathrooms. House Bill 3124 and Senate Bill 2026. Thank you for your time and consideration. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Thank you very very much for your testimony. Any questions from the state administration committee at this time? Same. None. We thank you. Um, Franklin
or do the ambush college here. Yes, I'm ready. Thank you always yours.
Thank you. Thank you for providing time for this for these remarks. I'm here to support passage of H 3115 for the desegregation of massachusetts state data related to asian american, native Hawaiian and pacific Islanders. I'm currently that john Woodruff Simpson lecturer at Amherst College in western massachusetts. My graduate training was in asian studies, primarily ming dynasty china and Tokugawa Japan. But soon after assuming my first teaching position at Occidental College in Los Angeles turned to the movement that created ethnic studies and specifically asian american studies at UCLA and then California State University. Long Beach. Much of my research and teaching centred on stories of immigrants from china and Japan and continues uh, to be so at the time, The 1970 census revealed that there were only 1.5 million of us who were Americans of Asian descent, mostly Japanese, Chinese, Filipino and Korean Americans. The 2020 census determined that there are now closer to 25 million of us with many more southeast asian south asian and west asian8448 americans.
We are incredibly diverse and growing8451 rapidly in every part of our nation. I want to tell you that massachusetts reflects important national trends, especially with regard to numbers of immigrants and their Children and now grandchildren Who arrived after the 1965 Immigration Act removed racial barriers excluding immigrants from Asia. After leaving Long Beach State, I became director of the ethnic studies department at the University of hawaii. Then in 1993 I was visiting professor at the University of Pennsylvania 800 College at Princeton Columbia 1997. The Smithsonian Institution created the Asian Pacific American Center and invited me to become its founding director. Later I was chief of the asian division at the Library of Congress In 1915, Amherst College invited me to join the faculty as8503 a visiting professor at the American Studies Department. Six years later, I am still at Amherst and I'm extremely pleased with my newly adopted home state. Go sox go Bruins Celtics go renegades homeowners.
Uh my experience has demonstrated that this aggregation data desegregation for this rapidly growing racial group is both locally and nationally critical to growth and equity growth in terms of recognition and support of entrepreneurs and professionals among immigrants and their Children and equity in terms of providing needed support for those in8539 our communities who need them. I8541 understand that there are some immigrants who opposed desegregation, fearing that these data will be used by people who mean to use them in racist fashion to harm us. As someone who has been fighting racism for half a century. I want to tell them that these people do not need this aggregated data for their evil aims to our immigrant neighbors. I would say please talk to younger people in our community who must live with the consequences of our actions. Talk to your own Children and nieces and nephews about this issue and the direction our state must take massachusetts8572 has a rare opportunity here to continue its proud tradition of meaningful innovation by disaggregated data among our communities. Thank you. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Thank you very much Franklin and we need all the ruling we can for the sox right now. Thank you for your thank you for your testimony. Any questions of professor seeing none. We thank you very much. Uh Next kamboni a mutual assistance association bora. If you could introduce yourself
bora.
We once
twice
uh
thank you uh affiliation as U. Mass Lowell and pitching me if you could introduce yourself. Sure, can you hear me now? She can. Thank you very much. Thank you. Chair Pacheco and Cabral and the community members. My name is pits McCoy and I'm an associate professor of education and the co director of the Center for asian american studies here at U Mass Low. I'm here to lend our support to Representative chance proposed House bill H 3115 suggests that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts standardized the state forms to collect race and ethnicity data to being more closely resembling the way that federal census breaks down Asian American data. This allows for more comprehensive research analysis and provision of services to our massachusetts. Asian american pacific islander communities. We urge state agencies including the new mass system that already collects racial data to further detail these categories by ethnicity and subgroups. The center for asian american studies that you Meschino promotes the research and education about asian americans, particularly southeast asian americans. In new England we focus on education, health, civic engagement and cultural preservation and innovation.
All areas of particular concern to the Cambodian Vietnamese allow among and burmese communities. It is also important to note that the asian american community is characterized by diverse homelands, cultural backgrounds, traditions and languages and each community has different needs and issues. For example, Southeast asians have the high rates of poverty, 38% for among americans, 29% for Cambodian americans, 18% for laotian americans and 17% for Vietnamese americans in massachusetts, there are higher poverty rates of households headed by single mothers, 40% for Cambodian Americans and 38% for Vietnamese Americans. Southeast asians have staggering high high school drop out rates. The National Center for Educational Statistics estimates that the national dropout rates are at 6%, whereas 40% among8757 38% of the ocean and 35% of community Cambodian americans work. Um, I have dropouts, rapes. Over half of the Southeast asian americans have not attended college. U. S. Census found that 51% of Vietnamese, 63% among and 66% of Cambodian and laotian americans have not attended college Among the committee Americans in Massachusetts age 25 or older, only 10% have attained a bachelor's degree and 3% have attained a graduate or professional degree.
Limited english proficiency is also a major obstacle and access to health care as well as education in massachusetts, about half of the com I or Cambodian americans8802 and Vietnamese americans say they do not speak english very well. Among the five point million english language learners in the United States. Chinese is the third most common language spoken in the Els Holmes followed by Vietnamese as the fifth among as the 10th most spoken languages among Els student population8822 data. Desegregation about asian americans is vital to identify and address the needs of Southeast asians and other subgroup populations, accurate research policy development is impossible without it. If data about asian americans and pacific Islanders are not disaggregated the following statistics that I just decided will become invisible. Therefore we urge you to8845 support House Bill 31 15 and move it favorably through the legislative process. Thank you for your time and consideration. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Thank you very much professor. Any questions from8857 members of the committee.
Seeing none. We thank you very much for your testimony representing the Southeast AsIA Resource Action Center. Natalie you can the floor is yours. You can introduce yourself please.
Good afternoon. I'm Natalie trunk um the education policy Manager at the Southeast Asian Resource Center um also known as Iraq we are a national civil rights organization that empowers communities from cambodia Laos and Vietnam to create a socially just and equitable society as representatives of the largest refugee community ever resettled in the United States. We stand with other refugee communities communities of color And social justice movements in pursuit of social equity. And we are here today to express our support for age 3115, the data equity bill um see Iraq and our communities have advocated for data dis aggregation for more than a decade. We know that the collection analysis and reporting of disaggregated data is one of the most important civil rights issues for asian american, native Hawaiian and pacific Islanders today. And it's important to understanding the disparities and resources needed to support Southeast asians. In passing this act, massachusetts would be leading the way nationally expanding the scope of agencies that would disaggregate data compared to all other states.
This is to be celebrated and applauded data. Desegregation is particularly important for education equity. We know that most studies and reports on race have aggregated asian americans and multiple ethnic ethnic subgroup data into a single racial category. Such practices ignore the dynamics that existing really shows are concentrated within specific subgroups as previous speakers have also amplified. Um The U. S. Census Bureau reports data annually on at least 22 distinct self identified A NHP I groups, each with their own um linguistic cultural and historical differences and migration um differences on how they came to the United States and their outcomes. Um So where does aggregated data is available? It often reviews the vast differences in education and social economic among the broader MHP I populations. Um and I can list off a bunch of statistics. But I'll say that for my written testimony.
Um, as students from low income refugee communities that have been underserved and marginalized, having lack of language access and culturally relevant support from teachers from peers um, from community supports these negatively affects Southeast asian students, opportunities in schools and studies have also found that Southeast asian students had suspensions and expulsions rates that were at least 2 to 3 times higher than those from9022 East asian countries. So in conclusion, we thank you for the opportunity to testify in support of this important bill um, in order to better serve our asian, american native Hawaiian and pacific islander communities, we need to first better understand their outcomes as unique ethnic communities beyond the broad findings of the aggregated asian umbrella and to adequately address the issue of equity for underserved communities. State agency should collect, analyze and report this aggregated racial and ethnic data. And this bill allows individuals to make the determination to report their ethnic subgroup data for this very reason. Um, so we'll follow up with a written testimony with more data and resources um, on this important data equity and ethnic visibility issue. Thank you for your time.
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Thank you very very much Natalie for your testimony. Any questions of the witness from the committee Seeing none. We thank you very much. Next, we'll go to Sarah Wilson lawyers for civil rights share.
Uh, hello, thank you for having me. I'm Sarah Wilson, a civil rights fellow with lawyers for civil rights. LcR is a nonprofit legal organization that works with communities of color and immigrants to fight discrimination and foster equity through creative and courageous legal advocacy. And we often rely on data to do so. We respectfully submit this testimony in support of H3115 and act ensuring equitable representation in the Commonwealth. Having accurate up to date data as this bill requires is critical for identifying inequities and pointing9121 the way towards more equitable solutions in several areas. We, as civil rights advocates rely on data for our disparate impact work. Recently, LCR has focused on tech inequities in the Commonwealth. For example, certain areas of Massachusetts are more affected than others by tech inequities in Franklin County, of households in the town of Monroe and 40% of window have no Internet service subscriptions. Same with low income urban communities also being affected by this current data shows where inequities exist, but the availability of disaggregated racial and ethnic data like this bill would mandate, would show more precisely who is most affected and provide a roadmap for9166 targeted remedial steps. Disaggregated data within racial and ethnic groups is critical to this endeavour. Without specific data, there is a risk of masking inequities9176 that exist in the commonwealth. Equitable representation extends beyond the digital divide. Disaggregated. Demographic data is vital to civil rights work and services provided by the state and housing education and many other areas. For example. Disaggregated data within racial and ethnic groups would help ensure vaccine equity by informing the state of where it9199 needs to target vaccine based education campaigns. Public availability of demographic data is necessary for tracking inequities and for transparency of who has served most by state agencies. Strengthening database knowledge is better for the commonwealth, better for advocates and better for individuals who need service the most. Thank you.
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Thank you very much. Sarafiya testimony. Any questions of the witness from members of the State administration committee
hearing? None. Thank you very much. That exhausts the testimony that we have in terms of support at least those that have identified their support for the bill at this.9243
[PECHECO:] At this time we have a category of unknown because people have not identified whether they were supporting or opposed to the pieces of legislation that were taking testimony on now and so we'll find out as we go along.
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So next representing the asian americans for equal rights, I'll turn it over to you and you can introduce yourself.
Hello dear. Chair and members of the joint committee. I'm here pogue, a bellman, resident of social policy researcher and the vice president of asian americans for equal rights. I opposed misnamed Data equity bill. Actually, it's a bill that requires the government to collect national origin information. The bills supporters intend to use data to provide language services. However, the information is not the language spoken at home. If the national origin information, it could not be used to decide what language person speaks for example I migrate from china. Do you know what language I speak? Usually by knowing I'm chinese. Mhm. Yet. National Oranges linked to COVID-19 the Chinese virus. The bill actually will help people who hate chinese to target us. Not just chinese.
Many immigrants such as Iranian Mexican. Also terrified to ask, where are you really from by any government personnel? This bill treat people9333 as data points to draw out information really9336 as well as we have no feeling I emphasised intimidation burden trauma9342 inflicted on immigrants by such data collection effort. Even if freeze as self identified are optional Data. Do discriminate and intimidate such as the citizenship question on 2020 census questionnaire. This bill is worse than citizenship question because the data collection is daily. National origins are closely related to citizenship. Let us do not repeat the same mistake here. Also, data collection is not optional in three ways. First, when facing government individuals especially immigrants, are quite powerless. They do not dare to reduce answer any questions.
The government is an authority with coercive institutions power our people9386 it becomes with the effect on monetary data collection effort. Second, immigrants, in your strikes when being asked their national Arabian. The stress is not optional. If you feel comfortable or even excited to see our national origin printed on a government form. Then Congress, congratulations. You have a lot of privilege and police do not assume other people have the same sir. The bill will inevitably create a system that sort and rank immigrants by national origin. Such national, such as which nationality is the poorest seekers use the most public services have the highest crime rate. There will be always people who fall fall to the bottom categories at least to shame stigma. And the words it provides so called database evidence to pay ways for immigration exclusion policy in the future based on national origin. No one can of this ranking system. So please send the bill to study. Thank you much. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Thank you very much. E any questions from members of the State administration committee hearing none. Thank you. Mhm. Helen, Yang asian americans for equal rights. Yeah, I'm here. I'm here. Yes, read ahead.
Thank you so much. Chair Pacheco culture, Cabral and members of the joint committee, this is Helen yang from the asian americans for equal rights testifying against H 3115 on january 30th 2000 and 18 my daughter and I joined nearly 1000 people at the state house To testify against H 3361. This bill is a variation and a third attempt. The language may be a little different but the concerns about privacy and potential misuse still loom large. This bill is completely unnecessary, misleading and outright dangerous. First the Census Bureau already collects the country of origin and makes it available as granular as a block level, which is sufficient for research and policy9517 making. The Census Bureau is prohibited by law to share individual data with any other government agencies. So this bill is designed to circumvent the law to give the individual data to state government agencies.
It does not make sense by the way the list of countries in this bill is different from the census form. Is it by mistake or by design? The community should find out. 2nd proponents of the bill talked about language support this summer, I went to tycoon village title village in chinatown to help out, but we couldn't communicate because I speak mandarin and they speak Cantonese and my Children may need help with mandarin, spanish and french, but definitely not english. So what is the correlation between someone's controversy, origin and9569 their language needs? Why can't we just ask if someone needs language support? It is simple, logical and accurate. The same logic also applies to socioeconomic status, food preferences and health care using countries of origin does not provide personalized services provides stereotyped services.
One of the cheers asked why the bill invites so many oppositions because asian americans face a unique challenge that we are perceived as perpetual foreigners. This bias combined with the country of origin data can be outright dangerous. We have seen it again and again from the chinese exclusion act to the Japanese internment in World War Two. From the murder of Vincent chin to the recent anti asian hate crimes. Thank you chair Pacheco and Cabral and members of the committee for the opportunity to testify and for your commitment to give everyone a chance to speak, which I truly admire. Please stop this bill once and for all this is already the third time and we have had enough for the terrible waste of everybody's time. Please help us. Thank you so much.
Thank you very much Helen. And next uh, if there's any questions from members of the state administration committee seeing none. Thank you very much Ria shang.
Yes, matching that correctly. Real. Yeah I'm here. Okay. The floor is yours.
Sure. Um, Thank you chairman. My name is Roxanne and I'm here today to strongly oppose the bill H 3115 H 3115 is an even worse bill than its proceeding bills. It expands its problems to an even larger population. Three years ago this bill was H3361 and I was in the Massachusetts statehouse to testify to oppose the bill. Two years ago it became H 4408 and I was against it and today it is H 3115. No matter how someone changed this bill. It is a bad bill. It was, it is and it will,9704 it labels people based on where their ancestors are from, which is why I opposed the bill and no different from the original bill. My reasons are followed. I have two kids and they go to public schools in massachusetts every day. They eat the same lunch as their white and black classmates in school. Guess what? They're free food is she's pizza. They learned the same value as their white and black classmates in school. They speak the same language english as their white and black classmates.
Why put a label on them and calling them korean chinese or Taiwanese. My9740 kids are american. They don't need representative take a chance to tell them who they are. H 3115 is racial profiling as we all know, discrimination and attacks against asian americans have surged in the past year in the United States. Since the start of covid 19 when former President donald trump referred to coronavirus as the china virus And H3115 will only perpetuate the stereotype that Americans of Asian descendants are foreigners. Second, neither representative Turkey, Chan Nor Tram9774 one is really addressing the9776 privacy issues today. They9778 did not respond to the privacy issue at all. The entire premise of this bill that state agencies can copy the census form is completely wrong. Chief Karen battle the population division at the Census Bureau agreed that state agencies and other federal agencies should not copy the census form because the census data is subject to title 13. That safeguards privacy and security of the data, why other agencies do not have the same protections in place. Hence should not blindly copy the census form Right now. Our country is far9810 more divisive than before and this bill H3115 will only9814 even divide our country especially it will hurt Americans of Asian descendants most if passed, it will have the potential to legalize racial profiling, create division and segregation. I solemnly request that you reject this bill and request Representative Techie Chan to withdraw this bill from the state Senate House. Thank you. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Thank you very much. Uh well if your testimony any questions from members of the state administration committee
hearing none, we'll move on to and in some of9852 the names as they move forward here, I may mispronounce please correct me if I if I do um
uh huh. Chan Hi yeah, Dubois pen.
Okay, thank you. Yes, good afternoon. Cabral and chair. Pacheco and the honourable members of the joint committee. My name is Dubois pen. I'm here to oppose H 3315. I would first like to highlight one key element in this bill. Government agency should be defined as any state9891 agency classes state agency, subdivision of state agency or board commission or entity created by the commonwealth of massachusetts. So it has a huge scope. It's not it's not narrowly tailored and it's not limited to education, income or anything. The support claim this bill is full and in reality what this means, this means that I will probably have to fill out the same information many momentum over you know with different government agencies and then the same information will be collected by many many9931 agencies.
So I don't see the point of doing the same thing over and over and earlier today Representative uh Nguyen testified the benefit of the data to secure funding for people in her district and provide providing bilingual services. I just don't see me feeling out the same information in many agencies helped that course. And Representative Kane also mentioned about appreciation of ones culture but I have a very9965 hard time connecting you know, once appreciation of his or her culture with filling out my country for origin on a form you know, for example, for I. M. V. And there's already a lot of information regarding the disparities between different ethnic groups out there. And can we focus on utilising that data and see what we can do to help resolve some of that disparity other than embarking on, you know, making another broad bill that would collect all the information that may not be necessary or even10004 relevant. Thank you very much. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Thank you10009 for your testimony. Any questions and members of the State Administration committee. Well done. We thank10015 you for your testimony.
Clinton design
link Lehman Zhang.
Move on, Roseanne.
I you Roseanne. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Oh yeah I'm here can10046 go right ahead.
Hi um I10049 um the owner of the community. I'm very um thank you for10055 inviting me here to um10057 to um testimony. I'm strongly upside the bill10063 H 3115.10064 I had been in the um other events before when the bill initially proposal and10075 I did not10076 have a very good preparation today but I just want to express my big concerns about the bill10084 which first of all it's I think10087 it's race race profiling. Uh it will divide the asian American Society even more and together with other race in the country. 2nd um I heard the testimony from the professor from Nora Ramos Nora and from her own testimony10113 I10114 heard a lot of food data already to present different10119 uh stats about um about some like asian americans. So I10128 I think there are other ways we can get the data for help the research, medical research or10136 other purpose but ah through a um a monetary government bill to connect those data. That's not a good idea and we should10150 not do that. So I'm10152 here strongly upset this bill and thank you for the10157 consideration. Yeah SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
10161 thank10161 you Rosanne just for clarification, you are familiar that this is not mandatory. It's voluntary. In10169 terms of giving the information10170 on the census form. It's voluntary. So you would have to, you would have10176 to provide it. It's not something that you mandated to provide. Thank you. Thank you for the first question.10187 Thank10188 you. Next Mabel um Are I'm here, can you see me? Can10194 you hear me? Okay now this is the beginning.10197
All right, this is Mabel um are and I'm against the bill,10201 H 3115 but10203 I do support the rest of them like H H 3191 H 3124 and H10210 3126. And this is the third time10213 I'm repeating some of the things we have been here over10216 three years. Some of10218 the things that people have10219 talked about before, I would like the honourable mr Chan to stop, stop, please stop this bill. Uh let's not bring it up10229 again next year.10230 And it looks like to meet the difference between his people. They are favoured it and us it's like we're talking about10238 two different things. They're talking about data because they most of that them our10244 in organization college universities, they need the10248 grant the10249 proposal to to fund their organization. But we are talking about daily living, we're talking about how we encounter racism and because the last four years I'm talking about10262 all myself, speaking10263 for myself the last four long years we have to endure.
The man his administration occupied our10272 white house people, there are Racists are more they embolden them and10278 not have10280 encountered very often that people just come to my face. I10284 have been in shops. They told me go go next door, okay,10289 this is what we are against this bill and I do have a sign long sign in front of my house that say stop asian hate and if this bill is passed, do we do I put out the asian do I say stop chinese hate two doors down10307 their Japanese or stop Japanese hate. And what if we do not do it to the black latino or the white? Why are we doing it to the asians Only because they repeat data, data10321 and data. I understand this is boston, we have many, many over abundance of universities, hospitals and10330 everybody is trying to10331 get this little part of money10335 and this is what is this what they're10337 fighting for then I have a wise for them learn how to write grants,10343 better learn how to follow instructions.
Sometimes a change or a10347 few words you can get your10349 grant or10350 talk to10351 my husband, he knows how to write grants. Okay you10354 can have my email,10355 okay10356 you will really10357 help. So let's not do10359 this bill again10360 and again Like the Liberty Mutual's Commercial three Kids jumping the role until they10367 are so old and10368 tired. They cannot do it anymore. Okay let's not have another grand holiday10373 again and I would not want to be10376 back here again next year for the same thing. We are the voters, we are the voters, we do not work in the you know maybe10384 some of us do work in the university or colleges, they need they need the10389 fun, they need the money to support what the for promotion for whatever10395 they are doing but let's not come down to our Children, our grandchildren. Uh it's not good10402 for us. Thank10403 you.
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Thank10404 you10404 very much. Thank you very much Mabel. And in any questions, questions10409 from the State10410 administration Committee for our witness.
10415 Not10415 at this time. Thank you very much for your testimony
next. Uh, H A10422 O Y A N G.10424 Yeah, I'm10426 here. Yes.10427 This is how your view. Okay,10429 can you10430 hear me? Nice to see you and I can hear10432 you and see you.
Thank you. Dear10435 Chair, Pacheco Chair.10436 Cabral and members of the joint committee. Um my name is how young you and I'm testifying against Bill H3115,10442 same as its predecessor. H3361. This bill seeks to seeks to disaggregate data collected by government agencies based on ethnicity and10453 original country. It's hard to believe that today, 2020, 2021, almost 60 years after the Civil Rights Act of 1964. We're10463 still talking about10464 this discriminatory bill. I thought10466 we got rid of discrimination on the10468 basis of race and original once and for10471 all, I'm deeply10472 concerned about10473 this bill because once abused, it can easily lead to racial profiling10477 stereotype stigma10479 against which we're all10481 working extremely hard10482 to fight minority groups and immigrants. Historically,10485 easy targets at politically sensitive times. According to FBI. Annual report released just a month ago, more than 10,000 people reported law enforcement last year that they were victims of a hate crime because10499 of their race or ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender,10503 religion or disability. This is the highest level10507 in the recent 1210508 years. Since the beginning of10510 the COVID-19 pandemic.10511 Thousands10512 of people in10513 the United States States have been victims of anti asian incidents.
Now.10518 With the new challenge of US china relationship,10521 our chinese americans can easily become targets. This could range from a verbal abuse to physical attacks.10529 Think about your daily life. This could just be a bad joke from your co worker. It could be10534 the reason you may not get that promotion you've always10537 wanted. And if you're lucky enough to be a professor who works who happens to have a10542 joint project10543 with10543 the chinese university. A spy charge could be trumped up against you today. This is10549 happening to our chinese americans tomorrow. It could happen to japanese americans or german americans. Remember once10556 they have this data is very prone to misuse and abuse.10561 Do you really trust the government agencies to collect your ethnic data10565 to our Children and Children's Children always have have to wear a label marking there original country. And10573 will they always be vulnerable10575 to hateful rhetoric and discriminatory policies? To me the10580 risk is just too big. It definitely always the benefits it may bring if10585 any This is just my $2 and I10587 really appreciate your10588 time. Thank you.
SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Thank you very very much for your testimony. Any questions10593 from members of10594 the state administration committee?10596 The10598 witness seeing none. Thank you. Next chinese americans10604 of Lexington mr10607 su. Mhm posey shoe.
Uh you have to take10618 yourself. There you go. Yes please introduce yourself10623 to hear.
Okay um thank you chair Pacheco chair Cabral and members of the joint committee10630 for this opportunity to share our concerns. My name is health issue pricing of complex chinese americans of Lexington, co president of comma chinese americans of massachusetts. I'm here10643 to strongly oppose bill at 31 15 1st. It's critical like all of us no matter10651 Lewis or ethnicity work together to fight Lewis is um including anti asian hate which spiked during the pandemic. However let's build undermines10662 the solidarity of lisa fight it divided american society, especially the A. P. R.10669 Community. A biele is spread10671 into 2410672 subgroups with less than 7%10675 of the population10676 Compared to 21 subgroups With the10680 remaining 93% of the population. Second, while the Census Bureau closed the door10686 to prevent any government agencies including FBI the eyes10691 and CIA from accessing respondent answers this bill opens the door for all state agencies to collect personal information, identifying the country of origin in10705 this bill poses a severe10707 safety issue10708 to different ethnic groups, politically10711 sensitive times?
Imagine in10716 the10717 1970s and 80s, how will10719 this bill impact Japanese americans as labor accused of causing10724 job losses in10725 the auto industry After 9 11, How, how will this10730 bill impact the Muslim communities and now because of the pandemic and the top relationship between us and china10739 chinese americans have been and continue to be heard by discrimination, scapegoating and hate crimes.10747 If this bill passes, our life will be10750 much more difficult. Third, In the10753 past 170 years since the first wave of asian immigration, the discrimination against asian americans never stops.10762 That's because10763 that's because we are perceived10765 as perpetual10767 foreigners, foreigners are always the first10769 group to be10770 targeted. Brand and scapegoated during difficult10774 times. This, this bill that enforces the stereotype left asian americans10779 are perpetual foreigners to conclude if we want10783 to united to fight the system. If we want to eliminate the perpetual foreigner10789 stereotype for asian americans. If chinese americans10792 are still a10793 part of american society fabric, Bill 31 15 has to be rejected. Thank you for your time.
SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Thank you for10803 your testimony. Any questions of gentlemen on this10808 particular, uh, at this particular time for members of the state administration committee Seeing none. Thank you very much10817 enjoy the way way.
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Uh I'm testifying opposition to10921 H 3115. We all agree there's are large10926 diversity and10927 the disparity among the massachusetts10929 residents. Many of10931 us are very successful. Well, some of us are barely hanging on. People10935 need to help identifying who needs10938 what is a daunting10939 task. It is very tempting.10941 Two groups, people according to10944 their ethnic origins10945 and think that effort will be useful to10948 guide government services. I understand that impulse and and I10953 admire representative change, good intentions and effort, but I must offer my strongest disagreement. It is simply wrong to assume people's needs10963 are inherent in their ethnic10965 origin. A jobless10967 single mother who is identified as10969 german maybe more in dire need of social services than brain surgeon identified as mexican.
A man identified as chinese10978 may not need language translation services at all because10982 he could be10983 very fluent in chinese and may not10985 even speak any foreign languages. Data collections based10989 on criteria such as levels of income education, english language proficiency are much10996 more meaningful than the ones based on ethnic origins. This bill,11000 it becomes11001 law. It will provide a misleading data while reinforced the existing prejudice and stereotype in recent11009 years, we have11010 witnessed the increasing political polarization in our communities. Ethnical groups are being routinely being labeled as this party or that11019 party is political base as such. It11022 has become even more difficult11024 to be to rationally and positively participate in the democratic process. If this bill11031 becomes the law, it will shatter our small community11034 into even smaller fragments. We could11037 see tribalism prevail and our political unity advantage. This bill has dangerous potentials.11043
America prides itself as being a melting pot people arriving this beautiful11050 promised land with a shared desire for liberty11053 and a11054 better life in pursuit of11056 the common dream. We all become americans. This bill has11060 the effect of asking the11062 familiar question that is no,11064 no. Where are you really from?11066 It reminds us the11068 unpleasant occasions when we11070 were forcefully, when we were forcefully11072 suggested to go back to where we came from. We all struggle off this type of events as a small number of people being insensitive or misinformed. But when the state government asks the same thing, in the course of a conducting11087 routine business, it11089 arises to a new11090 level. It is particularly hurtful to the 2nd and 3rd generation immigrants11095 who were born11096 and raised as11097 americans. In light of the recent violent11100 crimes targeting11101 asian americans. The consequences11103 of this bill is even more11105 alarming in summary H 3115 is11110 a very problematic bill. I urge you to vote against it. This bill has little grassroots support, but the vast opposition in the asian american community. Thank you. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Thank you very much11124 Any questions We do have a question from uh Representative Representative Michele. If you want to uh ask your question, go right ahead.
11136 Thank you. Actually Chairman, I11138 just wanted to11139 thank my constituents for testifying. I have quite a few people from Lexington here and I want11145 them to know that11146 we are listening carefully and appreciate their input. Thank you.
SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Thank you very11151 much. Thank you. And Lee home.
Hello, can you, can you guys see me and hear me? Yes we can.11167 Okay, great.
Hi, good afternoon. Dear Chair and members of11173 the joint committee and the viewers of the hearing. My name is leon and I would like to thank you for this opportunity to express my strong opposition to the House Bill 31 15 and Act ensuring equitable representation in the Commonwealth. I11189 oppose this bill because the identification and policy11193 making by race11194 and ethnicity emphasises differences among11198 people and open stores to discrimination. The concept of race came from uh, came after the europe european11207 colony colonization and exploration11210 of the11211 new world. It emphasized individual sites, shape skin color care form,11218 et cetera. In a specific region, anthropologists11222 see11223 races as11224 temporary and changing from the11226 phenomenon in modern America. Sometimes it's difficult11230 to draw sharp11231 lines between racial groups. The races we see in America today are different from those of yesterday and will be different tomorrow the Decker declaration of the Independence tell us that11245 the United States is established on the idea that all men11249 are created equal and the11251 U. S. Government has been advocating equal treatment11254 of each individual regardless of race and ethnicity.
However, by collecting and using racial and ethnic information to11264 make or influence policies, the government is11267 in fact practicing um discriminating discrimination11273 based on race11274 and ethnicity. Supporter11277 supporters of the11278 bill has testified earlier that the government social programme relies on relying on social and ethnical11286 data. I beg11287 to differ.11288 For example, if the government wants11290 to determine the budget11291 to help chinese communities, language skills. The fact that11295 I'm chinese american doesn't tell you that whether I need to help or what11300 level of help I needed. Rather my education background, my reading and comprehension test scores will11307 give you a much better idea on the same token if you11311 want to figure out where to drive, where to deliver meals on wheels. The11316 fact that I'm chinese american doesn't tell you that I don't need the meal instead my income level, my financial11323 obligations and my taste of food much better and more accurate attributes. I would like to ask the scholars and politicians to think outside11335 the current box11336 and design a better system11338 to deliver social programs.
I agree11341 that there11342 needs to collect racial and ethnic information about11345 an individual but11347 those specific needs should11349 be established separately and openly in due process in a, on a case by case basis by entities directly responsible for the matter rather than11360 by the government as a blank authorization. Because history tells us that blankly, relying on social on racial and ethnic data to make policies11371 can easily be used to against a specific group of11376 people. Any further desegregation11378 of this information only provides more baseline and opportunities for discrimination and government actions. For example, The Chinese11388 Exclusion Act11389 of 1882 prohibited all immigration11393 of chinese11394 labors.
The act is the first and remain the11398 only law to11401 have been implemented to prevent all members of a specific ethnic or national groups11407 from immigrating to the United States11409 Even11410 after its repeal in 1943 due to the needs of geopolitics,11415 Chapter seven with the title exclusion of Chinese remains in the us code Title eight. In the meantime we have already started to see similar policies and actions shaped in the recent11429 political atmosphere11430 where us citizens of chinese descent11433 and chinese11434 students and businesses are targeted by11437 government and politicians. The fear of repeating this kind of history is more realistic to chinese americans than any other social or ethnic groups. A as representative techie Chan expressed earlier11453 today. Asian american, asian hates from last year has11457 profound effect on asian communities. However, if we further just aggregate asians into Beijing chinese shanghai, chinese11465 Hong kong chinese,11466 Taiwan, chinese North America,11468 north Koreans, South korean, Tokyo, japanese, Hawaiian japanese. Will the asian hate become more focused on Wuhan11478 chinese hate?
Only, how can government justify the benefit11482 of those11483 segregation can bring versus the harm has been caused11487 causing to people historically environment and tone at the top influence greatly on how individuals behave. People always say that us is a melting pot. But11500 from my personal experience, the melting part is not that easy when the government and and the education system kept reminding11509 people how11510 much racial and ethnic differences we have and11513 because of those11514 differences, the government will treat us differently in the first grade of a public school. I asked you uh you're going to have to start to wrap it up. Okay so give you11529 example first grade11530 elementary school a public school. My child who11533 was born and raised in11534 the US and have11535 been have both parents. Being US citizens was identified as11540 a chinese but not as an american by many students in the class. One student was the boy who also who was also born in11548 the11548 U. S. But has french11549 citizen father and a Canadian citizen mother with greek descent. In another word white.
His11558 claim was memorable to me because our families are very close and11562 where the last family will believe to teach this. Uh and this family is the last family I will believe to teach this type of concept to their Children. On the other hand, I have11572 a colleague11573 who, his son goes to11574 a private school11575 where they don't emphasise on the racial11577 and ethnic differences11578 in classes. You're over four minutes11581 now. So you're gonna have to conclude your remarks. All right. So basically,11586 um, as11587 earlier today I heard the support for establishing11590 indigenous Day to to heal the11592 communities from effects of colonial explorations. I think it's time11596 to question the validity of racial and11599 ethnic11600 ethnicity as a11601 factor of making11602 government11603 decisions. Therefore, in conclusion, I11605 urge the committee and the people of Massachusetts to take11608 the11609 initiative not to11610 make further racial11611 and ethnical based policies by stopping support to buy, stop supporting this type of bills such as H 3115. Thank you very much.
Thank you, jane. Uh, jane11624 Chen. Yeah, I'm here. Thank11627 you. I'm sorry just11628 one second jane. Any questions of member of the state administration committee from the previous witness from the witness seeing none jane Chen. And again, I'm going to remind everybody11641 Now, I'm gonna11643 make sure we stay adherent to the total number of minutes were giving each each11651 person because every11653 time you're over that amount, you're11657 making everyone else that's waiting.11659 Uh, wait even longer. So it's not fair to the11664 people that are waiting. Okay, jane Chen. Yeah, I work definitely until three minutes. Dear chairs and members of the joint committee.
Thank you for the opportunity to11675 testify in opposition of hospital11678 H 3115. My name is john chang I have three U.11683 S. Born Children. There are 16 14 14. I'm here is for them. Um H11690 311511692 is just a revised version of Old11697 House11697 Bill H3361 which is single out asian american for data desegregation make no mistake H 3115. It's still tackling um11709 asian american community Instead only11713 have 6.9% of Asian American. And this bill divides us11718 for 19 subgroups. The rest of the Latino American Black American Wild Caucasian11725 is total of 19 subgroup So 6.9% verse to 93% population.11734 We can see11736 the intention of this11737 bill even though11738 they changes awarding three 115 used race11743 and ethnicity to collect personal data which you have11747 no scientific basis. I'm a chinese America. I had a DNA test From 23 and11754 me the D. I. N. Resource shows I'm11757 a mix of chinese,11758 they take the time unece Mom Korea11763 and11764 Vietnamese. So I would like to ask a representative,11769 Jackie11770 chan which is subgroup. I11772 should choose one field form. I should follow DNA results or the national origin what I come from my first place or my DNA11783 is our we11785 all know stay fair housing law for profit prohibit landlord to ask tenants National origin. We11795 also know in job interview is illegal to ask applicants national origin then why every state government agency should have the11804 right to collect our national11806 origin data. This bill just waste off taxpayers money. Please help us stop H 3115. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Thank you very much for your time.
Thank you very much.
Chain any questions of members of the committee seeing none. We thank you. Uh
ali wang is next Dooley Wayne.
Ellie wayne. Yes, can11845 you hear me? Yes, okay, sorry I couldn't turn on my camera. Just11851 download the team today. Yeah,11853 so dear committee chairs and members and ali Wong My name is ali Wong and I'm here today to oppose bill H 3115. So last night I told my Children that I will testify to oppose a state bill.11871 They11872 were curious about the bill. So11874 I explain they didn't say much because they were too busy chatting about a new video game only my third grader as money by us.11885 The question really hurt. So that's why11889 I have to be here11890 to testify. Um I'm a mother of eighth graders and a third grader. My Children were born11899 and grew up here thinking they are americans.11902 If this bill passes one day when they11907 fill out a school form they11909 may have to choose11910 chinese because there is no more asian american options. This11915 will definitely cause identity confusion which11918 already bothers11919 them. So11921 today I am a mother standing up and fighting for my Children so they will have the right to identify themselves as american in many moments of their future lives. This11935 bill seriously reminds me about11937 the question me and my family are11940 asked often. Where are you from?11943 Oh no11944 no no no where are you really from? I'm american and my Children are11951 american. Stop asian pay. The bill can potentially bring seriously harm to the asian. American community due to privacy and data security concerns. Dear committee committee members, I respect everyone of you and11968 I believe you can make the right decision which makes most sense for people in the community. Thank you for your11975 time and consideration. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Thank you ah11980 very much
in any11984 questions of alan
seeing no questions hearing no11990 questions. We'll go to jade hum
Hi can you hear me? Yes I can. Thank you.
So thank you chairman's and community members. I'm here today To oppose the Bill H 3115.12007 Um so I've heard many opposers um they have excellent and logical reasons asking to stop the bill. I will add just a couple of Moore So the first12020 I heard some supporters of the bill mentioned12023 about the use of the data in medical field12026 and I'd like to point out um it is fallacious12030 to use this way of collecting data in medical field. Many asian their genetic12037 traits are12038 different than12039 what their ethnic groups or country of origin reflect for example I'm a chinese but my mom is a muslim.12047 So genetically I probably have uh some12053 percentage of Mideast mid eastern um um genes. So um if we12061 use this way to collect data12063 we just can imagine Um we will have policy in the conclusion of12070 the medical research. So this is already 21st century. We can12075 use d. n. a. To collect the data. We should12080 not rely on this12081 error prone to resulting way to collect data. So that's the first point. And the second point I want12088 to here is um data bridge is prevent in this digital12094 era so12095 we should be more12096 vigilant in12097 collecting personal data and12099 I feel that all individual should refuse to share12103 sensitive personal data.12105 Especially um the country of origin or ethnic group12112 data. Um It's just unnecessary and discriminatory.12117 So um yeah so
that's all I want to share.12125 Um Yeah12126 please I ask your help to stop this bill. Yeah thank you. Thank you very much. Mhm. Any questions of members of the state administration12139 committee hearing none. We'll move to12144 when me. G Hi good afternoon Mark Can12151 you hear me?
Yeah I'm calling for we make g. Yes. Hi Mark I'm using my wife team accounted to join this meeting. You can you hear me now? Yes I12168 can? Ok thanks Mark and12170 committee and thanks for having me here and this is my third time and I'm here to strongly oppose the bill 83 1 and five one claim. I will say I don't believe anyone12183 claimed that he or she can represented12187 the whole committee or certain race based on his own Markey just12194 representing himself12195 and no others as you have12197 seen and not absolutely myself and when one baby tramp12203 from Houston12204 I think say that asian americans are diversified, that's not true12210 and I have seen that korean12213 japanese and other issues I shared always almost the12217 same values and started from Asia12220 is not a solid or good reason and one question12225 to talk Tucker is that12227 you keep having this proposal for past three years and did you have done or did you or have you12237 ever done12238 anything details12239 to improve the equality or12243 some conditions in12245 your community and12247 as we know that the history happened of intimate of japanese american in World War two and laboring12255 jewish in Germany which both resulted12259 in the the disasters
as happened in the pandemic started last year, we have heard that chinese Asia were attacked As a12272 target because of COVID-19 and if Chinese were labeled12276 that could have been more victims. But if those12281 implements information was collected and12284 those could be the chance that information could12288 be used in other purpose and which could12291 be out of control and it took Markey Chan is will you have courage to12298 stand out when the accident12300 happened and tell them that you are12304 chinese and you would like12306 to ask you12308 to stop speaking12310 to interrupt you. Um Tacky. Tacky Chan is not here.12316 We're not asking anybody to speak about any individual that's file the bill. Rather the testimony is12323 on the bill. Okay thank12325 you. Okay. Yeah I ask you to please try to uh some up now12332 you have about a minute left. Okay Sure. And as we have heard that the man testimony before LGBT would like to12343 have their privacy to protect and I will say you may12348 believe as a group12349 of society they will be more convincing reasons to12354 distinction all those I L. G B. T. Q. People and should we so I12361 have a question to all of you, especially those in committee or panel who will vote this bill and if someday you're next generation or Children or12372 grandchildren have a marriage with other ratio. And12376 how will you ask your Children12379 to12380 put themselves into this racial12382 category? Well12384 you feel comfortable or proud of telling others that the details of misto mixed race race from their ancestors or were you say that it's their privacy. We respect them as a citizen. They don't need12400 to tell others12401 what the race12402 of their parents12403 or grandparents. It is not the business of others. Government or any organization to anyone ask you. Nobody will feel happy12415
you're out of time12419 please summarize. Okay sure12422 people don't just live for benefits. Moore or more for12428 the social dignity and respect. I hope we all can12433 reject this bill. Thanks thank you. Markey12436 thank you. We have a question from Senator Rush Okay thank you Mr Chair. Not a question but12444 a comment12445 um that that I12448 have been about something that12450 I have heard multiple times um throughout12452 the course of this session and also throughout12454 the course of my life.12455 But I'm going to ask everyone here today who is remaining to testify to testify. Excuse me to please refrain from12462 making any comparisons to the holocaust to nazi Germany or or to anything12467 else along those lines12468 that falls squarely within the realm of anti12470 Semitism. It is inappropriate, it is denigrating and it is wildly12474 disrespectful to the12476 people who perished under the Nazi regime and the survivors12481 whose stories12482 are so moving12484 and personal and horrifying. So I'm going to ask everyone to respectfully refrain from making such false equivalence. These and I'm going to12499 echo your comments Mr Chair and ask everyone who is remaining here to testify today to keep your testimony limited to the content of this12507 bill and not to its sponsors or to any12510 other horrific acts perpetrated against12513 other minority identity groups. Thank you12517 very much. Mr Chair, thank you12520
Senator Rausch next Angie Chin and you
Andrew
you have12534 to admit yourself energy
your microphone. Hello, can you hear12546 me? I can hear you now. Go ahead.12548
Patrick culture Cabral and the12552 members of the joint committee. This is Angie 1012555 and I'm testifying against12557 H3115. An act issued an equitable representation in the colonial. Currently there are 48 countries in Asia,12566 46 countries in Europe 60 countries in Africa, countries in12571 America. H3115 divided all12574 people into many groups based on their original countries from no matter you12578 were born in the USA or not but how to make sure people not in the least included 28 groups. People are 7% of us population Asia America and the more12589 than 125 groups of the12591 rest 93% catholic present represented equitably. I also12597 noticed that Tibet is missed out from chinese as a chinese. I think it is very unfair. Fujian province in China should be listed as one or five even more into the12609 Asian group. There are five main directs and12612 more than 50 directs in Fujian province.12614 Many years ago. Just like to build for there was12618 an independent country12619 called Sena This12621 bill divided people instead of united.12623 Each group of people in the list might be a target.12626 Let's see remained a lesson from modern U. S.12629 History. Well one inspired outbreak of the division and xenophobia12635 that target German immigrants. Michael german descent and even the german language with as peerage act passed in 1917 President was um, but all12649 german americans from living near military12651 facilities airports part times on the capital because every german americans to get fingerprinted and registered rated and the center into camps across across the country looking12663 like prisoners of12664 war. It continued with numbers,12666 internment of Japanese Americans,12668 mostly us freedom during Robertson two,12671 most recently former president trump actively defending a friends of anti chinese hospital12676 play on historic job of chinese12679 immigrants as12680 dangerous and disease invasions. And in light of the new the castle is um, that are fairly provide people of chinese descent, including US citizens like Washington shop and so on. Bill. H 3 1 of five has no detailed strategies, plans of12698 precautions. It has been three years. They couldn't12701 even figure out a reasonable doubt for this12704 conducted data connecting policies And you have 30 seconds engine. Okay, so prepared12712 me. I'm afraid12713 that I couldn't agree with 311512715 around the government to connect anybody's data no matter it12719 is often not enough. Thank you so much. Thank you very much.12723 Any questions from12724 members of the committee.12725 Thank you very much
bogota Min. Sure.
12734 Yes,12734 I'm here. Yes. Ok. Yeah. Okay, thank you12739 for your Pacheco12740 and other12741 committee members from the opportunity12743 to speak here. I'm justifying a position to H 31 in five. The main reason for my objection is12750 that it just does not make sense to me first. I just feel to comprehend12754 how the proposed collection of disaggregated12757 data as to race or ethnicity of12760 mass residents will lead to the achievement of the purported purpose of the bill, which is ensuring equitable representation in the12768 commonwealth as specified in the bill. The race or ethnicity applications are largely linked to national origin. However, there is no congruence12779 between a12780 person's12780 race, ethnicity or national origin as that person's12783 political affiliation,12784 religious or non religious belief, social values or who this person is, For instance, approximately 5.4 million Chinese Americans may12795 share some stereotyped images, but each of us12798 is of our own person well hold different views12801 on many issues and live different lives, just as I'm certain that many of us testifying here today in opposition to this bill do not12809 agree on a lot12810 of things, as we sometimes jokingly say, people from different parts of china cannot even12816 agree on whether to put sugar or salt in12819 tow for Putin's, how can we be12821 put in a box labeled chinese and be represented as12825 a homogeneous people. Our need for12828 interviews on resource12829 allocations and specific government assistance is also very significantly based on our own education, socioeconomic status, personal values, worldviews and other factors on the12841 other hand, people from different racial12843 and ethnic backgrounds may have many common grounds in their belief systems12847 and lifestyles because of factors that are12850 not related to12851 race, ethnicity or national origin. 2nd to achieve the benefit that has been, that, that have mentioned by supporters of this bill. It12861 seems to me that data desegregation is a job that12865 requires collaboration from experts in different fields. Several supporters12869 who have testified before quoted various data to prove that12873 it is important to have desegregated data for meaningful research is to be done.12878 However, those data were12880 obtained in the absence of a government driven data equity bill that this bill purports to be so while data equity is an12888 important and a plausible12889 goal, it makes more sense12891 to me to leave it to professionals in different fields to work on12895 in death data collection12897 from people in specific settings. Therefore, in my opinion, it is insensible and counterproductive12904 to alleviate individuality and to base representation whether it is political representation or representation on uh services on the person's12917 race, ethnicity,12918 ethnicity or national origin. The benefits mentioned or supported by by people just do not outweigh12928 the inherent risk that is kind of bill would carry. Thank you all for your time. Thank you very much. Any questions from members12938 of the committee, 39 moved to England you chairman. My name is Christine change. I'm about to12949 testify. My opinion. Yes,
but I have an emergency12955 downstairs. I need to care for. Would you mind12958 moving me down to a few people or or um, I can test the at the last
I have I12973 have been England you Union Lee Men you. David. Lee If there's no objection12982 there is12984 there any objection from any of you protection. Okay, we'll go to12988 Christine Chen. Okay thank you. Thank you. Thank you everybody. Good12994 afternoon Chairman Mark and everybody here. Can you hear me? Okay?12999 Can you13000 again please? Yeah forward go forward. Yeah, I will speak about13008 my personal opinion about this bill age 31 15. Um, I am a first generation immigrant and now I'm my US citizen. I live in Massachusetts13021 for 20 years. Uh, I have three kids and work part time and I have no affiliation to13029 any group. So my13031 understanding of13032 this bill is13033 called for this aggregate data over13036 racial ethnical groups in the country of13039 origin. I could not agree with13042 this bill from13043 almost all level as an immigrant myself.13047 I believe in american dream. That's why13051 I come to this country. one Cornerstone of13055 the American Dream13056 I understand is everyone will be treated equally regardless of the race, religion, sexual orientation, etcetera, etcetera. Everyone will come to here where on the equal field we are on a level13073 field regardless if you're chinese,13076 your irish french, your japanese, no matter13081 what country you come from, what language you speak at your own home. You have equal access to all public resources and opportunities. As13092 long as13093 you law abiding your work hard, you're gonna earn your place in this society. I believe in that dream13100 back then. Still now I heard terms like in the previous testimony like13107 vaccine equality, the vaccine equality in this country right now. It is like you want it you get it. The only inequality in vaccine is whether you can get to the13124 near nearest pharmacy and just roll up your sleeves and13128 get it really is this has anything to do with race with your nationality with where you're coming from.
I mean basically it's free for everybody so there's a lot of issues in inequalities in13145 the society but how much is13149 really about you13151 know the race, the ethnic groups or even the country of origin like where I'm coming from, where my13160 mother and father coming from to my kids. I mean they don't think they are chinese. They've13166 never been to13167 chinese. They don't know13169 how to speak chinese but you know13172 they has to be one day they have to13175 identify themselves as chinese. I think that's where it's13179 going to be very hard for them. Data equity is another13183 senior.13184 15 seconds. Okay data equity is another term i13189 here but we all pretty much know all this data is not gonna lead us to13195 you know a meaningful13197 solution to the problem we wanted to solve. So basically it's garbage in and garbage out.13204 So in summary13205 The bill age 31 15 will be a13209 waste of taxpayers13210 money and a13212 very poor proposal13213 which creates more problems than solving any problems. Thank you everybody thank13219 thanks for the13220 chairman for allowing me to speak now thank you thank13224 you very much Christine any questions of13227 who Christine members of the committee hearing. None. Thank you for your testimony. Big one. You. Uh huh. P. I. N.13238 G. L. A13239 N. Last name why you?
Yes. Um um Do you want to go 1st? Lewis don't go right ahead. No I think I was skipped.
13254 Yes13254 but she was ahead so so you want a home go ahead. The one13262 that is lou Yeah yeah I'm13266 lou young so thanks13267 for this opportunity. I echo what Christine13270 science. Hold on one second one second please. One second liu yang I'm gonna13277 let you speak but you had communicated13279 in the chat that you were leaving?13281 Yes I I13283 had13283 a meeting and I come back. Okay so I'll let you speak now. Thank you. Yeah I13289 should be quick. Yeah I echo what christmas stands even the supporters at this moment only folks the argument on the benefits of collecting this correct data it is very clear.13301 The automatic13302 goal of this H 33 H 3115 is to enable presidential13308 policy13309 and practice13310 and create winners and losers based on it's a necessity and country of13316 origin which is completed against the13319 very foundation of the american venue13321 to treat everyone equally.13325 So I strongly13327 against this bill. That's all okay thank you very much. Uh13335
any questions
from the committee seeing none now13344 we'll go to England Low you. Yes13349 it's just um dear chair Pacheco and members of the joint13356 committee. Good afternoon. My name is things like13359 you. I'm here to strongly oppose bill13362 H 3115 and act ensuring equitable representation in the commonwealth. That requires every13370 government agents agency that collects13373 race or13374 ethnicity information to report a segregated data based on ethnicity and country of origin. I urge you to across this13384 deal and this13385 is a prime example of13387 make a bad deal based on unsubstantiated claims. The sponsor of the bill claims that knowing which13394 languages are most13395 spoken at a country at a community hospital, enables the hospital to hire the right13401 translators
so patients receive accurate information and understand it and understand what's happening around13409 them. However,13410 languages spoken in our community13412 is not equal13413 to ethnicity for example, spanish is spoken many countries in latin America. What is the value of separating people into Mexico13422 Puerto,13423 Rican Dominican, Colombian in addition. What's the point of including second generation of asian americans in the segregated data as the most likely speak better13436 english than the native language their parents asleep. So13440 please oppose the video. H 3115. Thank you13444 very much for your time.
Thank you very much for your13449 uh your testimony and next will go to any questions of members of the13456 committee.13456 Every13458 none. Next we'll go to.13460 Mhm
Sure you can deal. Yes, that's it. Lewis you're going to have to help me13469 with the pronunciation and I apologize.
Yeah, Yeah they're chairs and the13476 members13476 of the Joint Committee. This is um, Lou I'm testing testifying against Bill Age 31 15. First of all, I would like to share some13487 personal experience13488 of13489 my family. Oh, this summer our family visited several national parks in iota and Arizona. It was a wonderful experience and our family really enjoy the beautiful America one day in the13507 trip. Yeah.13508 Are the traveller had a conversation with me and finally asked which country are you from? I told him that I13517 already came from china and I live in massachusetts13520 right now. After he left my case asked why did he ask this question? I said, Ok, because I have accent in speaking but he did not have a bad intention.13535 Then I'm asking him to like this question. She said no because I13541 was born in13542 the United States and I have no13544 accent in speaking or better Lee My case was born13548 in uh, Kearney in new13550 york state. Uh, two years13552 ago he was greeted her birthplace. It was other went from experience Back to the Bill 31 15. I'll see13561 that representative turkey chain might have good13565 intentions to highway this bill is not fair to the second generation of immigrant. They were born in the United States13574 and should13575 not be treated as foreigners fireworks. So I13578 urge you, uh, chairs and a member of the committee to reject the bill h 13 15. Thank you.
Thank you very much and I appreciate you being13590 concise because13592 we have many, many people signed up on the to testify. So we will ask now if there's any13602 questions of13603 members of the committee hearing? None.13605 I thank you. And we will go to13608 men.
She Q. I. You
men who13619 I you
um dear chairman man. I think I already spoke. Okay. Yeah. Thank13628 you. David. Lee
David. Lee13636
fang wang.
13651 Hi,13651 this is Mom Can you hear me? Who is this?
This is family.
No, I'm having ah I'm looking for F. A N.13664 G. Last name W A N. G.
Sorry. Uh Okay. Next is Lee john shoe she all right. Yeah, I'm here13680 to hear me. Okay, go right ahead. Hi. Yeah dear. Member of the drug community. Yeah. This is a huge increase i from american13689 education and thinking academy and I'm testifying against 83113694 than five. Yeah. Today I'm13698 here to oppose the Bill
313115. The data is uh disagreed.13704 Aggregation of this13706 bill will be sacred.13707 Our country. These days. Our country13710 already faced a lot of difficulties. We showed13714 United work on together and solve these difficulties. Yeah. Instead with segregating,13720 protect our citizens from where they came13724 from. Their13725 parents or grandparents or grand grand grandparents came from. This is only need to the segregation.13732 I don't want13734 my Children, my13735 students, myself and our13737 country to face this segregation and13740 also increase the yeah, we are United States13744 citizens. This is our country. So I know I also this money, I heard a few testimony who's on this bill. The first one decided that13754 just for resources but it like the college exception for the financial aid they said is needed. I know that for example, I came from china but not our chinese person is13767 well, they also have purposes. Even13770 my family, you know, we maybe13773 we are like13774 a white colour, but my brother is13776 a blue colour. And also they talk about education. So only for13781 my family, my girl like study. He studied13784 my, she started very well. But13786 my boy don't like the study. She13788 likes spots. So we didn't know who they will13791 be working, but how much they earning. So what's like education for future? Maybe maybe they are going to13798 different approach. So I don't think based on where they came from. Two decided to to their education or their resources is not fair.13808 It's not like said our our citizens should be a crime. They should be how they're the same opportunity for resources for education. No, depending where they came from. Yeah. A383115
is a variation of the a 3661 and this is my third13827 time to attend this meeting.13829 So13830 this language the language may be13832 a different On the General 32018. So many people show up. That's the state13838 hard to testify against his13840 freeze. Uh You have 20 seconds remaining.13843 Okay, so I my my13846 last hope is that13847 urged the joint13849 committee against13850 oppose this bill. And in addition, I hope this13854 bill will this kind of bill will13856 not show up in future again as we have so many things need to work on these13861 days special. We we have so many difficulties of the these days and13866 attended this13868 like build testimony traps already. This is my third time. So I hope this is my last13874 one. Thank13875 you for your time. Thank you very13878 much for your testimony. Any questions from13880 members of the committee hearing? None. Thank you. We will go to Z AI X. I A. N. Last name X I. E.13891
Okay,
next next person on the list is ah last name age. Shen.13908 S. H. E. N.13910
Shanghai. Shen.
No. Okay.
Next is ping13924 Zoo
13929 Z.13929 H. O. U. Yes,13931 I'm here. Yes, sure. Go right ahead. All right. Uh
can you hear me? Yes, we can13939 hear you. All right.13940 Thank you Chairman and a member of the committee. Thank you13945 for the opportunity to speak here. We strongly oppose the Bill 3115. I think13952 we all agree that13953 the data is needed. The right data is needed to help13957 people who are in13958 need. But13959 the data want to be collected in13962 this field is simply generally useless to say. I think you see this at the best and um dangerous at worst. So for all these potential benefits that the support bill supporters claim, all the potential benefits, each and13980 every single one that seems always a better and a clear solution13984 than what13985 the bill proposed, for example, one to help people with the13989 language barrier. Right? So, so you send out this13993 bill extends out this uh survey to President Obama. He checked the box Nigerian. And14000 based on the14001 data14001 collected, you're going14002 to send a14003 translator14003 to him to help his english.14005 Is that what the bill intent
Of course not right to just ask a straight question. You speak14013 english, if not, which language you speak. That's14017 the best way to help people who have a language of area. Right?14021 So14022 moving on for people who have financial difficulties who need help.14026 Can we just start with the financial situation of14030 individuals and don't14032 assume the14033 ratio ethnic14034 profile need to certain financial status.14037 So if you have, uh, to people here equally in the financial difficult difficult14045 status once Japanese, the other filipino. So, are you going to have a policy? Okay, because14052 you are japanese, you're not qualified for aid. But if our filipino, you're qualified for that. Is that what it appears intent to do? That's called racial profiling. That's called discrimination. Any policy based on racial profile will lead to racial14068 profiling under discrimination. As simple as14071 that to stop doing that. So that's I think this bill is fundamentally flawed. No matter how you market up it's simply14079 use this just find please find14081 a better way to help people you know um That's14085 the reason I think this we're just14087 dangerous under use this and please vote against it. It just with the public resource and everyone's time. Thank you. Thank you very14097 much. Any questions of members of the committee? All right hearing none thank you very much. And we'll go to all right lily yang14107 mr chair. I think it should be my turn14111 pens out. Pierre and jay Z hou.
Okay go right ahead. I thought that's a
okay thank you. Well and and joao he shows14128 up on the screen of14130 the gentleman that just14131 spoke and14132 so ah she's P. E. N. G. Is not P. I. N. G. Anyway. E. V. I. N. G.14141 Okay go right ahead. Yeah.14143 Thank you. Hello everyone. My name is pencil. I oppose beer14149 H. 3115. First of all14152 I'd like to point out to facts about the Bill one. The bill is basically identical to the14158 last year aged 10-6 81. Except that P. F. H. 3115 has one more word. Portuguese add to the major wide and14168 caucasian group And those numbers be14171 a numbers are14172 different. The proposed effective date of January 1, 2021 even14178 remains the same14179 To this fear has 17 co sponsors But14185 the last one had14186 43 cosponsors. I'm very curious to know why those 26 previous co sponsors don't support14193 beer anymore. Maybe14195 some of14196 them have the same reasons as mine due to14200 the time limit and presenting two main reasons14203 to oppose the bill. one, it14206 is very difficult14207 to define race and ethnicity groups. Ashe regulatory. They14212 are related to many14213 biological and sociological factors including but not limited to fiscal14219 characteristics. Culture, nationality, ancestry,14224 language et cetera. If we want to based14228 on the nation of our ancestors,14230 how many generations should be chasing back
for the mixed. How do14237 we chase and decide to raise and14239 ethnicities by comparing the percentage of various ancestors. I14246 think any further subgroups than that in the14249 U. S. Centers for the purposes. Excuse me. After14253 general public14254 services will cause unnecessary confusions. The data to be collected from those14260 subgroups will not be reliable14262 and even14263 misleading to. It14266 is not practical to implement a bill. There are 20 224 words about a group listed in14273 the bill. It is required that every14276 government agency14277 that collapsed demographic data as to the race14281 or ethnicity of14283 residents of14284 the commonwealth of massachusetts should use separate14288 collection and corporations this means we have to develop new forms and systems replace the forms and systems country used shame people how to use the new forms and systems and14302 educate people14303 to take long14304 more time going through the long list and make the best14308 fit choice. All of these efforts and work will have substantial financial cost.
I just that the sponsor and co sponsors of Beer H3115 have good intentions to help people. I post14326 this bill but admired representatives working very hard trying to provide better services to the residents of the commonwealth of massachusetts I believe. Yeah,14338 last words I believe by working together we can find effective and feasible14344 ways to have14345 the people in need.14346 Thank you. Thank you very14349 much. Next we're14352 going to really yang. Thank14355 you Chair Pacheco chair. Cabral14357 members of the14358 joint committee. My name is lilian and I'm14361 a14361 member of the chinese americans of Lexington.14363 Relax. I'm today14365 I'm testifying against H 3115. We asian americans have been suffering from14371 racial discrimination from many, many years and we have been standing side by side with other minority groups. For example, african14379 americans, latin, X. Native14381 americans and L G B T. Q groups in a fight for equal14385 rights Yes. Further splitting Asian of Asian Americans into two dozen smaller groups as proposed in H3115 will weaken our strength and undermine our ability to fight for equal rights. The issues brought up by the other by the other side, for example, poverty, domestic violence, educational attainment gaps, for example, are prevalent in all asian groups and not related relevant and actually not directly linked or correlated to the national origins of people's ancestors. Those issues should be addressed based on social economic status14428 versus national origins of people's ancestors. As you can see, build H 3115 is causing anxiety and fear in our communities. That's why so many people showed up today to talk and to speak to you. I strongly urge the committee to vote no on14446 H 3115. Thank you. And also special thanks to Representative Michele Ciccolo for listening to our voices and showing your support. Thanks
thank you very much. Uh if there's no questions of members of the panel, we'll move on to family.
Uh this is, this is funny, so can you hear me? Yes, thank you. Thank you. So my name is family. Um I have worked in the pharmaceutical industry for 15 years and I am currently the chief scientific officer of a biotech company uh in the Cambridge area. So I am in opposition to build a 3115 I think one frequently claimed the benefit of this bill is to improve health care. But I want to point out that a planning ethnicity or national regions to14504 health care practices very rare because it is a complicated issue and sometimes misleading.14510 So for example the frequency of one type of lung cancer caused by the transportation of the A. R. K. G. Occurs seven times higher in asian americans than in caucasian and african americans. However, the population of caucasian african americans, it's more than seven times larger than asian american. So should we put more resources to find on a caucasian african people because there are more patients um in those populations and more difficult to find. So in actual practice we examine agitation with lung cancer regardless of their ethnicity. On the other hand, some at ethical groups with a certain well known genetically enriching diseases are not included in this bill. So for example, the loss of the PRC one or BRC two genes which courses breast and ovarian cancer more frequently occurs in substance of jewish if you haven't heard of it. So google the news of anti being a judy right? So14578 claiming the benefit of this bill on health care is very weak. So lastly, I want to emphasize that this bill comes back after some change but without addressing the14590 concerns raised in the previous hearings. So the current version will affect more people legislation americans. So the matter of privacy and the potential of data misuse become more serious and the cost of safeguards data increases. So I hope that we put our focus on the best way to achieve the goals of this bill. For example, how to improve health, health insurance plan, how to help people with poverty or lower education level instead of collecting this kind of data. Well, thank you.
Thank you very much. Any questions from members of the committee.
Seeing none. Uh the thing kong. Mhm I'm here. You can go on the floor. Is yours okay. Great. Thanks. Chair under the committee for the chance to voice my concern over. I don't like the field. I figured I have proven major concern. One of the ask for for such a the information we'll probably confused people, especially the second generation.
And my understanding is that if that's the case then the data collected probably won't be accurate. And I think inaccurate data
probably it was then no Day So the second thing is of course there's always the potential of misusing this information and especially the information might not be accurate. This problem is to become a more dangerous situation. So that's all I'm gonna stay And in a sense of a for everyone to listen to my boys. Thank you. Thank you very much and thank you for being concise. We'll go to the next person on the listen. Unless there's any questions from members of the committee, we'll go to uh, we who um can you hear me? Yes we yes I can. Yeah. Um Good afternoon.14734 Committee chairs, committee members and everyone My name is. Donahue I am a first generation immigrant Massachusetts resident for more than 20 years. A naturalized U. S. Citizen and the registered voter. I'm here to testify in opposition to build age 31 15. The bill stated that every government agency that collects demographic data as to the race or ethnicity of residents of the commonwealth of14763 massachusetts shall use separate collection and tabulation for the followings. Then further listed subgroup divisions. The bill14772 tried to make it similarly equal and fair by dividing all groups. However, it is not demographic data. Desegregation bill will have far more significant impact on minority groups such as asian americans and it is not, it is in a very bad way. Asian americans is a very small minority group Constitutes only about 6% of the entire US population. It is a newer immigration population that were often considered competition and threat facing far more challenges and obstacles from growing and assimilating in the US as Europeans once did. It is also a group has long been very vulnerable to discriminations in the past as well as at the current time The Chinese Exclusion Act passed in 1882 prevented members of this particular ethnic groups14836 from free immigration, excluded them of citizenship and restricted them to work in low wage jobs. In World War two many U. S. Citizens of japanese descent volunteered to serve and felt for us to show their patriotism. Well their families were forced to register and sent to intimate camps only because they were of japanese descent.
So those were among the most discriminative acts in the U. S. History. They have left permanent scar on asian americans and the reason patient hate crimes reminded us all about that. Again, dividing us into smaller groups, further taking away our political power, asking individuals to identify by their countries of origin. Put emphasis on the portrayal or forever foreigners stereotyping almost to the contrary of helping the bill makes it harder for newer immigrant asian americans to integrate, causing confusion and psychological effect on their second generation third generation asian americans. Asian americans born and raised in this country. First are making asian american vulnerable and easily targeted to be clear. We're all very proud and treasure our culture. However, this is not justification of forcing us into one defined box on government forms and to the subsequent consequences. This implicitly asking where your ancestor came from denies our foremost identity as american citizens. So for these reasons and many more others have already uh stated. I asked the committee members not to recommend14951 the further advancement of this view. Please help protect myself by family from subjecting to this confused, confusing, unnecessary, forced ratio identification with detrimental consequences in the commonwealth of massachusetts. We all deserve the right to leave this country as proud americans. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Now we Holmes Um good afternoon, honourable chairs and members of the joint committee. My name is with john and the president of chinese american network of Winchester have been a town meeting member in Winchester since 2013 serving various Winchester town14994 committees and the board. Uh The previous speakers spoke against this bill covered pretty much all my points15001 prepared earlier and they did very well. So in the interest of time I will not repeat those points again here. And I only make a few quick comments on what I heard so far here today. And one is uh biomedical research data. I mean right now that when I go to a hospital or with a family member, that other data with race and national origin being collect and being uh there's physical laws and policies hotel store and use those uh sensitive data. And so I hope that the medical researchers so will not just rely on the volunteer information, few out in the government forms that to make their important medical and health care conclusions. My second comment is that, you know, from the supporters of a bill 3115 that they presented a different kind of numbers, you know, for uh uh smaller asian southeast asian countries to support their arguments and some to me that there were data available and you know, being collected and the used. So I'm asking this question that instead of uh collecting new data and uh restarting some some researchers are doing something from scratch. Can we look into gathering, merging and analyzing the data already out there. I think it's a lot easier and you know, to reinventing the wheels. And the third point I would like to make that
uh the data that's being collected and analyzed what can be done. There was no clear path, you15114 know, in this bill to show us, you know, what15117 can be really done here. I mean we've long known that the, you know five major minority groups, asian minority groups in becoming Wells, the Vietnamese, chinese korean indians there. But what were done for to a serve those needs. I know personally that there are a lot of people that waiting for15141 translations on documents for health care and insurance is uh those going to be, we know that can benefit a lot of those people don't speak english15152 or don't really english. But it's really there were nothing done in the past decades to serve those people. So I'm still unclear exactly the data being collected here with this new bill. What they can really do to help the residents in the commonwealth.
Yeah. And also that, you know, this bill may start with good intentions but there's no guarantee how the data15178 will be used. We cannot tell who may come into power in the future or what circumstances may change in the recent research shows the information from 1940 sensors was secretly used for the internment of japanese americans during World War Two. So I want to say that collecting the national origin data is literally a ticking time bomb. I urge this committee that now to consider this bill. Thank you for your time.
Thank you very much. If there are no questions from members of the committee, we'll move to
lays out
Ellie I last names E H A. Oh
um getting no response. Will move to luke way. Look at the high15233 school student he's still in school right now. So I will ask him to send a written testimony tonight.15239 Thank you very much.
Um Peggy young.
Yeah. P E N G W E. I last name Y A. N. G.
Okay, next person you Qing chang? Yes, can you hear me? Yes I can. Yeah, apology. I cannot be on the video today due to the computer setup. Hello dear chairman members of the committee15273 and administrative staff. Thanks for the opportunity15276 to speak in front of you today. I'm dr eating tang residents of Lexington. My entire professional career has been medical research and developing innovative medicines for people in us and globally I strongly oppose this age 3115 bill. I previously oppose similar bill a couple of years ago and will continue both such bills in the future If they emerge again, the reason is simple. We our Children and Children's Children would like to be recognized as americans be treated equally as americans and americans only. Nothing else, not by our skin color or countries of origin of our ancestors as I record early today. Two main reasons we mentioned for this bill. The first one targeted magnitude service for certain opportunistic group. I have to respect to say based on my decades of professional experience. This regina has no sound scientific mathematical merits. Second it was mentioned that a couple of other states had similar bills or may have passed similar bills just because others have done something that doesn't make it right or not. Dangerous collecting primary private information as stated in this race and ethnicity stick Profiling bill will likely and potentially result in privacy invasion and dangerous misuse of such information. Let's stop wasting tax payersmoney by rejecting this bill and bills of this nature once and for all. Please thank you so much for your attention.
Thank you very much doctor. And if there are no questions of members of the piano we'll go to the next
uh witness. Uh jin wang. Yeah that's me. Can you hear me? I can great thank you honourable, honourable chairs and members of the joint committee. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to testify in opposition to build age 3115. My name is Joy uh U. S. Citizen and a proud american. I am strongly against the bill for many reasons but I will focus my15426 testimony today on three of those to save time. First Bill 3115 is an expensive bill but the data is proposed to collect will be15437 incomplete especially now he makes its optional15440 and it will be biased. Like look at the many people um like opposing it here. Like you don't expect many of them will be voluntarily provide this data at least I will not never. And uh and also15457 it's understandable that people from different groups have different preferences and you have different proportions of people providing data voluntary. So undoubtedly the data will be biased and and so the data will be misleading and ultimately unusable. So you spent a ton of money to get like useless data. Yes. The second point instead of insurance equity as the name suggests, Bill H3115 will have said effect to promote racism and hate crime. Also now than ever basically this bill despite the good intentions it will provide data to the
to the resistance to the hate crime criminals. Like when people talking about the chinese virus and the bill will say ok now I provide the data to you and15513 label those people who have chinese descendant. That's it's very dangerous. But many people have a liberated. So I won't like spend more time on it to be confessed. Uh The third H three H 31111311515525
could harm equity with regard to providing essential services. I'm talking about this as a service receiver. I'm a matter of two Children and both of them have a disability and developmental delay. So both of them received special education support with the younger one is much more severe than the older one. So I'm talking from the point of view of the service receiver I heard like there's several supporters of this bill talked um like to help providing essential service from the viewpoint of service provider. I want to talk to them that like to provide the best service you need to listen to the people you service. Like I understand that the service provider might there have might have their own needs to need this data to do for their own benefit but they need to consider to think to ask the people who receive um service whether they want to provide this data or even like favorable and whether they think this data will be used in favor of them or not. And here I testify as a service receiver that I like I don't want this. In fact I feel very uncomfortable but we asked like which is my country of origin like if you ask me which language I prefer or like like other things I'm okay but being asked like especially understand like recent situation with uh like rising of the anti asian hate crimes. Like I feel very uncomfortable and even feel like stigmatized one asked this and also like as I said my younger one has like very severe planet.
My younger one have severe developmental delay and his service, whether he received service or not shouldn't be affected whether his brother received service or not. And and it should solely unlike whether he needed on his condition and shouldn't like if he shouldn't be considered like you think it's15670 brothers shouldn't be in the picture why you should consider which zip code weighing or like which like other people whether receive the service or not just happen to share the same um like country of our arranging like maybe generations ago. That makes totally nonsense to me um and you said time is up right so I'll just keep a lot of points so um going back in fact I have a good examples of but going back I think this bill is kind of um a test money way states to I won't have any good like any real impact to improve our community. It could have many like side effects of any danger use so I therefore you're now to consider it. Thank you needed to have you summarized. Thank you very much. B. A. Testimony. Any questions and members of the piano seeing none the next testify would15737 be Gang Zhao representing a er
G A N. G. Last name Z. H. Ao
okay the next person would be joe
Giannino um I hired me high good I'm 90 are chairman particular and members of the joint committee my name is jo jo and from asian parents alliance As my honor to be here to strongly oppose the bill age 31, I have lived in more than for over 15 years and I have been working in downtown 23%
years personally. Um, I experienced from my15787 daily life and my volunteer activities for all the changes the proponent mentioned um, for the asian girls during the past couple of years or maybe decades, I don't agree with those. They said there's not adequate information for asian immigrants and the data collection won't help to the problems and mentioned anyway. Uh, Mr Chen said age 31 15 is different from the original bill. However, I checked this bill is similar at age 26 81. They both changed little from the original age 33 61, I totally agree with uh, Mabel armor who spoke earlier. Those special interest groups may be the ones that truly benefit most from this bill. They make the Mark of our democratic process, they ought to be called out. Mhm. So, and lots of15846 people mentioned about two previous uh, Hearings before on the January 30 of the 2018 and October 15th 2019. Um, so basically this, uh, age 30 31 15, this is the third redundant bill just as the past age 26 81. Now we're back again, sitting together to debate it again, I15875 just can't believe it. Do we have too much time or energy for this kind of nonsense. Actually, we all keep busy. We have most of us have full time jobs. We need to take care of families helping out around the communities. I really think that change that she should be here to hear about everybody everybody's testimony here. I want to .11 thing in the previous hearing um Technician said no one created the concept of the Asia. He never heard it before. It's even on the bottom club. I want to ask him a question again. Now do does he know that the extremely popular movie of the OK got it extremely popular movie of crazy rich Asians and ever participated in the stop asian hate rally. Now he said that by the educators we know about Asian as a whole than before but we don't know it is the individual groups that's really observed. I respect the senator Russia's suggestion even though we all know the holocaust started from the labelling the jewish people. I myself as a jewish dissident Because some Jewish people settled down in my hometown 1000 years ago. Even during the last two decades, a number of the jewish dissidents from my hometown. They formally converted to Judaism and accepted Israeli citizenship. So and I also have relatives from the previous generations living in Taiwan Indonesia Hong kong volume and many of them they flee china like after World War Two and now you want all of us labelled differently. I don't think so. Anyway, I15982 believe the age 31 15 is a mayor discriminatory and divisive bill. So if mr thank you very much. Uh Thank you if he likes the data discretion so much. I suggest him to move to mainland china because you know they cracked everything and it looks like the crook he has the closest relationship with the Beijing government anyway. You can you can see16007 a lot of from internet. All right, thank you so much. All right. Have a good day. I hope the committee rejected. Thank you. Bye bye. Any questions from members of the committee hearing? None Joey leon. The gang
Joey L. I A. N. G.
No. Okay we'll move on to a joe Lee
Jolie
jesse hung H. U. A. N. G. Jesse
Simon goo G. You
Simon
lin G. J. I
J I N W. You june will
then we chew ch you
Vicky many M. E. N. G. Vicky
john Xu Z H. U.
Yeah. Nguyen Who? H you
in?
Chang-Diaz C H. U. N. G. U. A N.
First name. Kane
yes.
Chechen shen si I mean S. H. E. N. Last name
I guess this was one hole group that they did not give us their position in. Didn't tell us where they were calling from but they signed up to speak so next one. Uh G. King
telex. C. A. L. E. X.
Ah We are liu L. E. Excuse me? L. I. U. How are you?
Stephen Gogi you. Oh Stephen guo
W. E. I. Last names. E H A N. G.
Next person is J AI J I A N D O N. G. Last name. She S H I.
Mhm.
Last name Dong. D O N. G.
First name G J I N G H U I. Mhm. Yeah.
Next person Jim Ma M. A.
Next person Giant Xu X Hugh.
Next person last16274 name is N. I. You.
Next person who signed up just had the name16281 Fang. We had a few people with that family name speaking earlier
chinese americans of Lexington, Lee hung. H U A N. G.
We had representation of chinese americans, Lexington earlier Westboro chinese association. A john Lee
you Blue L. I. You
why you last name? L I. U.
Right. Next name bowl yang.
Next person Young jin
we, we how be A oh B A O.
Uh, name I skipped by accident here. Z H A N. G. First name why A chu I OMG
All right.
The name that signed up that just said john
we have a pain zero Z H O. U.
Friends of Sudbury
Are you with16395 us? Friends of Sudbury
Mr chair? I think he testified earlier. Okay. We have Olivia. Zh A all
zh Ao
jerry wool. Uh, W
You
uh Simon D. You? To
shimon to
everyone on this list was sent the links to uh, to16437 sign up. So and we don't, we didn't16441 receive the link.
So I have to ask other people for the link. No, everybody everybody received everybody that has testified and anybody that's on this this16454 list has received had received a link for today's hearing. So did you sign up? Yes I signed up. I was in the last group that haven't uh didn't written the um my my painting. I want to end the armed group. My name is Dubois to. It's just shared on the last page
class named X. You first name D. H two A.
I only received an email saying give me the The Tutorial four teams but not the actual link to join immediately at the you everyone received the first the first notice which16501 which included the link and then we asked if people were in favor or opposed to the bill and then we16509 got a response back from everybody. I just read so in and they told us where they were and we had sent them out the information. So anyway it is what it is. But why don't why don't you testify now? Thank you. Thank you so much for the opportunity. Uh My name is Dubois She um, I strongly oppose the bill H 3115. I'm a statistician, devoted my career with data analysis from my limited experience race is a variable that getting harder and harder to show any statistical significance in health care analysis using new England Journal of Medicine for example, currently most clinical trial report raised as white, black asian or other. However, in reality when we collected this data we find more studies study subjects actually belong to multiple race. So the field more often than not allow16567 subject to choose more than one race type. This makes the number of race group increased exponentially. If we have four independent race group for example, asian, white, black and latino Multiple rates will result in two to the powerful, which is 16 different combinations. The bill age 3115 proposed to divide Asian as 20 final groups, two to the power 20 will be over a million. This create created a major difficulty in data analysis and they deviated from the original research purpose. Not to mention these data are purely self reported. So that's my, I mean my two cents on this bill used in health care. Um, I strongly oppose the bill H315.
Thank you very much for your testimony. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for finding us. All right, thank you.16627 Next. You will chinese americans of Lexington.
Uh, I'm sorry. Do you miss my name? Rebecca zen? Oh, you were next on the list. That's right. But I just was going right. I was starting to take it in the opposite direction because nobody was when he was answering but go right ahead. Rebecca. Um, the chair marks. So um, I think it's so weird to see so many people missing. Uh, I'm the person along with many of them in the list was in the The State House testimony until 9:30 the first time those people will never leave and only one circulation from me is that one of my friends? He told me he never, he registered. He never received the actual link. So this is probably the reason as the uh, the lady told us because they shouldn't receive, but she destroyed because otherwise there's no reason, it's just isn't accurate. The I'm just telling you that you are on the list. What everybody?
Yeah, it just happened to one of my friends have a similar experience. All right. So because otherwise there's no reason for 20 or 30 people. None of them show up. Yeah, it seems weird to me as well, but we16710 sent out and we've actually communicated, the only reason why you're on this list is you didn't notify whether you were for or against. Right. All right. So there may be some error to create this. That's what I'm trying to say because I already see one of my friends experience this. All right. So, um again, my name is Rebecca is an thank you so much for giving me the chance of voice our opinions. Um, we're the chairman and all the people here serving the community. We appreciate it and I strongly oppose this bill because I Represent16753 three of my kids there Under 18. So they always thinking the America. Um, so this bill is if this bill is passed, my kids will be asked the question where the from16765 the parent coming from, why16767 the rest of the american friends would not be asked this question. My kids already felt why we have been treated differently. Are we really perpetually foreigner even with the second generation, it's creating a hard feeling for them and they never understand that. I always teach my kids you America you have no different than any other, your skin color, your racist made no difference to you. American recognize hardworking people. That's a philosopher teaching at home. That's the, I find America become my my dream and become my country the country and love because I working hard deserve it again. And uh I also truly understand why senator uh Rush e um I have a strong feeling or feel really uncomfortable once the past history of Germany has been mentioned in as one of the opposition. So that's why chinese community feel this bill is very offensive and a very bad deal because it might and alert people all the painful history. But japanese chinese and other minority16839 experience in the history. We don't want to see that idea. So that's why you can understand why a lot of chinese people have been so scared when we hear this which is purposely targeting chinese people or asian people. That's nothing but wrong is this discrimination bill because you cannot judge person or aside the benefit16862 to the origin of the origin of their the ancestor coming from the majority of the asian people, you probably already sense The first time you have almost 100016874 people going to the state house. This has never happened in history so much um silence America or asian America would do that. So you can see why they still have to create the segregation and racial discrimination. And this bill has treat us differently. And this view has been created so much fight and tension among the chinese community. So I don't know what good purpose Representative Chan had been doing to his racist. He's supposed to unite us together. Not to second Rebecca I'm going to ask you we've tried to one several people throughout the testimony. We're not to be talking about the individuals16920 that file the bill. You want to if you want to talk about the bill. Okay please do so. But we're not here to criticize people that are here to not we're just thinking because he used chinese as used his race trying to say he represented us. But just one telling you he this bill has not doing anything good to chinese community. We have been fighting. We have so much tension. It's not a good bill because people to fight not unite together. All right. So um and I also see we have been repeatedly telling who proposes Bill this is nothing but making chinese people as the victim in the history. We don't want that but we have not been heard. All right. And he repeatedly suggests a bill like that. So um, we don't see here represent chinese people. I think he Moore representing the special interest groups. All right. So um, I hate to say that, but this is the truth and um, I think I asked you to, you know, get about 30 seconds to wrap it up. So, okay, all right. Again. This is the third time racial discrimination bill like this have been posed again to destroy the community, no matter how many times it has been asked wrong is wrong. Hopefully 4% who proposes bill can do, have a better job to do in his daily job, not to allocate the cost payers money in the wrong direction and waste the vulnerable time of all our respectful lawmaker. I really appreciate the time to serve a community. Please oppose it just makes this mandatory people like this. Thank you.17023 Thank you. Thank you. Rebecca thank you sir. Any questions from members17028 of the panel hearing? None mingliang.
Yeah, I'm17034 here. Okay, great, okay, there you go. Dr Ming Yang. Okay. Hello everyone. This is Mom young and uh I want to thank the joint committee for giving17046 me this opportunity to share my opinion. So it is actually my first time to testify. So a little bit nervous. Um, I strongly disapproved this bail uh age 31.5 1st. I want to give some comments to the earlier supporters of the bail. One supporter mentioned that only 4% of American nurses are Philippines but they represent 25% of the COVID death. And that kind of misleading. Since there is one important lesson from the statistical statistics, failed correlation does not imply causation until further investigation. We simply cannot draw the conclusion that just because they are Philippine nurses, it means that they are more likely to die. Otherwise we might not be able to help those other nurses from other countries of origins who have the potential you know to die. Um Next I'll stay two reasons why I am against this17102 veil. So first I some people already mentioned that but I want to emphasize that it can be really hard to identify your country of origin. What is the standard guideline and no one has told us. Um I also have several friends17117 who did the DNA test saying that they have multiple heritages. Do I also need to do that to figure that out. So Tiger Woods father has african uh and native american ancestry and his mother has tied chinese and dutch ancestry. So how should he label himself Or he just can simply check all of the five options. So if so what's the point? That's my first argument? Secondly I know that one17147 of the supporters mentioned that racialism is going on17150 anyway without this data collected. I feel that is a very irresponsible comment because I am afraid that the data collected might be used against me and Against my kids in the future. Like what happened to the German Americans and the Japanese Americans about 70 years ago. In a country that is already very divided based on different political stances. We should not add another dimension country of origin to make us even more divided. United. We stand. Thank you thank you very much doctor and
please come back to testify again. So you did an excellent job in in the testimony and thank you very much for being willing to testify. Any questions for dr yang
seeing none. We thank you very much for your testimony. Uh Austin train F. E. N. G. Boston
Winnie
H. U. A.
Just signed up with Jason from a er
a she uh Lee L. I. Last name
Yanping.
Yeah. Pain
JIA J. A. I'll make on uh injury
rita wang
read a wing
he Lee H. U. A. N. G.
Next person last name S. H. I.
She oh wang Z. H. I. H. O. Last name Wayne W. And G.
We are Z. H. A. N. G.
This person testify before I believe being naming e. Why I
in Charlene yang Y. A. N. G.
And then we have one person who just said jane.
And then we had a Yana
Payne P. E. N. G. Yeah
in a you well chinese americans of Lexington again. Another person with them.
Okay this is the last set of names uh person that just identified themselves as David
a Christine Lynn which I believe also may have been somebody that testified earlier. We have Yang Guang who G Uo
a young ingmar17393 M A A Zen C H E N. G.
Last names. I'm just going to go through last names here. She ui
Yeah, I'm here. Ok. Sorry, extract is running so long in middle seeing patients. So I'm briefly things like in my position it's like against the17417 bill. I think the with the good intention uh there's a little benefit but even with bad intention, a field that can cause much more damage. So I feel compared is the risk of damage to the benefit. I don't think it works to do it. The exact position. Sorry, I don't have a lot of time to right the basic, that's what I'm not saying. Okay, well that's very good. It's very succinct. It's to the point and we thank you for your testimony. Okay. Thank you Any any questions from members of the panel? None. J hum H U A N. G.
The next person last name. Zh A17459 Oh,
last name. H. E.
Mannesmann key. Yeah. Oh yes yeah. Hi. Hi everybody. My name is man. He it's my first time to testify. Um I strongly objected to days Bill, I'm a Mariano Okay.
I don't see any good good purpose of this. Bill. This is the united America is not a separate separated America. So because my limited english. So this invited money, thank you, thank you very much for your testimony. Thank you. Uh if there's no questions members of the panel the next person17519 is may sang Z H A N G Z H A N G.
Next person lesion. You sure? Z H. U.
Uh lean yang Y A N G
john you
why you
a
Cuban wang
a kingo jane C H A N. G.
In dong ma
that exhausts the names that I have. Is there anyone that has signed up or17586 or has not testified? Uh Rachel Lee Yes I I think my name is called but there is something wrong with my Mac and I didn't have a chance to speak so I set up the shoe Dooley so I I heard my name but but when I try to a mute myself and my MAC has its me issue. Okay, testimony now go right ahead. Um so I strongly Against age 3 1.5 um I think um all our fans already make enough points so I just make it clear and concise that this bill is don't have much benefit not only two to um the asian I think asian american but also to the whole american society now we try to unite each other but not separate each other17635 with so17636 many against the voice that present today and I think the message is clearly ah showed that this bill does not benefit the whole society does Um I just strongly against this bill and I hope this bill and will stop and not raise again. Thank you. Okay. Okay
thank you very much any questions of members of the panel. Thank you. None. Okay. I have somebody that's showing up as a info looks sorry. Yeah. Uh My name is john jew and I my list my name is on the list but I you know somehow I did not hear my name was called of course different name but my name is john you may say a few words. Yes you said thank you so much. Uh
Yes. Yeah I'm strongly against this bill and um you know I'm us citizen. I have been here for more than 20 years married and raised two kids here. They were born in the United States and they have done very well. You know my daughter went to college and got a good job. My son you know is starting his idea colleges. So I think my17718 american dream came true after some measure hardworking here Now with this bill coming out year by year in the17726 committee. I am really weird because uh in china my grandfather was a landlord and at a certain time uh we were all labeled landlords you know kids or grandkids whatever which is a enemy of people so we will treat ability and here is the same situation may happen because last year the covid you know some people think it's from china imagine at that time if all our our friends, you know those people from the mainland have there um and their Children have a label there there from Williams china remember how they will be treated in a society. And also this happened. You know, we'll be anywhere those labour will carry with our generation you know and uh just think of you know what if there is a you know china America you know, it's like a computer in the world. What is will there be a war between them? Therefore you know how well will be treated? I don't know especially our kids, you know for our immigration we're fine. You know we you know we know that but you know how you know our kids grandkids. So therefore I think you know american dream was in danger. So I'm really worried for you know my kids and grandkids. So I'm strongly opposed this bill. Thank you so much. Thank you very much for your for your testimony and any questions from members of the panel. We have no questions. Uh any further testimony of anybody that we missed? We call the name out before and you were not here. Um
I believe that
we have concluded with the testimony.
Ah there is a yeah okay. Z. H. O. N. G. H. U.17857 N. G. You have your hand up.
I have making up jane yes this is me. I am I'm the Jason that label as a yeah I am testing against this Bill three Month 5. Um,17879 first of all I test these in17883 the original uh
uh yeah we ask other people
you your mix please.
So I strong against this bill because it's profiling and it doesn't help at all because um I have a strong feeling whenever people asked me when I comes from and I come from, I was born in Vietnam's that I label myself in Vietnam but actually I am actually speaking chinese and I never know how to speak Fattman on me. So are you going to kill me as you're going to send me when immediate translation even though I don't speak anything. So in that way languages,17936 languages, the poison never going to help me. And my son is american and he doesn't speak any of enemies and he doesn't even know that his dad is from a non. So what we're going to help is no. And17953 my son said american and he like anybody. He like pizza and
and cheese cheese pizza is the favorite favorite one. And are you going to feed him some when a need for some17969 other traditional Vietnamese dish. If his daddy is born this manama actually I don't like other foot that17979 is not it daily my family and17984 so for from that prospect um racial profiling us is not going to help us. And also this is dividing us even more as a debt today that we are worried about their is a as other people are saying that there may be18004 some
and imagine about what may happen between the us and china so what we're gonna do Well I have been this day more than 20 years and
and I love America right and I a braver would be die in this country but are we going to be bad because I was born in right now and then actually I speak mandarin pretty good. And do18042 you identify me as chinese because I self identify myself as chinese because two or three generations ago my grand grandparents maybe it's come from china so what I'm going to do myself18057 so this bill doesn't help you actually separate people. It creates fair right. It has nothing to do with Day to discuss helping people doing research and there's plenty of data available already in the census data. So I strongly against this bill. I wish my future generation will never need to worry about where they were coming from because they are american thank you. Okay thank you very much any questions from members of the panel seeing none. Thank you for your testimony.
She a
jane Chen. Yeah I just want to give some information. I got a friend just this um email me she says she's in another group just receive email link like around 10 or 15 minutes ago so they probably had some technical issues for the emails and we checked it out with staff and you know the only thing is that there are a number of students on the list that may as one person said earlier was in school. So there may be a number of people like that. But everybody received the email link uh for the panel, everybody had signed up, we have their names, we communicated actually back and forth with them a couple of times and you would think if there was something that was wrong that they would be emailing back to the people that they had emailed twice before and there in the office to receive those emails. So these individuals just unfortunately didn't show up for the hearing for one reason or another but it wasn't for the lack of trying to make sure they had the opportunity to testified if there's any other
uh testimony. I see no one that is uh it is here uh to testify
um is a Helen yang. Did you? Yeah I raised my hand, I just wanted to thank you so much and the other members of the community um for for a wonderful hearing. Um I really appreciate the time from you and everyone. Well thank you thank you very much for that for that. Thank you. Okay that's thank you. Uh So uh I just checked with ah House and Senate staff and based upon the information we have we have concluded the work of the uh committee so today and ah I want to thank all the members of the committee,
so many of which have hung in there all day long,18248 starting at 10:30 AM.
And so a18256 five hour hearing and and thank you all for your public service in being here to testify. I do want to make one general comment uh to everybody that has testified on both sides of this last question that the census scatter that the bill's intention is to provide more information on the census. That self identifying. In other words, if I choose to share with the census, my ethnic background and uh my ethnic background is that of Portuguese american. And actually we had requested the Portuguese american number of people in the Portuguese american community that we'll be added to uh to this bill or two other bills like it because there's not enough information in the census data based upon the ethnic background, even though in massachusetts up until this past may be last year, The # one most spoken language outside of English in Massachusetts he was Portuguese, I believe it might be spanish now, but just a few years ago it was, it was Portuguese. Uh and of course as in the asian community, there are a number of different, you know, yes, you know when you when you say Portuguese, Portuguese is broken down. You have means which is which is in the Azores, You have Brazilian, you have Golan, you have people from all parts of the world that speak the language. I think it may be Right, maybe the 5th most spoken language uh, in the world, but yet there's so much in terms of need and when we finance need across the United States, we do it and it might not be the best way to do it. But that's how we do. A lot of federal financing is through information in data that we receive in the census. And so that's what the idea is. We will listen to your comments because they were strong comments supporting the bill and obviously a lot of concerns that have been ah that have been brought to us today in opposition to the bill. We've taken all of that. We will take that all into consideration and the hearing is is concluded today, but we still accept obviously written testimony to uh, to the committee. So I want to thank again the committee members in the house and Senate that are still with us and thank all the members of the public for tuning into this hearing and all those that testified. Thank you very much. This is part of our great democracy here in the United States of America where we have the opportunity to express our First Amendment rights and say what we have to say. I speak truth to power and have the opportunity to tell our elected officials what we agree with and sometimes what they don't want to hear. Uh, so you have been part of that process today and we thank you all very very much. This concludes the hearing. Thank you. Thank you. Mr. Chair. Thank you so much. Job. Mr Chair. Great job. Fantastic. Thank you very much for hanging in there from Barnstable County.18498 Yes, sir.
All right, thank you. Finance. Thank you. Thank you.
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