The rally in Chinatown came a day after the Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a resolution apologizing to Chinese immigrants for cruel and antiquated policies that ultimately sought to undermine their progress.
Supervisor Haney said in a statement, "The Chinese community in San Francisco has a deep and rich history but we have to acknowledge the harmful wrongs that our city has committed against this community."
In 1860, the state's education code prohibited Asian students from attending public schools, prompting San Francisco Unified School District officials to close all Chinese schools in 1870 for the next 15 years. Additionally, the 1870 Consolidation Act, approved by the city's supervisors, disallowed anyone of Chinese descent to be employed by any state, county, or municipality.
Haney authored the resolution along with former San Francisco Unified School District students. Other cities, including San Jose, Antioch, and Los Angeles, have already enacted similar legislation.
The organization Stop AAPI Hate has recorded 762 reported hate crimes in San Francisco against people of Asian and Pacific Islander descent since July 2021. Of those cases, victims of Chinese descent accounted for the largest portion with 63 percent.