New York's U.S. Rep. Grace Meng
The House passed a measure today (Thursday, Sept. 17) condemning the rise in anti-Asian bigotry and acts of hate aimed at Asian Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rep. Grace Meng, D-N.Y., the sponsor of the measure, said: "The rise in anti-Asian rhetoric and the blaming of Asian Americans for the spread of the coronavirus has been shameful and reckless, particularly when it comes from our nation’s leaders such as President Trump, Majority Leader McCarthy and many others who have used terms like ‘Chinese virus,’ ‘Wuhan virus,’ and ‘Kung-flu,’ to stoke people’s fears of COVID-19, scapegoat Asian Americans, and fan the flames of hate.
"But these are more than just hateful and irresponsible words. This language has fueled the increase of threats and attacks against those of Asian descent, and many Asian Americans continue to live in fear."
The resolution – the House’s first addressing anti-Asian discrimination related to the pandemic – passed by a 243-164 bipartisan vote. Fourteen Republicans crossed the aisle to join the Democratic majority in voting for the measure.
The resolution is a response to the over 2,600 reported anti-Asian hate crimes and incidents reported since March. Those acts have been driven by misperceptions about the coronavirus and how it spreads.
Many Asian Americans were "fighting on the front lines against COVID-19" but "instead of being celebrated as heroes, they are fighting violence and bigotry," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-CA., speaking support of Meng's resolution.
Although the measure does not refer to any individual’s rhetoric and instead “calls on all public officials to condemn and denounce any and all anti-Asian sentiment in any form,” it clearly targets Donald Trump as a leading propagator of the misleading racist rhetoric.
The perpetrators of hate "have been inspired by the false perception that Asians are responsible for the virus – a perception that has been advanced by Donald Trump and Republicans who have insisted on using slurs like ‘Wuhan virus,’ ‘China plague,’ and ‘Kung flu’ even though they know they are dangerous," said Rep. Judy Chu, D-CA.
"I was so dismayed to see my Republican colleagues, one after the other, come to the floor today and tell the Asian American community that their suffering does not matter, and that they are indifferent to the consequences of the hate they are spreading," said Chu, chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. "It is more important to Republicans that they spare Donald Trump any responsibility for the spread of the coronavirus than it is that they spare even one family from the pain of being victims of a hate crime. "
Even though it was a symbolic vote, “we shouldn’t discount the importance of the U.S. House of Representatives, as an institution, taking a stand on this, “ said Gregg Orton, the national director of the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans, a coalition of over 35 national Asian American advocacy organizations.
Some of the community advocates who endorsed the measure, included: Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA), Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO), Muslim Advocates, Oxfam, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC), Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF), and National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF).
As a nonbinding measure, it does not need Senate approval or Trump's signature, but Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-HI, said she hoped the Senate would take a vote on a similar measure introduced in May and co-authored by the three AAPI senators, including Hirono, Sen. Kamala Harris and Sen. Tammy Duckworth.
“This pandemic has exposed just how much work we must do to achieve full equality. Anti-Asian racism and hate crimes are on the rise. Today’s vote reaffirms that everyone deserves equal treatment and we must confront discrimination when we see it. I urge the Senate to swiftly pass its own legislation condemning anti-Asian bigotry,” said Hirono.
“After Donald Trump repeatedly used his platform to try to racialize this disease, we continue to see a spike in rhetoric and actions against the Asian American community because of misguided fears surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak," added Duckworth. "We must continue to speak out against these racist acts and those who are stoking these fears about a virus that we know strikes without regard to the color of a person’s skin or the language they speak
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