Updated: Biden prime-time speech praised for denouncing attacks against Asian American

SCREEN CAPTURE / MSNBC

President Joe Biden's condemns anti-Asian attacks.

Updated: 4:15 p.m., March 12 to include more reaction.

In his first address to the nation since he took office, President Joe Biden condemned the violence against Asian Americans.

Biden's prime-time speech Thursday marked the one year anniversary since the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a pandemic.

“Too often, we’ve turned against one another," said Biden. 

"... Vicious hate crimes against Asian Americans who have been attacked, harassed, blamed, and scapegoated. At this very moment, so many of them, our fellow Americans, they’re on the front lines of this pandemic trying to save lives, and still, still they’re forced to live in fear for their lives just walking down streets in America.

“It’s wrong. It’s un-American. And it must stop,” he said.

In the sobering speech meant to reassure Americans of the progress being made against the pandemic, the paragraphs about  the virus of hate against Asian Americans was welcomed.

Earlier in the day, Biden signed the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package that would provide financial assistance to most Americans and aid to cities, school districts and sates to battle the coronavirus and dispense vaccinations against the virus.

In the Friday press briefing, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki further avoided blaming Trump for the increase of attacks against AAPI.

"I think the president has spoken about the concerns he had about the rhetoric and the provoking of hate speech by his predecessor and I think he’s not made a secret about that," said Psaki. 

"But we’re looking at this moment 50 days into an administration, where there are still many in the Asian American community still live with fear, still are being threatened, still are being attacked. And he felt it was important for him, as the President of the United States and leader of this country, to make clear that that’s not acceptable and to condemn that during his first prime time address. And so that was more not a reflection of his thinking about his predecessor and more about looking at what people are still facing in this moment."

"Thank you President Biden for your strong words to protect Americans of Asian descent, and for your executive order combatting hate crimes," tweeted Lieu. "This is in stark contrast to the former President who made racist remarks like 'Kung Flu' that inflamed prejudices against Asian Americans."

John Yang, executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice thanked the president "for seeing us and recognizing this second virus that we have been facing. It's so refreshing to have a president that cares about our community rather than demonizing us."

By including this statement in his speech, Biden is making it clear that ending the violence and xenophobia against Asian Americans is key component of the administration's fight against COVID-19, says Rep, Judy Chu, D-CA.

"It makes a tremendous difference to have president who works to stop hate crimes instead of inspiring them," said Chu, chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, made up of the AAPI members in Congress.

"It matters when our president condemns hatred and violence against Asian Americans," Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) tweeted. "Thank you President Biden for your strong words and moral leadership."

Earlier in the day, Hirono along with Rep. Grace Meng, D-NY,  introduced a the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, legislation to address the rise of hate crimes and violence targeted at Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

At least one Republican broke party ranks to praise the President's comments. Maryland's Governor Larry Hogan posted a picture of his family along with this tweet: "Our family greatly appreciates the president's comments condemning the awful rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans. It truly is "un-American and it must stop."

TWITTER / HOGAN FAMILY

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan with his family.

The first week of his administration Biden signed a presidential memorandum denouncing the attacks against AAPI and ordered the Department of Justice to make combatting the discrimination a priority.

Since the pandemic began, violence against Asian Americans has risen to an alarming degree, partly attributed to the language used by the previous administration linked Asians to the virus, often referred to as the "China virus," "Kung Flu" and the "Wuhan Virus." One effort collecting reports of hate against AAPI, #StopAAPIHate, said since March  to December last year, over 2,800 verbal and physical attacks have been reported.