Emotional hearing on anti-Asian hate: 'Our community is bleeding.'

ABC

The US House of Representatives held a hearing on the rise of anti-Asian violence.

The Congressional hearing about violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders was scheduled before the slayings in Georgia occurred but the shooting of six Asian women made the hearings even more timely.

Representative Steve Cohen, the chair of the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties, in his opening remarks emphasized that "anti-Asian hate did not begin with the COVID-19 pandemic, and it will not end when the pandemic is over. All the pandemic did was exacerbate latent anti-Asian prejudices that have a long and ugly history in America."

"I want to make clear that all Asian Americans who are understandably feeling hurt and afraid right now and wondering whether anyone else in America cares that Congress sees you, we stand with you," he added. "We're gonna do everything in our power to protect you."

Since the pandemic swept across the nation a year ago, AAPI have been blamed for the spread of coronavirus, largely because of the rhetoric used by Donald Trump and his advisors, such as the "China virus," "Wuhan Virus," or "Kung Flu." 

“It is with a heavy heart that we are here today, still shocked and heartbroken about the murder of eight in Georgia, including six Asian American women, by a gunman who targeted three Asian businesses. The first one being Young's Asian Massage, then driving 27 miles to two other Asian spas,” said Rep. Judy Chu, D-CA, chair of the Congressional  Asian Pacific American Caucus.

“His targets were no accident," she added. "And what we know is that this day was coming. And because of crimes like this, I ... urged the committee to undertake this hearing because the Asian American community has reached a crisis point that cannot be ignored."

One of emotional highpoints of the hearing occurred when Rep. Grace Meng, D-NY,  responded to comments made by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Tx., during his opening statement. Roy said that he believes victims of race-based violence deserve justice, but then claimed the hearing was an effort to police rhetoric and criticized China for its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

"I want to go back to something that Mr. Roy said earlier," said Meng, speaking virtually from her home. "Your president and your party and your colleagues can talk about issues with any other country that you want. But you don't have to do it by putting a bull's eye on the back of Asian Americans across this country. On our grandparents, on our kids. This hearing was to address the hurt and pain of our community. To find solutions. And we will not let you take our voice away from us."

"Our community is bleeding, we are in pain, and for the last year we've been screaming out for help," she added.

Meng also urged the committee to support the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act would designate an individual at the Department of Justice expeditiously review hate crimes related to COVID-19, while also making it easier for people to report these crimes to state and local agencies.

Rep. Ted Lieu, D-CA, also responded to Roy's attempts to subvert the hearing. "This hearing is about Americans of Asian descent who are being targeted in the United States. It's not about policing speech," said Lieu.

The hearing comes in the midst of an alarming year-long rise in assaults on AAPI nationwide. A report released Tuesday said the Stop AAPI Hate reporting center received nearly 3,800 reports of hate incidents, including verbal harassment, bullying and physical assault, from March 19, 2020, to February 28 this year

Besides politicians, speakers also included academics, community leaders, activists and actor Daniel Dae Kim, who has used his social media platform to bring attention to the epidemic of hate against AAPI.

In his testimony, he called out conservatives for voting against such a resolution last year. “I was disheartened to find that for a bill that required no money or resources, just a simple condemnation of acts of hate against people of Asian descent, 164 members of Congress, all Republican voted against it,” said the actor and producer. “And now here I am again, because as every witness in this hearing has pointed out, the situation has gotten worse, much worse.”

Republican Representatives Young Kim and Michelle Steel, who both represent Orange County districts in California, also testified.

"This should not have to be said but I want to be very clear. No American of any race or ethnic group is responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic," Kim said. "The virus does not discriminate. It affects everyone."

terms including 'Kung flu' or 'Wuhan virus' for describing the coronavirus pandemic. "I am not a virus. And when you say things like that, it hurts the Asian American community," Lieu said.

"This hearing is about Americans of Asian descent who are being targeted in the United States. It's not about policing speech," Lieu added.

Congressman Steve Cohen, the chair of the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties, in his opening remarks emphasized that "anti-Asian hate did not begin with the COVID-19 pandemic, and it will not end when the pandemic is over. All the pandemic did was exacerbate latent anti-Asian prejudices that have a long and ugly history in America."

 

"This is one of the more violent tragedies in a string of about 3,800 hate incidents and crimes against Asian Americans -- 68% of them women," said Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif., at a press conference Wednesday. "It's clear that the individuals were targeted because they are amongst the most vulnerable in our country: immigrant Asian women."

MORE: Rise in anti-Asian American hate crimes may lead to mental health crisis

Subcommittee Chair Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., began the hearing Thursday with a moment of silence for the people who were killed in Atlanta. He then began his opening statement by saying the shooting on Tuesday felt to many "like the inevitable culmination of a year in which there were nearly 3,800 reported incidents of anti-Asian hate."

"I want to make clear that all Asian Americans who are understandably feeling hurt and afraid right now and wondering whether anyone else in America cares that Congress sees you, we stand with you," he added. "We're gonna do everything in our power to protect you."

Republican congressman Tom McClintock from California also pushed back on the scope of the hearing. "To attack our society as systematically racist, a society that has produced the freest, most prosperous, harmonious multiracial society in human history, well, that's an insult. And it's flat-out wrong," McClintock said.   

Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland asked the panel of witnesses about Republicans' concerns about free speech. John Yang, the President of Asian Americans Advancing Justice, said "leaders have an obligation to model behavior that we want our community to follow" instead of trying to be divisive.   

Congressman Ted Lieu from California, who served active duty in the U.S. Air Force, made an appeal in his testimony to Republican lawmakers to stop using racist terms including 'Kung flu' or 'Wuhan virus' for describing the coronavirus pandemic. "I am not a virus. And when you say things like that, it hurts the Asian American community," Lieu said.

"This hearing is about Americans of Asian descent who are being targeted in the United States. It's not about policing speech," Lieu added.

Congressman Steve Cohen, the chair of the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties, in his opening remarks emphasized that "anti-Asian hate did not begin with the COVID-19 pandemic, and it will not end when the pandemic is over. All the pandemic did was exacerbate latent anti-Asian prejudices that have a long and ugly history in America."

Chu, chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus and the first Chinese American woman to serve in Congress, also talked about the Atlanta shootings at Thursday's hearing.

“It is with a heavy heart that we are here today, still shocked and heartbroken about the murder of eight in Georgia, including six Asian American women, by a gunman who targeted three Asian businesses. The first one being Young's Asian Massage, then driving 27 miles to two other Asian spas,” Chu said.

“His targets were no accident," she added. "And what we know is that this day was coming. And because of crimes like this, I, as chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, or CAPAC, urged the committee to undertake this hearing because the Asian American community has reached a crisis point that cannot be ignored."

In an emotional moment during her testimony, Meng pushed back against comments that Republican Texas Rep. Chip Roy made during his opening statement. Roy said that he believes victims of race-based violence deserve justice, but then claimed the hearing was an effort to police rhetoric and criticized China for its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

"I want to go back to something that Mr. Roy said earlier," she said. "Your president and your party and your colleagues can talk about issues with any other country that you want. But you don't have to do it by putting a bull's eye on the back of Asian Americans across this country. On our grandparents, on our kids. This hearing was to address the hurt and pain of our community. To find solutions. And we will not let you take our voice away from us."