MAGA podcast sparks outrage after host calls for internment of Chinese Americans

During WWII Japanese Americans were rounded up and incarcerated in desolate camps.

In a chilling reminder that the "perpetual foreigner" trope remains alive and well in right-wing media, a panelist on a popular MAGA-aligned podcast recently floated the idea of locking up Chinese Americans in the event of a war with Beijing.

Asian American members of Congress were quick to respond, mincing no words: 

"“These comments invoke centuries-old racist tropes that cast Chinese Americans as perpetual foreigners and question their loyalty to the United States," they stated. "Such rhetoric fuels discrimination and violence against Chinese Americans and those perceived to be Chinese, and contributes to a climate in which one in five Americans are currently concerned about Chinese Americans posing a threat to US society."

During an episode of Timcast IRL, co-host Ian Crossland was not subtle when brainstorming a hypothetical military conflict between the United States and China.

 "Do (you) think we should intern all the Chinese Americans we can find?" Crossland asked his fellow commentators. He then answered his own question: "Because it kind of seems like we should."

Ian Crossland during one of his podcasts.

While another panelist, Kevin Smith, pushed back slightly, his objection wasn't rooted in basic human rights or constitutional protections. Instead, Smith merely questioned the logistics of modern-day concentration camps, arguing that social media and public protests would make replicating World War II-era internment too difficult to pull off in the 21st century.

Blistering response

The casual mainstreaming of wartime incarceration has drawn fierce, immediate condemnation from Asian American lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) issued a blistering joint response led by Reps. Grace Meng, Ted Lieu, and Judy Chu, blasting the podcast's rhetoric as both dangerous and xenophobic. 

Congressmembers Grace Meng, Ted Lieu and Judy Chu.

Lawmakers drew a direct line from Crossland's remarks to the dark legacy of Executive Order 9066, which led to the forced relocation and imprisonment of over 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War II.

“To call for a return to one of the darkest chapters in US history — the incarceration of more than 120,000 American citizens of Japanese descent during World War II —is dangerous and unacceptable," the Congressional statement continued. This kind of rhetoric has no place in our country and we condemn it in the strongest possible terms.”

View from the edge

These comments invoke centuries-old racist tropes that cast Chinese Americans as perpetual foreigners and question their loyalty to the United States. Such rhetoric fuels discrimination and violence against Chinese Americans and those perceived to be Chinese.

It contributes to a climate in which one in five Americans are currently concerned about Chinese Americans posing a threat to US society, according to a survey by The Asian American Foundation.

This casual revival of mass incarceration rhetoric isn’t happening in a vacuum—it is the direct product of an ecosystem that profits off xenophobic fearmongering and extreme outrage among MAGA believers fueled by a regime that is using White fear as a recruitment strategy.

By framing the systemic violation of constitutional rights as a mere policy debate, media figures normalized hate under the guise of geopolitical strategy. 

As the Asian American lawmakers rightly noted, silence in the face of such rhetoric is complicity; confronting and exposing these modern-day echo chambers is essential to ensuring that one of the darkest chapters of American history is never repeated.

For those who don't believe this could never happen, factual history tells us it did happen to the Japanese Americans and US residents. These same naysayers are the same people who thought that Americans would never vote in TV host, failed businessman,  sexual predator and convicted felon Donald Trump.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news, views and chismis from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X, BlueSky or at the blog Views From the Edge. If you find this perspective interesting, please repost. 

Asian Americans march and speak out against Trump regime

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu was difiant against Donald Trump.

ANALYSIS

Among the 7 million No Kings demonstrators, Asian Americans made their presence known. They were not the largest group nor the loudest, but they were there, holding signs, reveling in the knowledge that they were not alone in their anger, disatisfaction and disdain for Donald Trump.

Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Island individuals and groups joined the Oct. 18 "No Kings" marches to express their concerns over the Trump administration's policies, focusing on issues like immigration, civil rights, voting rights and rising anti-Asian racism.

Sometimes you see a photo or hear a line of poetry that just stays with you. It’s funny how memories are like that. I recently found a black-and-white picture of my father from when he was a young man, a dashing and handsome man with smoldering eyes, staring defiantly back at the camera. We always think of our parents as old, and we forget that once they were young and had that rebellious spirit. My dad is gone now, but I think of that picture when I see a new generation finding its own voice of defiance.

That's the kind of feeling that comes to mind when I see images from the recent "No Kings" protests that swept across the U.S. this past weekend. A lot of Asian Americans, particularly in places like Boston and Los Angeles, had that same defiant look in their eyes. This wasn't about a single policy. It was about sending a message.

And boy, did Boston get the message across, with an exclamation point, I might add.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, the historic city's first Asian American mayor, was right there on the front lines in her city. Standing with thousands on Boston Common, America's first public park, she reminded everyone that resisting tyranny is about as American as it gets. For 250 years, the city has stood up against injustice, and it wasn't about to back down now.

"Boston has never been good at surrender or silence," as the crowd roared its approval. You have to love that line. It speaks to something deep in the American character—a willingness to speak up, to make a mess when things aren't right.

“In Boston, every day is No Kings Day,” Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said. Confronted by hecklers, she shrugged them off, saying, “This is Boston, where every voice is heard.”

Wu, who has frequently clashed with the Trump administration over its racist immigration policies, told the crowd that Trump and Republicans attacked Boston because they know it symbolizes freedom and revolution.

“We stand here today to tell the Trump administration, when it comes to our freedoms, when it comes to our families, Boston doesn’t back down,” Wu told the partisan crowd. “What terrifies them about our city isn’t just that we kicked out a king and we [can] do it again.”

“It’s not just that our city is not for sale or that we run a government that actually delivers as a home for everyone and the safest major city in the country,” she continued. “It’s not just that we empower our workers and stand with public employees instead of using them as political pawns. What scares them the most about Boston is that we are proof of the America they insist is impossible.

As one of the other Boston speakers said, "It's not nice and neat and squeaky. It's messy, it's disruptive, it's uncomfortable". And that's exactly what democracy looks like sometimes.

In Queens, N.Y., which has a large Asian American population, Rep. Grace Meng told the thousands of marchers, “One of the hardest stories that I keep hearing over and over again are from folks who immigrated to this country, whether they just came a few months ago or whether they came two generations ago, and they have a sad look on their face, exasperated, saying that this is not the country that they came to. This is not what democracy looks like.”

NYC COUNCIL

Asian Americans joined the No Kings rallies in New York City.

“They sacrificed so much, many of them fled hardships in their home countries and then they came here to build a better life for their kids and their neighbors and their families. But this is not what they came for.”

Meng continued: “In just a few months, this President has shown us who he fights for.

"It’s not America, it’s not for the people, it’s for the wealthiest and the well connected, and we’re not going to stand for it.

For many in the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, the issues were personal. In Los Angeles, some of the participants were protesting immigration raids, worried about students being separated from their families. But it goes beyond just immigration. AAPI communities have a history of fighting for their place at the table, a history of facing discrimination and overcoming it.

Beyond Boston, other U.S. cities with strong AAPI participation in the October 2025 "No Kings" protests included Chicago, and Honolulu and, of course, in California home to 7 million Asian Americans, the most of any state.

The San Gabriel Valley east of Los Angeles is home to several enclaves of Asian communities: Chinese, Filipino, Vietnamese and Korean. It is represented by Congressmember Judy Chu.

“This is a continuation of what we as a country are doing to resist this authoritarian, fascist regime,” Chu told the crowd, urging participants to see the event as “practice—building our muscles of protest and resistance.”

She called for peaceful but determined civic action, saying, “Power does not give up without a fight. Our anger will motivate us, but it’s community that will keep us together.”

In San Bruno, Calif. hundreds of people gathered at the Tanforan Assembly Memorial, a former horse-racing track, where Japanese American were incarcerated. Speakers included survivors of WWII internment, drawing parallels between the historical inccarceration of Japanese Americans and current immigration policies. Grace Morizawa, a 79-year-old Berkeley resident whose parents met in an internment camp, expressed solidarity with today's immigrants, stating, "you could just hear the passion in their voice when they said they don't want to see that happen again."

SCREEN CAPTURE

Seven thousand people joined the Sacramento march and. rally highlighted by a speech by Rep. Doris Matsui, who was born in one of the camps that incarcerated about 120,000 Japanese Americans during WWII. 

"Today we reminded Donald Trump, loud and clear, that in this country WE HAVE NO KINGS," Matsui told the participants. "We don’t worship power — we build it together: In our neighborhoods. On our streets. In our unions. "That’s who we are, that’s Sacramento, and I’ll always have your back," she said to a volley of applause and cheers.

Protesters in Oakland were marching in the city's streets, chanting, "whose streets? Our Streets." Part of the route led marchers through Chinatown down 13th Street, winding up in a rally in front of City Hall.

Asian Americans also  took part in several large-scale protests in Los Angeles. One of the protests occurred in Historic Filipinotown near downtown L.A. “When I enlisted, I swore a solemn oath to uphold the US constitution, to help protect the nation from enemies without and within. Today, I would never swear allegiance or bend the knee to a wannabe king because there are NO KINGS in America,”  US Army veteran Joe Arciaga said in a press statement.

When an administration starts to sound like it thinks it's above the law, a lot of different people, from different backgrounds, hear the same alarm bells ringing. The "No Kings" protests are a modern-day call to arms, not with weapons but with signs and voices. It's a reminder that we are a nation of laws, not of rulers.

This is a story that will continue to unfold. The protesters, with an estimated 7 million turning out nationwide, weren't just angry; they were energized and organized. They weren't just there for a single day. They were carrying a message that they intend to take back to their communities. And it is a message we all need to remember: Freedom over fascism. 

No Kings. No dictators. No fascists. No way!

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news, views and chismis from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X, BlueSky or at the blog Views From the Edge. 

L.A. protests: “Donald Trump is creating fear and terror," says governor

National Guard soldiers were ordered to 

The heavy-handed tactics used by federal immigration authorities has sparked angry  protests and a lawsuit against Donald Trump and his questionable use of the California National Guard that appears to be escalating the tension and anger in Los Angeles.

Trump's use of the National Guard to quell protests against tactics used by federal immigration agents in Los Angeles has California's Filipino American Attorney General Rob Bonta filing his 24th lawsuit against Donald Trump and his administration

Bonta and California Governor Gavin Newsom are suing Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Hegseth in response to their orders seeking to federalize the California National Guard for 60 days under 10 U.S.C. § 12406.

 In the early hours of Sunday morning, the US Department of Defense, at the direction of Donald Trump, redirected hundreds of National Guard troops from San Diego to Los Angeles, without authorization from the Governor and against the wishes of local law enforcement. In total, the Department intends to deploy 2,000 troops from across the state, an inflammatory escalation unsupported by conditions on the ground. 

Lawsuit filed against Trump

In the lawsuit filed Tuesday, Bonta and Newsom asks the court to hold unlawful and set aside the Trump’s order federalizing the National Guard by way of a rarely used law, arguing that such action exceeds the federal government’s authority under the law and violates the Tenth Amendment.

“President Trump’s order calling federalized National Guard troops into Los Angeles – over the objections of the Governor and local law enforcement – is unnecessary and counterproductive. It’s also deeply unfair to the members of the National Guard who are hard at work every day protecting our state, preparing for and responding to emergencies, and training so that, if called, they can fight our nation’s wars,” says  Bonta. 

        RELATED: California challenges Trump's tarriffs

“Let me be clear: There is no invasion. There is no rebellion. The President is trying to manufacture chaos and crisis on the ground for his own political ends," says Bonta. "Federalizing the California National Guard is an abuse of the President’s authority under the law – and not one we take lightly. We’re asking a court to put a stop to the unlawful, unprecedented order.”

“Donald Trump is creating fear and terror by failing to adhere to the US Constitution and overstepping his authority. This is a manufactured crisis to allow him to take over a state militia, damaging the very foundation of our republic,” says Newsom. 

On Friday and Saturday, June 6 and 7, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted multiple immigration raids in downtown Los Angeles; at a Home Depot and at apparel manufacturers Around 3 p.m. Friday. Crowds began gathering in shouting at the federal agents and trying to stop the federal agents' vehicles.

These raids were met with multiple protests. 

Following threats to send in the National Guard from several Trump Administration officials, on the evening of June 7, Trump issued a formal memorandum entitled “Department of Defense Security for the Protection of Department of Homeland Security Functions,” purporting to authorize the Department of Defense to call up 2,000 California National Guard personnel into federal service for a period of 60 days. 

In implementing this directive, the Department of Defense circumvented authorization from the Governor and began deploying National Guard troops to Los Angeles over the objections of local law enforcement actively on the ground. Notably, by the time the National Guard arrived Sunday morning, the protests had dissipated and streets were quiet, but soon after the National Guard arrived, tensions reignited, leading to the very sort of unrest the National Guard was supposedly sent in to quell. 

Concerningly, Trump has already made clear his intention to expand the use of these National Guard troops to conduct interior civil immigration enforcement activities normally conducted by civil immigration law enforcement officers, creating fear and terror in California communities.

Trump’s unprecedented order attempts to usurp state authority and resources via 10 U.S.C. § 12406, a statute that has been invoked on its own only once before in modern history and for highly unusual circumstances — when President Richard Nixon called upon the National Guard to deliver the mail during the 1970 Postal Service Strike. This is also the first time since 1965 — when President Johnson sent troops to Alabama to protect civil rights demonstrators — that a president has activated a state’s National Guard without a request from the state’s governor. 

In this case, Newsom did not request that the state’s National Guard be federalized, as local authorities were managing the situation on the ground, and openly expressed concern that bringing in the National Guard could inflame the situation. After the President plowed ahead with his order, the Governor sent a letter to Secretary Hegseth requesting that the Department of Defense rescind its unlawful deployment of troops in the state and return them to his command.

In the lawsuit filed Tuesday, Bonta and Newsom asks the court to hold that Trump's and Department of Defense’s orders federalizing the California National Guard are unlawful, arguing that:The federalization of the California National Guard deprives California of resources to protect itself and its citizens, and of critical responders in the event of a state emergency.

Newsom had filed an emergency motion with the courts Tuesday in an attempt to prevent Trump's expansion of the military in LA - a federal judge denied it and set the hearing for Newsom's lawsuit for Thursday

        FYI: A copy of the lawsuit is available here.

10 U.S.C. 12406 requires that the Governor consent to federalization of the National Guard, which Newsom was not given the opportunity to do prior to their deployment.

Trump’s unlawful order infringes on Newsom’s role as Commander-in-Chief of the California National Guard and violates the state’s sovereign right to control and have available its National Guard in the absence of a lawful invocation of federal power.

“State and local law enforcement have repeatedly said they have the resources necessary to handle the situation. It is completely un-American and needlessly provocative for Donald Trump to deploy the National Guard and Marines to Southern California," said California Rep. Ted Lieu, whose district includes part of Los Angeles. 

"So, I want to talk about the National Guard first. Their legal authority Trump is using is 10 U.S.C. Section 12406. I encourage all of you to read it. It very specifically says the only way he can do this is through the orders of the Governors of the states. Governor Newsom clearly has not given this order; the National Guard troops are following unlawful orders. I ask every National Guard person who is under this order to read the order, to see if it came from Governor Newsom and then to read the law and then decide for themselves if they are following unlawful orders," Lieu implored.

“Like millions of Americans across the country, I am deeply concerned by the administration’s use of aggressive tactics against immigrant communities. Armed agents have raided schools, workplaces, and homes—terrorizing our neighbors and ripping families apart,” said Congressmember Grace Meng (NY-06), chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. 

“This is not about public safety, this is about exerting control and striking fear in immigrant communities," said Meng. "As Members of Congress, we will continue to exercise our legal authority to conduct oversight of detention centers and demand accountability from the administration, and we will fight for immigration policies that reflect our nation’s values of fairness and dignity for all—not cruelty disguised as law and order.”

Protestors take to the streets

The protests were in response to raids by ICE and Homeland Security at workplaces, schools and when immigrants arrived at their immigration check-ins which they agreed to in order to remain in the country.

“Mass raids without warrants has been what has started this whole thing,” alleges Rep. Judy Chu, D-CA., “It was started by Donald Trump.”

On Friday, June 6, the federal government, through IICE, began conducting widespread operations throughout Los Angeles without providing notification to local law enforcement. During the course of these operations, ICE officers took actions that inflamed tensions, including the arrest and detainment of children, and military-style operations that sparked panic in the community. The Department of Homeland Security reported that its enforcement activities on June 6 resulted in the arrest of 44 individuals, two of whom appear to have been minors. Only five of those arrested reportedly had any criminal history.

In response, community members began protesting to express opposition to these Gestapo-like tactics, the Trump’s heavy-handed, violent immigration agenda, and the arrest of innocent people, and to express solidarity with and concern for the individuals and families most directly impacted by the enforcement actions taking place in their community. 

Protests continued for two more days, and although some violent and illegal incidents were reported — leading to justified arrests by state and local authorities — these protests were largely nonviolent and involved citizens exercising their First Amendment right to protest. 

As the protests moved into a third day, Tuesday night L.A. Mayor Karen Bass instituted a curfew in downtown Los Angeles. Small bands of people ignored the curfew and the LAPD began making arrests.

At no point did these protests necessitate federal intervention, and local and state law enforcement remained in control of the situation. Local law enforcement, despite no communication or advanced notice from the federal government, responded quickly and did not request federal assistance.

“Every governor, red or blue, should reject this outrageous overreach," says Newsom. "This is beyond incompetence — this is him intentionally causing chaos, terrorizing communities, and endangering the principles of our great democracy. It is an unmistakable step toward authoritarianism. We will not let this stand.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news, views and chismis from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X or at the blog Views From the Edge.

Firestorm erupts when Texas lawmaker questions Rep. Judy Chu's loyalty to US

Congressmembers Lance Gallagher and Judy Chu at odds.

Racist remarks from a Texas congressman against an Asian American lawmaker drew sharp rebukes from other members of Congress and the AANHPI community.

On a Fox News show, Rep. Lance Gooden, R-Texas, questioned the loyalties of Rep. Judy Chu, D-CA, because she defended Dominic Ng, who President Biden appointed to lead US trade interests in Asia. Ng has been accused of having ties to the Chinese Communist Party, prompting a group of House GOP lawmakers to ask the FBI to investigate the appointee.

“I question her either loyalty or competence,” Gooden said of Chu during an interview on Fox News. “If she doesn’t realize what’s going on then she’s totally out of touch with one of her core constituencies.”

It didn't take long for a reaction to Gooden's remarks.

"Rep. Gooden’s comments on Fox News questioning my loyalty to the USA is absolutely outrageous," responded Chu, the first Chinese American woman elected to Congress. "It is based on false information spread by an extreme, right-wing website. Furthermore, it is racist. I very much doubt that he would be spreading these lies were I not of Chinese American descent."

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., in a statement said Gooden's "slanderous accusation of disloyalty against Rep. Chu is dangerous, unconscionable and xenophobic.

"Congressman Gooden appears to sympathize with violent insurrectionists and spreads big lies to the American people, having voted not to certify the election of President Joe Biden. Look in the mirror, Lance. You have zero credibility," he added.

On Friday, Gooden doubled down on his remarks, accusing both Chu and Jeffries of "playing the race card in a sick display of disloyalty to our nation," the typical reaction of someone who is trying to downplay his own biases.

Gooden is a member of the so-called "Sedition Caucus" of nearly 150 extreme-right Republicans in Congress who attempted to subvert the 2020 U.S. presidential election in service of former Donald Trump's "Big Lie" that the election was stolen.

“Insinuating that Chair Chu is disloyal to the United States because she is Chinese American is categorically wrong," said a statement from the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus chaired by Chu.

"This type of racist targeting and profiling of Chinese Americans by right-wing extremists is not only xenophobic, it is incredibly dangerous. After centuries of being targeted for not being ‘American enough’ and viewed with suspicion based on looking ‘foreign,’ this type of insinuation and fear mongering only further endangers our communities.

“We hope Republican House leadership will join us in condemning these kinds of attacks on Chinese Americans, elected or otherwise."

Although the strongest criticism has come from Democrats as expected, at least one  Republican has expressed concern about Gooden's remarks.

“Let me say we should not question anybody’s loyalty to the United States. I think that is out of bounds. It’s beyond the pale,” Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., the chairman of the China select committee, told CBS’s Face The Nation on Sunday.

“Absolutely, we shouldn’t question anybody’s loyalty,” Gallagher added. “And going forward, I think what’s critical and the reason we actually got the committee renamed to focus on the Chinese Communist Party, is to constantly make that distinction between the party and the people.”

AANHPI communitiy advocates also condemned Gallagher's comments. The Organization of Chinese Associations, the largest Chinese American umbrella agency issued a statement critical of Gooden.

"Hate crimes and xenophobia against the AANHPI community has risen precipitously because elected officials like Rep. Gooden continues to make ignorant and racist statements which have dangerous consequences," the statement said. "These unfounded suspicions and questions of loyalty towards AANHPIs only perpetuates distrust of the community and increases the division in America. These racist accusations have no place in our society."

“Dominic Ng and Rep. Chu are as American as Rep. Gooden, proud patriots of the United States. Questioning their loyalty to the U.S. based on nothing but skin color is racism, pure and simple,” said Zhengyu Huang, president of Committee of 100.

 “Comments like these continue the cycle of viewing Chinese and Asian Americans as perpetual foreigners, strangers in our own homeland. Comments like these cause xenophobia and violence to increase against the AAPI community," Huang continued. 

"As a society, we cannot sit idly by and allow racially charged language to go unchecked. Words have meaning, and racially charged words have consequences. We strongly condemn the language used by Rep. Gooden and stand united with Dominic Ng and Rep. Chu as proud Americans.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter.

Lunar New Year celebrated at the White House

President Biden greeted guests at the first White House observance of Lunar New Year.

Before celebrating the Lunar New Year in the White House, President Biden asked Congressmember Judy Chu, who represents Monterey Park, if it would be appropriate to continue the event so soon after the mass shootings in California.

“Judy, what should I do? Should I continue to — should I be in California or should I still have this celebration?” said Biden. "And she felt very strongly. She said, 'We have to move forward.'”

"Her message was: Don’t give into fear and sorrow. Don’t do that. Stand in solidarity in the spirit of toughness that this holiday is all about."

For the first time ever, the White House celebrated Lunar New Year last Thursday.

“For all the progress, this community has experienced profound hate, pain, and violence and loss,” Biden said. “As I’ve said before, hate can have no safe harbor in America. No person deserves to be treated in a hateful way.”

The President also made notice of Brandon Tsay, 26, who was at a second dance studio a few miles from the scene of the tragedy in Monterey Park when the same gunman entered his dance studio, holding his weapon. Tsay was able to wrestle the weapon away from the gunman, who then fled.

Biden said he spoke to Tsay and called him a "genuine hero."

Biden was introduced by Elaine Tso, CEO of Asian Services in Action in Ohio.

"It means so much to the Asian American community that the White House is hosting this first-ever Lunar New Year event," said Tso. "You know, and because of it, you know, we feel seen, we feel heard. (Applause.) And more importantly — more importantly, we feel valued and — and acknowledged as members of this amazing country that — that welcomes and supports a vibrant community from — from diverse origins."

The President also pointed to the diversity in his administration, stressing to the AAPI audience that more than 13% of his administration is of Asian and Pacific Islander background.

Biden noted that from Day One, the administration has taken steps and introduced policies to improve recognition and support for Asian Americans, including legislation to study the creation of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture, as well as a bill to combat the rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans stemming from the pandemic.

“We cannot be silent,” Biden said Thursday. “I will not be silent.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter.

11 killed in Monterey Park shooting spree, shooting suspect found dead

Rep. Judy Chu was celebrating Lunar New Year just hours before the deadly shooting.

UPDATED 1 p.m., Jan. 23 to include additional fatality.

The Lunar New Year celebration Saturday night turned into a nightmare when a gunman opened fire at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio, killing 11 and wounding at least nine more.

The shooting occurred a few minutes at 10:22 p.m. and police swarmed to the Chinese-owned dance studio minutes later. Police began a manhunt for the shooter. Ten victims were pronounced dead at the scene and one of the wounded brought to a local hospital died Monday morning.

"Monterey Park should have had a night of joyful celebration of the Lunar New Year. Instead, they were the victims of a horrific and heartless act of gun violence," tweeted California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna at a Sunday evening news conference identified the suspect as Huu Can Tran, a 72-year-old man whose body he said was found inside a white van with self-inflicted gunshot wounds following a standoff with police in Torrance,about 30-minutes south.

Police don't have a motive for the senseless carnage. Authorities have not released the names of the victims until their families could be identified. The studio, popular with the elderly, was just completed celebrating the Lunar New Year kickoff so most if not all of the victims may be Asian Americans.

Officials said 20 to 30 minutes after the Monterey Park shooting spree, Tran drove to nearby Alhambra where he entered the Lai Lai Ballroom which was another Lunar New Year celebration was being held There, Luna said Tran "was disarmed by two community members who I consider to be heroes because they saved lives. This could have been much worse."

Tran was able to get away. Tran's white van was spotted in a Torrance parking lot Sunday morning where police cordoned off the area and surrounded the van. Around 1 p.m., swat team members approached the van and found Tran already dead from a gunshot.

Police released these pictures of the shooting suspect Huu Can Tran during the manhunt.

"I want to assure the community of Monterey Park and the broader area that we will support you in every way we can," said President Biden. "Even as we continue searching for answers about this attack, we know how deeply this attack has impacted the AAPI community." Biden ordered flags be flown at half-mast at government installations and military bases across the nation. He asked the the Department of Homeland Security and FBI to extend any help local authorities might need.

Monterey Park is one of the first suburban Asian American communities as Asian immigrants began leaving the urban centers in the late 20th century. About 65% of the population in the city east of Los Angeles is of Asian descent.

The city's Lunar New Year's festivities have been known to attract 100,000 celebrants. At a Sunday news conference, Monterey Park Mayor Henry Lo said: "It is important that we be there for (the victims' families), to provide services and support they need in what will be a time of healing in the next weeks, months, if not years."

Saturday’s mass shooting joins a staggering 32 others from just the first three weeks of 2023, per the Gun Violence Archive.

A number of community agencies, including Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL), in partnership with The Asian American Foundation (TAAF), Asian Pacific Community Fund (APCF), Stop AAPI Hate, Gold House, Stand with Asian Americans and Chinatown Service Center, have organized a campaign on GoFundMe for the benefit of the victims.

Rep. Judy Chu, who represents the area in Congress and who served as Monterey Park mayor issued a a statement, saying, "It is horrific to think that only hours before, and only one block away, I joined with thousands of people and many elected officials at the opening of the Lunar New Year Festival. But now, Asian Americans in the Monterey Park community and nationwide are in mourning and are terrified instead of celebrating.

“I have lived in Monterey Park for 37 years. I served on the city council, and as Mayor 3 times in this city. If there is one thing I know, it is that Monterey Park is resilient. Our community is strong, and we will get through this terrible event together.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is a developing story. Follow up stories will be posted as authorities release more information. For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter.

Biden signs omnibus appropriations bill providing over $1-billion for AANHPI communities

FACEBOOK

Rep. Judy Chu praises passage of huge funding bill.

The omnibus funding bill appropriates over a billion dollars directly benefitting AANHPI communities.

President Biden signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, which provides $1.7 trillion to fund the federal government through fiscal year 2023 (FY23). In the bill, over a billion will be spent on aiding the AANHPI communities fight hate, reducing health disparities, assist businesses and education.

AANHPI communities "continue to be impacted by anti-Asian hate, economic difficulties, and disparities in the nation’s health care and education systems," said Chair Rep. Judy Chu, D-CA.

A large chunk, $832 million, will go to the Office of English Language Acquisition, which assists English Learners and immigrant students attain English proficiency and meet college and career learning standard.

All but two Asian American members of Congress voted for the bill's passage. Republican Asian American House members Young Kim and Michelle Steel, both representing districts in Southern California, voted along the majority of the GOP in voting against the funding bill. Nine other Republicans joined the Democrats in approving the bill. 

The House of Representatives passed the Senate amended bill on Dec. 22 and President Biden singed the appropriations act on Friday, Dec. 23.

"This funding bill includes many of CAPAC’s legislative priorities and meets many of our communities’ short- and long-term needs," said Chu.

“This bill addresses domestic violence against AANHPI women, including Native Hawaiian women, as well as the rise of anti-Asian hate. Compounding factors—including cultural stigmas on speaking out, poverty, and immigration status—make it difficult for many AANHPI women to seek justice against violent perpetrators, but today’s legislation provides critical funding that is culturally- and linguistically-specific. 

"This bill also provides funding for the Department of Health and Human Services, which houses the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI), a crucial initiative that elevates AANHPI issues throughout the federal government. I also applaud the historic increases in funding for AANHPI education and the steps this legislation takes in securing economic and housing justice for AANHPIs.

“Let me be clear – this bill does not address all our Caucus’ priorities, such as a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers and reducing the unacceptable and inhumane immigration backlog," Chu concluded.

Highlights in the omnibus for AANHPI communities include: 

• $10 million for the Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act (double the funding from FY22), which was introduced by CAPAC Chair Rep. Judy Chu and Rep. Don Beyer (VA-08), and creates grants that improve the collection, investigation, and reporting of hate crimes data;

• $10 million to fund community-based approaches to advancing justice, which include culturally-competent and linguistically-appropriate education campaigns on hate crime reporting and in-language support for victims and surviving families of hate crimes;

• $11 million to fund grants for culturally specific community-based organizations to address the critical needs of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking victims;

• $74.8 million for the Office of Minority Health, which develops health policies and programs to eliminate health disparities experienced among minority populations, including AANHPIs, who are disproportionately affected by certain diseases such as hepatitis B and diabetes;

• $27 million to fund the Native Hawaiian Health Care Program, which addresses health conditions unique to Native Hawaiian communities, such as chronic obstructive lung disease, breast cancer mortality rates, and infant mortality rates;

• $18.6 million in grants to support AANHPI students at Asian American and Native American Pacific-Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), ($8 million more than the FY22 funding level);

• $832 million to the Office of English Language Acquisition, which assists English Learners and immigrant students attain English proficiency and meet college and career learning standards;

• $2.56 million into Asian Pacific American initiatives and outreach led by the Smithsonian Institute to better educate the American public on AANHPI history and contributions to our country;

• $70 million in funding for the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), which is one of the only federal agencies that specifically promotes the growth of AANHPI and other minority-owned businesses;

• $22.3 million to the Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant program to meet the housing and community development needs of low-income Native Hawaiian communities; and

• $4.6 million to fund the Norman Y. Mineta Japanese American Confinement Education Act, which was introduced by CAPAC Executive Members Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Rep. Doris Matsui (CA-6), and supports restoring and maintaining the sites where Japanese Americans were incarcerated during World War II.

Among the funding bill’s other provisions : Nearly $45 billion in aid for Ukraine; bipartisan election reforms intended to prevent another Jan. 6 attack; a ban on the Chinese-owned app TikTok on government devices; and new incentives for retirement savings.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter.

Asian Americans applaud Senate approval of the 'Inflation Reduction Act'

Vice President Kamala Harris cast the deciding vote to pass the Inflation Reduction Act.

After 24 hours of Republican attempts to sabotage the "Inflation Reduction Act," the Senate passed a historic budget reconciliation package after rejecting a series of harsh immigration enforcement provisions.

The "IRA," boosted by the White House, includes a myriad of federal programs affecting climate change, tax enforcement, and healthcare.

The Sunday (August 7) vote was strictly along party lines, 51-50 with Vice President Kamala Harris casting the deciding vote. "This afternoon I cast the tie-breaking vote on the Inflation Reduction Act," she said. "This bill will help lower inflation and the cost of living for millions of American families—lowering the cost of health care, prescription drugs, and everyday energy costs."

 

Some of the "poison pills" introduced by the GOP included amendments worsening the immigration system. “Efforts to dismantle the asylum system, restrict family migration, unjustly target and surveil immigrant communities, and increase enforcement or militarize the border, are immoral, extreme, and run counter to American values. Senators should remember that their constituents want economic opportunities, not amendments that would harm immigrant families who make our communities stronger,” said Martin Kim, Associate Director of Immigration Advocacy at Advancing Justice – AAJC.

Although Democrats were able to fight off the poison pills introduced by the GOP senators, the version of the bill that was introduced did not include any positive immigration provisions either, despite previous hopes last year a reconciliation bill might include immigration.

Senate Democrats held firm on voting against a mandatory extension of Title 42, as well as several other harmful immigration amendments. Title 42, as enforced by the Trump Administration designated hundreds of thousands of migrants for “expulsion,” arguing that allowing these migrants to enter the U.S. may increase the spread of COVID-19.

One immigration amendment introduced by GOP Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma would have given the Department of Homeland Security a symbolic $1,000,000 to continue Title 42 indefinitely until 120 days after the COVID-19 public health emergency is terminated, something that is not likely to happen for years. Democrats managed to hold firm against this amendment and defeated it 50-50 by offering a second option for vulnerable members who have previously supported more modest extension of Title 42. That option was a vote for a modified version of a bipartisan bill Lankford had previously put forward with Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and other Senate moderates. That vote ultimately failed as well, because it required a 60-vote threshold, allowing six vulnerable Democratic senators to join with the Republican caucus and vote in favor, while knowing the amendment would not pass.

Some Republican amendments were defeated without requiring Democrats to offer an alternative for their more vulnerable members to be able to vote for instead. For example, GOP Sen. Rick Scott of Florida offered an amendment which would block the hiring of any new Internal Revenue Service agents until the Border Patrol hired an additional 18,000 agents “over the top” of the agency’s current total of nearly 20,000 agents. That amendment was defeated on a 50-50 vote.

Although anti-immigrant measures were rejected throughout the night, many immigration advocates and affected community members expressed concerns about the lack of positive immigration amendments in the final bill, such as visa recapture and other legislative priorities. The next chance for many of those provisions is an upcoming vote on the National Defense Authorization Act. The version of that bill that passed out of the House of Representatives contained protections for so-called “documented dreamers,” as well as increased support for Afghan evacuees and their families.

Other amendments aimed to strip out climate-related funding to DHS and replace it with funds for immigration enforcement. An amendment offered by GOP Sen. Bill Hagerty of Tennessee would have eliminated $500 million to DHS for climate resiliency and climate-change-related disaster relief and replaced it with a $440 million slush fund for Immigration and Customs Enforcement that had to be spent in the next two months on deporting and arresting individuals who committed felonies. Another amendment would have stripped out the same climate funding and instead redirected that money to building new border wall. Each of those amendments was defeated in turn.

“The Inflation Reduction Act will lower the cost of health care coverage for millions of Americans by extending Affordable Care Act subsidies for three years, which impacts nearly 200,000 Asian Americans, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders, and an estimated 50,000 will continue to be eligible for zero-premium Marketplace plans with these subsidies," said Juliet K. Choi, president and CEO of the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF).

“For the first time ever, this bill allows Medicare to negotiate the prices of medicines directly and caps out-of-pocket costs for Medicare beneficiaries at $2,000 per year. By reining in health care costs, this legislation will provide better access to affordable health care for underserved families, particularly for families of color.

The House is expected to vote on the Senate revisions this week where it will likely receive a warm reception.

The Chairs of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) and Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) applauded the recent Senate passage of the Inflation Reduction Act. CAPAC Chair Rep. Judy Chu, CBC Chair Rep. Joyce Beatty and CHC Chair Rep. Raul Ruiz released the following statement:

“The Inflation Reduction Act is a historic piece of legislation that will lower the cost of prescription drugs and health insurance, reduce everyday energy costs, invest in working families, create millions of well-paid union jobs, and will take big action to address the climate crisis. It has an equity lens to ensure that no community is left behind and that those impacted most by climate change and rising health care costs will significantly benefit. The Senate’s passage of this bill is a major step forward that will benefit rural communities and communities of color across the nation."

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter.

Congressmember arrested for taking part in a rally protesting SCOTUS ruling on abortion

JUDY CHU

California Congressmember Judy Chu, center, was arrested at an abortion rights rally last week.

The Asian American Congressmember who introduced a bill last year to ensure abortion rights becomes federal law was arrested at a  rally protesting the Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade. 

Rep. Judy Chu, D-CA, was arrested June 30 along with 180 other demonstrators protesting the Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, a 50-year law giving women the right to choose.

“The decision to march today was easy—I came out to march for the young rape survivor, the woman who cannot afford to travel to another state to access critical care, the mother with an ectopic pregnancy whose life is in danger. I came out to march for all of us”, Chu said in a tweet following her arrest.

Chu, chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, introduced the Women’s Health Protection Act last September after the Supreme Court allowed a new Texas law banning most abortions to remain in place.

The measure seeks to codify the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision into federal law "to protect a person’s ability to determine whether to continue or end a pregnancy" and to protect health care providers' ability to continue administering abortion services, according to the bill’s text.

Although the House passed the bill, Republican senators were able to block its passage in the US Senate with a 46-48 vote, far from the 60 votes needed based on the filibuster rule.

Last week's rally near the Supreme Court building was in response to the 6-3 ruling by radical conservative justices to overturn the landmark 50-year old Roe v. Wade decision even though the law had been upheld by SCOTUS numerous times. Trump appointees, Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barret, gave conservatives a super majority in the court even thuogh they testified under oath during their confirmation hearings that they would uphold precedent rulings.

Eighty-five percent of AAPI women support abortion access, according to a poll by the National Asian Pacific American Womens Forum.

““We are in this together and we will not back down or be silenced. I am ramping up my calls to abolish the Senate filibuster — and actively exploring every option to ensure we pass my bill, the Women’s Health Protection Act, which establishes a federal right to abortion care, and have it signed into law,” Chu said in her statement made after her arrest.

“Lives are at stake and this fight is far from over.” 

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter.