2023 Day of Remembrance: 'Let it not happen again," says Biden

Memories turn into lessons never to be repeated.

During this current time when anti-Asian hate and violence is surging, the Japanese American Day of Remembrance has become everybody's Day of Remembrance.

On Feb. 19, President Biden issued a statement that ended in, "Nidoto Nai Yoni" – to “Let It Not Happen Again” referring to the incarceration of 125,000 Japanese Americans during World War II.

"When President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, eighty-one years ago today, it ushered in one of the most shameful periods in American history" said Biden. "The wrongful incarceration of 120,000 Americans of Japanese descent tore families apart. Men, women, and children were forced to abandon their homes, their jobs, their communities, their businesses, and their way of life. 

"They were sent to inhumane concentration camps simply because of their heritage. And in a tragic miscarriage of justice, the Supreme Court upheld these immoral and unconstitutional policies," he continued.

"Despite losing liberty, security, and the fundamental freedoms that rightfully belonged to them, 33,000 Japanese Americans volunteered or were drafted for service in the U.S. military during World War II. While their own families were behind barbed wires, Japanese Americans fought in defense of the nation’s freedom with valor and courage."

In conclusion, Biden said: "The incarceration of Japanese Americans reminds us what happens when racism, fear, and xenophobia go unchecked. As we battle for the soul of our nation, we continue to combat the corrosive effects of hate on our democracy and the intergenerational trauma resulting from it. 

"We reaffirm the Federal Government’s formal apology to Japanese Americans for the suffering inflicted by these policies. And we commit to Nidoto Nai Yoni – to 'Let It Not Happen Again.'”

Observances were held across the nation, as the few remaining survivors tell their stories in the media and classrooms, this dark chapter is being told ad retold so Americans can learn how fragile their civil and human rights are and how xenophobia bubbles just under the thin veneer of civility in the Unite States. 

The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, consisting of AANHPI members of Congress and those representing large communities of AANHPI issued their statement via chair Judy Chu, D-CA:

"This Day of Remembrance continues to be significant as xenophobia and fear-mongering are once again leading to anti-Asian hate and racist policies which infringe on the civil rights of Americans. I am proud that over three decades ago, Congress passed the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 to formally apologize and provide redress to Japanese Americans who were racially targeted and stripped of their rights. However, we as a nation must continue to recognize this shameful part of our country’s history to ensure that we do not repeat the mistakes of our past.”

Rep. Mark Takano, D-CA, whose grandparents were incarcerated during WWII, said: “On this Day of Remembrance, we reflect on the pain and suffering Japanese Americans endured in internment during World War II with the signing of Executive Order 9066. More than 120,000 individuals of Japanese ancestry, including my parents and grandparents, suffered because of unjust fear and discrimination combined with a failure of political leadership. We are a nation that celebrates diversity and equality, and we must remain committed standing as one union, free of prejudice, intolerance, and xenophobia.”

CAPAC Freshman Representative Rep. Jill Tokuda (HI-02) is the granddaughter of an incarceree,said: “When President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1942, families were torn apart, once valued community members were shunned and subject to rampant xenophobia and racism, and hardworking business owners and workers saw their life's work and everything they owned taken away from them.

"Generations later, the shameful forced removal and incarceration of over 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry lives on as a painful reminder of how fragile our civil liberties are in times of crisis, and how steadfast we must be to stand up and protect them. As the great granddaughter of an internee, I join my fellow AANHPI brothers and sisters in calling for this Day of Remembrance to serve as a moment of reflection as we band together to ensure these atrocities never happen again,” she said.

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

US Attorney General appoints Asian American as Special Counsel investigating Biden

Special Counsel Robert Kyoung Hur

An Asian American attorney was named special counsel to investigate how classified documents ended up in President Biden's home and at his private office.

Robert Kyoung Hur, was named by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland to look into the possible unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents or other records discovered at the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement and the Wilmington, Delaware, private residence of President Joseph R. Biden Jr.

“I will conduct the assigned investigation with fair, impartial, and dispassionate judgment. I intend to follow the facts swiftly and thoroughly, without fear or favor, and will honor the trust placed in me to perform this service,” Hur said in a statement,

His parents are Haesook Hur and Dr. Young Hur of Monroe Township New Jersey, The New York Times reported. Her father is an anesthesiologist, according to a NYTimes article.

According to the biography, Hur, 50,  was born in New York and “received his J.D. from Stanford Law School, where he served as Executive Editor of the Stanford Law Review. He is also a board member of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of D.C.

At the Justice Department, Hur worked with former Trump deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein on Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, the former deputy attorney general told CNN.

“Rob has been around long enough – he knows what he is getting into,” said Rosenstein.

Appointed by Donald Trump and unanimously confirmed by the US Senate, he served from 2018 to 2021 as US Attorney in Maryland, setting strategic priorities for and supervising one of the largest and busiest US Attorney’s Offices in the nation, according to his bio.

As a US Attorney, one of the high-profile cases he “led criminal cases against former Mayor Catherine Pugh, a Democrat, and two state delegates,” reported The Baltimore Sun. Pugh was convicted of wire fraud and tax evasion, according to a press release from the  DOJ.

Hur was also appointed by Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan to chair a the Asian American Hate Crime Workgroup in 202, according to CBS News, which added that the group was also charged with addressing “the rise in anti-Asian discrimination and violence.

Shortly after Biden was sworn into office as President, Hur, described as a "conservative" Republican, resigned from the Department of Justice and went into private practice with Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, and Co-Chair of the Firm’s Crisis Management Practice Group and a “member of the firm’s White Collar Defense and Investigations Practice Group and the National Security Practice Group.”

The White House confirmed that “a small number” of materials with “classified markings” were found and turned over to the federal government, NPR reported.

The DOJ order made public on Thursday lays out the task ahead of Hur.

“The document authorizes him to investigate whether any person or entity violated the law in this matter,” Garland said during his brief press conference, in which he touted Hur’s “long and distinguished” record as a prosecutor.

Biden's attorneys reportedly found the Obama-Biden administration records during a search completed Wednesday night of Biden’s residences in both Wilmington and Rehoboth Beach, Del. All but one of the classified documents were found in a storage space in Biden’s Wilmington garage, with one other record found in an adjacent room, read a statement from Special Counsel to the President Richard Sauber.

Republicans were quick to to compare Biden's case with the way Trump hoarded nearly 100 classified documents at Mar-a-Lago for more than a year—even when the National Archives notified his office that the records were wrongly stored there illegally. It wasn’t until FBI agents raided the mansion in August 2022 that the Trump-held documents were recovered.

“People know that I take classified documents and classified material seriously," said Biden. "I also said we’re cooperating fully with the Justice Department’s review.”

In contrast to Trump's attempts to stop the probe of his documents, Biden’s personal lawyers say they “immediately” notified the federal government about their discoveries at both the think tank and Biden’s home garage. 

“As we stated previously, we are fully cooperating with the National Archives and the Department of Justice in a process to ensure that any Obama-Biden Administration records are appropriately in possession of the Archives,” Sauber said in the statement.

Correction: Jan. 13, 10:30 a.m. to correct age of Robert Hur.

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

White House to host United We Stand Summit to address the epidemic of hate-fueled violence

WHITE HOUSE

In May 2021, President Biden signed an Act making combatting anti-Asian hate crimes a priority.

It didn't take long did it? After 60 years of demonstrations, court rulings, civil rights laws and blood on the streets, fields and factories to turn racial bias and intolerance a social taboo, it took only four years to undo all of that.

On Sept. 15, President Biden will take another step toward putting American back on track to a more perfect union by hosting the United We Stand Summit "to counter the corrosive effects of hate-fueled violence in our democracy."

People of color, including Black, Latino, Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities have felt the onslaught of hate brought on the rise of white supremacy and the public displays of intolerance, which some say was fueled the previous White House occupants who allowed bigotry to flourish once again. 

In particular, the AANHPI communities have been the target of hate and ignorance since the start of pandemic. Stop AAPI Hate, a community organization that began collecting reports of hate incidents since March 2020, have received over 11,000 hate incidents against AANHPI, from verbal harassment in public spaces to deadly attacks, including the shooting spree that killed six Asian women in and around Atlanta. in March of 2021. 

Some blame the previous administrationfor fueling the hate directed at AANHPI by allowing the public expressions of hate to come out of the dark corners of the American psyche. Apparently, the insecurities fed by fear and ignorance never went away, they were only repressed.

The surge in hate has not gone unnoticed by the Biden administration, which includes Vice President Kamala Harris, the first woman of mixed racial heritage -- South Asian and Black. 

After the Atlanta shootings, Biden said: "Silence is complicity. We cannot be complicit." Shortly thereafter, the President signed legislation combatting anti-Asian hate a priority for his administration.

"Here's the truth — racism exists in America, xenophobia exists in America, anti-semitism, Islamophobia homophobia, transphobia, it all exists," added Harris. "So the work to address injustice, wherever it exists, remains the work ahead."

Following is a statement by Susan Rice, Biden's Domestic Policy Advisor announcing the United We Stand Summit.

By Domestic Policy Advisor Susan E. Rice

Hate must have no safe harbor in America—especially when that hate fuels the kind of violence we’ve seen from Oak Creek to Pittsburgh, from El Paso to Poway, and from Atlanta to Buffalo. When we cannot settle our differences of opinion peacefully, and when ordinary Americans cannot participate in the basic activities of everyday life—like shopping at the grocery store, praying at their house of worship, or casting a ballot—without the fear of being targeted and killed for who they are, our democracy is at risk.

That’s why, on Thursday, September 15, President Biden will host the United We Stand Summit at the White House to counter the corrosive effects of hate-fueled violence on our democracy and public safety, highlight the response of the Biden-Harris Administration and communities nationwide to these dangers, and put forward a shared, bipartisan vision for a more united America.

President Biden decided to run for president after the horrific violence that erupted in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017. Since taking office, his Administration has consistently taken steps to counter hate-motivated violence—from signing the bipartisan COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, to releasing the first-ever National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism, to signing the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the most significant legislation in three decades to reduce gun violence.

Even as our nation has endured a disturbing series of hate-fueled attacks, Americans of all beliefs and political affiliations remain overwhelmingly united in their opposition to such violence. The United We Stand Summit will bring together heroes from across America leading work in their communities to build bridges and address hate and division, including survivors of hate-fueled violence. The summit will include bipartisan federal, state, and local officials, civil rights groups, faith and community leaders, technology and business leaders, law enforcement officials, former members of violent extremist groups who now work to prevent violence, gun violence prevention leaders, media representatives, and cultural figures. It will feature a keynote speech from President Biden as well as bipartisan panels and conversations on countering hate-fueled violence, preventing radicalization and mobilization to violence, and fostering unity.

And, we hope it will also include you. Communities across the country will be invited to watch the summit live and engage in a national conversation about standing together against hate-fueled violence.

Nominate a “Uniter” in your community

Across America, Americans are working to bring their communities together across lines of racial, religious, political and other differences to prevent acts of hate-fueled violence, promote healing where such violence has had devastating consequences, and foster unity. These “Uniters” are bipartisan faith leaders and teachers, police officers and mayors, civic leaders and volunteers, and everyday members of our communities. Many of these Uniters are themselves survivors of hate-fueled violence who have turned their pain into purpose. They hold together our communities together and lift us up in the hardest times.

By September 1st, 2022, we invite you to nominate an extraordinary Uniter in your community to be recognized by the White House. Please email UnitedWeStand@who.eop.gov with information on a leader in your community who inspires change by building bridges and countering hate-fueled violence..

As President Biden said in Buffalo after the horrific mass shooting earlier this year, in the battle for the soul of our nation “we must all enlist in this great cause of America.” The United We Stand Summit will present an important opportunity for Americans of all walks of life to take up that cause—together.

On Thursday, September 15, President Biden will host at the White House the United We Stand Summit to counter the corrosive effects of hate-fueled violence on our democracy and public safety, highlight the response of the Biden-Harris Administration and communities nationwide to these dangers, and put forward a shared vision for a more united America.

President Biden decided to run for president after the horror of the hate-fueled violence that erupted in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017. Since taking office, his Administration has consistently taken steps to counter hate-motivated violence — from signing the bipartisan COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, to releasing the first-ever National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism, to signing the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the most significant legislation in three decades to reduce gun violence.

Even as our nation has endured a disturbing series of hate-fueled attacks, from Oak Creek to Pittsburgh, from El Paso to Poway, from Atlanta to Buffalo, Americans remain overwhelmingly united in their opposition to such violence. 

The United We Stand Summit will bring together heroes from across America who are leading historic work in their communities to build bridges and address hate and division, including survivors of hate-fueled violence. The summit will include a bipartisan group of federal, state, and local officials, civil rights groups, faith and community leaders, technology and business leaders, law enforcement officials, former members of violent hate groups who now work to prevent violence, gun violence prevention leaders, media representatives, and cultural figures. 

It will feature a keynote speech from President Biden as well as inclusive, bipartisan panels and conversations on countering hate-fueled violence, preventing radicalization and mobilization to violence, and fostering unity.

As President Biden said in Buffalo after the horrific mass shooting earlier this year, in the battle for the soul of our nation “we must all enlist in this great cause of America.” The United We Stand Summit will present an important opportunity for Americans of all races, religions, regions, political affiliations, and walks of life to take up that cause together.

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

BTS meets with President Biden to talk about inclusion and against anti-Asian hate

SCREEN CAPTURE / MSNBC

BTS held a brief press briefing before meeting with President Biden.

For a brief period Tuesday, the White House was the center of the BTS universe as the world's most popular K-pop band met with the most powerful leader in the world.

The seven-member boy band visited the White House to share their message against the anti)Asian epidemic.

Before meeting President Biden, the group met with the White House press corps

"Today is the last day of AANHPI Heritage Month, we join the White House to stand with the AANHPI community and to celebrate," band member Kim Seok-jin said through a translator.

The translator interpreted for Jimin, who said, "We were devastated by the recent surge of hate crimes including Asian American hate crimes. To put a stop on this and support the cause, we'd like to take this opportunity to voice ourselves once again."

"It’s not wrong to be different. I think equality begins when we open up and embrace all of our differences," added Suga.

The White House’s official video of a BTS-less briefing last Thursday, for instance, had garnered fewer than 16,000 total YouTube views as of Tuesday afternoon.

The White House’s official video of a press briefing usualy garners about 16,000 viewers. As BTS took the sstage, viewership shot up to 310,000.

BTS' meeting with the President in the Oval Office was closed to general media apparently because Biden's social media team wanted exclusive coverage. 

WHITE HOUSE

The wildly popular K-pop group, BTS, met with President Biden in the Oval Office.

During the brief meeting, the group expressed their dismay at the continuing hate directed at AANHPI and thanked him for signing the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act earlier this year.

In return, the President thanked BTS for their work and the use of their enormous platform to work against the anti-Asian attacks and xenophobia.

The group's visit with Biden was the latest example of this White House leveraging the power of celebrities to bring attention to key priorities. Last July, Olivia Rodrigo was enlisted to help promote COVID-19vaccinations.

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

AANHPI applaud President Biden's State of the Union

Asian Americans and Pacific Islander leaders and organizations praised President Biden's first State of the Union address even though AAPIs barely got a mention.

In his hour-long address, Biden made two things clear: ending violence against Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, and fighting for voting rights remain high priorities for this administration.

As part of his domestic priorities and achievements, in his address to the combined houses of Congress, President Biden stated:

“While it often appears that we never agree, that isn’t true. I signed 80 bipartisan bills into law last year. From preventing government shutdowns to protecting Asian Americans from still-too-common hate crimes to reforming military justice.”

Despite media tendency to focus on what Biden didn't accomplish in his first year in office, the President reminded the audience that Congress was able to pass 80 bipartisan bills including those for infrastructure funding and helped create thousands of new jobs as the economy recovers from Trump administration policies.

“Tonight, President Biden laid out his vision to build a better America for all of us," said Rep. Judy Chu D-27, Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC).  "This is especially important for the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities that have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

READ the complete State of the Union.

"We need to help AAPI families get back to work and back on their feet and that is precisely what the President detailed tonight. For starters, the pandemic exposed the deep inequalities in these communities, especially when it comes to healthcare," said Chu. "That is why I’m so grateful to the President for his plans to keep the costs of prescription drugs down, extend the Child Tax Credit, and ensure affordable housing, all three of which are areas where AAPI families were hit the hardest over the past year."

Chu outlined the issues important tot he AAPI communities, including: a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, TPS (temporary protective status) visa holders, farm workers and essential workers, and strengthening the US economy.

"I appreciate the President continuing to speak out about the ongoing plague of anti-Asian violence in our country which has led to over 10,000 anti-Asian hate incidents since the start of the pandemic alone," continued Chu. "Thanks to President Biden, the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act is now signed into law."

“Anti-Asian hate has existed long before COVID-19, but the ongoing pandemic has exacerbated discrimination and violence towards AAPIs to dangerous levels. We were pleased when President Biden signed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act into law last year, and reauthorized the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders."

President Biden reasserted yesterday his commitment to protecting democracy and securing our communities’ ability to vote – no matter what," said Christine Chen,  Executive Director of Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote. "The fight for our voting rights is not over, and we appreciate that the President agrees.”

“The voting rights of every American, including AAPIs, must remain top of mind in 2022 and beyond; there is a lot of work to be done. We look forward to working with the President and his administration to ensure that this promise is fulfilled.”

"Despite the several challenges presented to the United States since he took office, we are pleased that our communities’ livelihood and our freedom to vote are at the forefront of his agenda.”

OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates’ Executive Director Thu Nguyen said that the Biden's brief but historic nod to AAPI communities is important 

“Since day one, the Biden-Harris administration has worked to earn the trust of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander families, and their support is especially meaningful as our communities continue to combat tragic violence and pandemic health disparities," said Nguyen. "In less than a year, the president appointed a senior White House AANHPI community liaison, expanded the White House Initiative on AANHPIs, and signed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act into law." 

“The Biden-Harris administration has continuously put racial equity at the forefront of its policies, and we are encouraged to see the investments to ensure every community has access to the resources and tools to address our collective challenges, from COVID-19 to hate incidents to the cancer moonshot," said Juliet K. Choi, president and CEO of the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum.

“We are inspired by President Biden’s vision for a better, healthier America, and look forward to continuing progress toward equity and justice,” she concluded.

“President Biden’s vision for America is in stark contrast to the previous Administration, which actively undermined the health and wellbeing of Southeast Asian Americans," said Quyên Đinh, Executive Director of Southeast Asian Resource Action Center (SEARAC).

"The President’s emphasis on parity between physical and mental health would help Southeast Asians who continue to struggle with trauma from the war, the ensuing generational trauma that lingers in our communities, and mental harm from increased anti-Asian violence," continued Dinh. 

"Holistic, well-funded health resources for Southeast Asian Americans that address the concerns of all community members – from increased access to mental health services for students, to support for older adults and those who are care for them – are essential to our community’s success in society, especially as we navigate the twin pandemics of COVID-19 and anti-Asian hate"

.

The President's SOTU started out strong out of the gate in his opening comments of the Ukraine war and introduced Ukraine's ambassador to the U.S. Oksana Markarova, who received a bipartisan, strong and extended round of applause, as she held one hand over her heart and a miniature Ukraine flag in the other hand.

Biden also made history as he opened his speech with: "Madam Speaker, Madam Vice President ..." addressing the two women, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Kamala Harris, who sat behind him as he spoke.

“Tonight President Biden not only reaffirmed his commitment to lowering costs for families, but also to ensuring that every single Americans’ voice is heard at the ballot box," said Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono. "Meanwhile, Republicans have passed dozens of bills across the country with the clear intention of making it harder for people to vote—people of color in particular.

“Despite Republican efforts, under President Biden’s leadership, Democrats will not stop fighting to improve the lives of every person in this country, including people of color, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, immigrants and undocumented people. President Biden laid out his plan tonight of building a better America."

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

AANHPI communities have benefited in Year One of the Biden Presidency

WHITE HOUSE

President Biden and Vice President Harris met with leaders from the AANHPI communities.

A year ago this week, President Biden and Vice President Harris took office, facing a divided country, a global pandemic and an economy under severe stress. 

In just one year, the AANHPI communities have received an unprecedented amount of attention from any White House and have greatly benefited from the programs, policy decisions and appointments created by President Biden's leadership and awareness of issues and concerns facing the AANHPIs, including the wave of hate directed at the diverse communities of AANHPIs. 

The Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities recognized early on that this administration would be different and more responsive to their needs and concerns than other administrations with the selection of Kamala Harris as Vice President, who is of Black and Indian American heritage.

Starting in the first week and during the ensuing months, Biden's administration moved quickly to deliver results for the AANHPI communities and has kept women and families at the center of it's agenda.  

Although the AANHPI communities expressed disappointment and concern that no Cabinet Secretary is of AANHPI heritage, community leaders have been appeased and pleased with the appointment of top decision-makers have been appointed to key positions in the Biden government.

Biden-Harris administration advances equity, opportunities for AAPI

This list of senior officials includes United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai, Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Rohit Chopra, Surgeon General of the United States Vice Admiral Vivek Murthy, Chair of the Federal Trade Commission Lina Khan, Director of the Office of Personnel Management Kiran Ahuja, and Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy Rahul Gupta.

The President has also taken action to ensure diversity is emphasized throughout the administration: 15% of all agency appointees are AA and NHPI, far exceeding their 7% share of the total U.S. population.  In the White House itself, 17% of all staff and 26% of the President’s commissioned officer staff identify as AANHPI. 

Native Hawaiian leadership of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. In May, President Biden appointed Krystal Ka’ai to serve as the Executive Director of the Initiative. Ka’ai is the first Native Hawaiian to serve as head of the WHIAANHPI.

Nominating AANHPIs to Federal judicial positions might be the best example of Biden's determination to make sure that the federal judiciary reflects the country's increasingly diverse population. 

The Biden-Harris Administration has nominated 16 AA and NHPI federal judicial nominees so far, which represents 18 percent of all federal judicial nominees. This includes several historic appointments, nine of whom have been confirmed by Congress, including:

• Lucy Haeran Koh (9th Cir.), the first Korean American woman to serve on any federal appeals court.

• Jennifer Sung (9th Cir.), the first Asian American judge from Oregon on the Ninth Circuit.

• Angel Kelley (D. Mass), who, at the time of her confirmation, was the second African American judge and the second Asian American judge actively serving on the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

• Zahid N. Quraishi (D.N.J.), the first ever Muslim American federal judge in the United States and the first Asian American judge in the District of New Jersey.

• Sarala Vidya Nagala (D. Conn.), who, at the time of her confirmation, was the only woman of South Asian descent on the District of Connecticut.

• Regina M. Rodriguez (D. Colo.), the first Asian American to serve as a district judge in the state.

• Florence Y. Pan (D.D.C.), the first Asian American woman on the district court for the District of Columbia.

• Tana Lin (W.D. Wash.), the first Asian American federal judge in the Western District of Washington, which is particularly notable since Asian Americans are the largest minority group in Seattle, comprising approximately 14% of the city’s population. Lin was born in Taiwan and immigrated to the United States at age 3.

• Shalina D. Kumar (E.D. Mich.), the first federal judge in Michigan of South Asian descent.

• John Chun (W.D. Wash.), who, if confirmed, would be the first Asian American man on the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, and just the second Asian American federal judge to serve in the district.

• Jinsook Ohta (S.D. Cal.), who is the first Asian American woman to ever sit on the Southern District of California bench.

• Dale E. Ho (S.D.N.Y.), who, if confirmed, would be just the third Asian American federal judge on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and the only AA or NHPI man actively serving on that court.

• Cindy K. Chung (PA-W) was sworn in as the first Asian American person to serve as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania.

• Robert Huie (S.D. Cal.), who, if confirmed, would be the third Asian American ever to serve on the Southern District of California.

• Judge Nina Wang (D. Colo.), who, immigrated from Taiwan as a child and, if confirmed, would be the second Asian American to serve on the United States District Court for the District of Colorado.

• Nusrat Choudhury (E.D.N.Y). who, if confirmed, would be the first Bangladeshi-American, the first Muslim American woman, and only the second Muslim-American person to serve as a federal judge.

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

Biden, Harris convene White House meeting with AANHPI civil rights advocates

THE WHITE HOUSE

Leaders of AANHPI civil rights advocacy organizations met with President Biden and top staff at the White House on Thursday.

Hate crimes against Asian American and Pacific Islanders, immigration voting rights were some of the issues aired by AAPI civil rights leaders in a meeting with President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Biden wanted to stress to the group, that his administration is doing its best to advance his campaign promises. The meeting with AAPI leaders Thursday was the third such meeting after Biden and Harris met with Black and Latino community leaders.

"Let me start by acknowledging that on this day, in 2012, I was with another friend who’s half Sikh — he’s a Sikh. And we were on — dealing with the 10 people shot in a hateful act of bigotry at the Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. Seven people lost their lives that day," said Biden as he opened the meeting.

"Today, we honor everyone impacted by this tragedy. And we think about all the pain during this pandemic, with the rise of hate crimes, harassment, bullying, and other forms of bias against Asian Americans. It seems not to stop," he said.

He also paid recognized the role of AANHPI frontliners in combatting the coronavirus pandemic. The Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander community has “been on the front lines from the beginning and is critical to helping us vaccinate America,” Biden said.

Despite the executive order condemning the attacks against Asians and signing of the Hate Crimes Act, and the appointment of AANHPI to top-level positions in his administration, the President acknowledged that there is much more to be done to address AAPI concerns. 

"The community is also critical in keeping the U.S. economy strong. In six months, we’re seeing the fastest growth at this point in any administration’s history — in no small part because of this community.," said Biden. "The fastest-growing economic growth in nearly 40 years."

The definition of what constitutes a hate crime came up for discussion after the shooting at the FedEx facility in Indianapolis earlier this year did not meet the criteria for a hate crime by the prosecuting attorney despite the victims included Sikh workers; and one of the county District Attorneys in Georgia did not seek hate crime charges against the Atlanta shooter who killed eight people, six of whom were Asian.

Satjeet Kaur, Executive Director of the Sikh Coalition,  brought up the case of a shooting in Seattle where hate crime charges were also not sought.

“One thing we have to understand is that hate crimes should not require a singular motive of bias,” said Kaur. “Oftentimes with crimes you have multiple reasons as to why that happened and so we need to close the federal loophole and that was absolutely discussed.”

“We discussed the importance of protecting the right to vote and how South Asian and Asian American communities—which turned out in record numbers in 2020—are now the target of voter suppression efforts,” Indian Impact Fund executive director Neil Makhija told The Yappie. “The president acknowledges that our communities are essential to the fabric of America, but our current laws undermine these values.”

Makhija said that the topic of Equal Access to Green Cards for Legal Employment (EAGLE) Act was brought forth by those at the meeting, as well as the America’s Children Act, according to The Yappie.

“It was an honor to be able to thank President Biden for his legacy in passing the 1980 Refugee Act, which allowed my family and our refugee community to find safe haven in the United States — and to share the heartbreaking condition of those same refugees who today have final orders of removal for crimes of youth and poverty committed decades ago,” said Quyen Dinh, Executive Director of South East Asian Refugee Action Committee (SEARAC). 

"he Biden-Harris Administration expressed their commitment to protecting democracy amidst a rise in autocracy," said Christine Chen of APIAVote.

"We support the Administration’s efforts to pass the For the People Act and John Lewis Voting Rights Advancements Act. While they may not take a straightforward path, we were reassured that it remains a high priority. We will continue to work with the Administration to ensure stories from our community are used as examples of the danger these anti-voter laws have."

Also on Thursday, Biden offered an 18-month “safe haven” to thousands of Hong Kong residents to remain living in the U.S. rather than to face repression by being deported to the Chinese-controlled territory affecting approximately 330,000 visitors, students and workers from Hong Kong who are currently in the U.s., according to a senior administration official.

“The level of engagement with our communities shown by this Administration is something we have not seen in four years, and we greatly appreciate the attention that the President, Vice President, and their teams have given this issue," said Dinh.

The AANHPI leaders in attendance Thursday included:

• Seema Agnani, Executive Director, National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development (National CAPACD)

• Christine Chen, Executive Director, Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote)

• Quyen Dinh, Executive Director, Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC)

• Satjeet Kaur, Executive Director, Sikh Coalition

• Kiran Kaur Gill, Executive Director, Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF)

• Kūhiō Lewis, President & CEO, Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA)

• Neil Makhija, Executive Director, Indian American Impact

• Gregg Orton, National Director, National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA)

• Tavae Samuelu, Executive Director, Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (EPIC)

• Chiling Tong, President & CEO, Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneurship (National ACE)

• Alvina Yeh, Executive Director, Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA)

• Sung Yeon Choimorrow, Executive Director, National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF)

WATCH the meeting between President Biden and AAPI leaders here.

Olivia Rodrigo urges fans to get the coronavirus vaccine; White House reaches out to Gen Z

WHITE HOUSE

Olivia Rodrigo gave a brief statement to the White House press corps.

Seven months into 2021, it is safe to say that Olivia Rodrigo is having one helluva year. Starting with No. 1 hits on the music charts and a No. 1 debut album, the young Filipino American pop star went to the White House to help out President Biden reach Gen Z.

The 18-year old singer/songwriter visited the White House to tape messages to her 28 million social media followers to encourage them to get one of the coronavirus vaccines.

“I’m in awe of the work President Biden and Dr. Fauci have done, and was happy to help lend my support to this important initiative,” Rodrigo said from prepared statements to the the White House press.

“It’s important to have conversations with friends and family members encouraging all communities to get vaccinated, and actually get to a vaccination site, which you can do more easily than ever before, given how many sites we have and how easy it is to find them at vaccines.gov.”

Olivia’s role will be to “record videos about the importance of young people getting vaccinated, including answering important questions young people have about getting vaccinated,” said a White House official.

The teen pop artist and actress met with the media and was given a tour of the West Wing by Dr. Fauci before greeting the President. During the tour, she took the time to take selfies with some of the younger staff.

The Filipino American artist Olivia Rodrigo posted tweeted this photo.

Rodrigo’s pending PSAs are a part of the government’s efforts to encourage 18- to 29-year-olds to get one of the vaccines. This has included rolling out campaigns on social media apps like Facebook FB, -1.27%, Instagram and Twitter, as well as on gaming services such as Riot Games and Twitch, The Wall Street Journal reported. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone over the age of 12 get a COVID-19 vaccination, specifying that anyone over 12 can get the Pfizer-BioNTech shots. While the CDC notes that infections in young people are less common than in adults, it’s still possible to get infected or sick or spread the virus even if you’re young.

The initial traditional outreach involved mostly state health departments and news stations, overlooking platforms where Generation Z spends the most time, such as TikTok and Instagram. In response, the Biden administration has been making a concerted effort to connect with this audience, first with Fauci hosting 2-minute interviews with young influencers, rattling off quotes like “tell all your TikTok buddies to get vaccinated.”

 “The Biden-Harris Administration is making a continued push to get more young people vaccinated, including working with schools, pediatricians, summer camps and leveraging social media and celebrity influencers,” Rodrigo’s representative said. “To build on this success, we are bringing multi-platinum recording artist Olivia Rodrigo to campus, one of the most popular singer/songwriters today, especially with young people.”

Below, is Olivia's first message sent out on Tik Tok:

Anti-Asian Hate Crime Bill signed into law

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President Biden signs the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act.

President Biden signed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act into law on Thursday, fulfilling a pledge he made when the bill was first introduced in Congress during the early stages of his administration.

"I believe with every fiber of my being that there are simple core values and beliefs that should bring us together as Americans. One of them is standing together against hate, against racism — the ugly poison that has long haunted and plagued our nation," said Biden before the signing.

Stop AAPI Hate, a community-based organization, began collecting incidents of hate in March 2020 when the nation began implementing safety measures. In the year ending March 2021, the agency documented 6,603 hate incidents against AAPI.

The law will, among other initiatives, direct the Justice Department to more speedily review pandemic-related hate crimes and expand data collection resources for tracking such crimes.

The new law would also direct the departments of Justice and Health and Human Services to work with community-based organizations to issue guidance raising awareness of hate crimes during the pandemic, and would require the US Attorney General to issue guidance to work with state and local law enforcement agencies to establish online reporting of them.


Democrats and AAPI partially attribute the rise in hate acts to Donald Trump,   when talking about the coronavirus, used terms such as the "China virus," "Wuhan Flu" or "Kung Flu" and blaming China for the United State's economic woes.

The bill, known in the AAPI community as the Anti-Asian Hate Crimes Bill, was authored by Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-HI, and Rep. Grace Meng, D-NY, in response to the surge of racist hate attacks against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

In a rare display of bipartisanship, the House of Representatives on Tuesday gave final passage to the bill with a 364-62 vote after the Senate passed the bill last month, 94-1.

“This violence, it did not come from nowhere and none of it is new,” said Vice President Kamala Harris, who introduced Biden.

“But after the president signs this bill today, we will not be done. Here’s the truth. Racism exists in America, xenophobia exists in America, antisemitism, Islamaphobia, homophobia, transphobia, it all exists. And so the work to address injustice wherever it exists remains the work ahead,” she added.

Stop AAPI Hate praised the new law but wants fine-tuning to divert more funding for community groups addressing root causes of the hate, such as "systemic racism and oppression."

"We are encouraged that the federal government has listened to the advice of community-based organizations and has committed to partnering with them further. To see additional change, we need legislation that addresses the root causes of systemic racism and oppression.

“Of all the good that the law can do, we have to change our hearts,” Biden said in his emotional speech. “We have to change the hearts of the American people. I mean this from the bottom of my heart. Hate can be given no safe harbor in America.”

With a rising voice, Biden continued, "Every time we’re silent, every time we let hate flourish, you make a lie of who we are as a nation."

Biden condemns white supremacy; urges passage of anti-AAPI hate crimes bill

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President Biden delivers his speech with Vice President Kamala Harris, left, and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi applauding behind him.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Updated April 29, 12:30 pm PDT.

In his first speech in front of the joint Houses of Congress, President Biden once again emphasized his determination to battle the racism and violence against Asian Americans.

"With the plans I outlined tonight, we have a real chance to root out systemic racism that plagues American life in many other ways," said Biden. "A chance to deliver real equity.

"Good jobs and good schools. Affordable housing. Clean air and clean water. Being able to generate wealth and pass it down through generations. Real opportunities in the lives of more Americans – Black, white, Latino, Asian American, Native American.

"I also want to thank the Senate for voting 94—1 to pass the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act to protect Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders from the vicious hate crimes we’ve seen this past year – and for too long," continued the President.

"I urge the House to do the same and send that legislation to my desk as soon as possible."

Last week, the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passed the bill 94-1, which was authored by Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hi,  with amendments.

The Democratic-majority House of Representatives will look at the bill next month where it will likely pass. If the House approves the Senate version, the measure will go to Biden's desk.  If the House adds its own amendments or rejects the Senate amendments, the bill will go a joint committee to write up a compromise measure.

Because of the COVID-19 health restrictions, only 200 guests were allowed tin the chamber to hear Biden's speech. However, Biden was also speaking to the millions of Americans watching the speech on television.

Recalling the Jan. 6 coup attempt, where insurrectionists carried Confederate and Nazi banners into the Capitol, Biden minced no words, when he said:  

"White supremacy is terrorism, and we're not going to ignore that either. My fellow Americans, look, we have to come together to heal the soul of this nation.” 

Biden has taken a hard stance against the white supremacist movement that the Donald Trump coddled and even encouraged.

Federal law enforcement and analysts within the Department of Homeland Security including the FBI warn that the threat from white supremacist organizations that figured prominently in the Jan. 6 attack will remain a persistent threat in the country in the coming years.

Like other speeches before Congress by other Presidents in recent years, the partisanship of the Congressional members was plainly evident. Democrats repeatedly gave standing ovations while Republicans mainly sat on their hands.

A CBS poll reported that 85% of those voters who watched the speech liked what Biden had to say.

Biden began his speech by acknowledging the two powerful women sitting behind him. "Madame Speaker.  Madame Vice President," referring to  Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Kamala Harris.

"No president has ever said those words from this podium, and it’s about time," he said to applause.

RELATED: Kamala Harris had a message for the AAPI communities

In his speech, Biden recounted the success of his coronavirus vaccine rollout and introduced ambitious plans to create jobs through his infrastructure initiative and reform immigration, which means undoing many of Trump's racist-based policies. 

He also made an impassioned plea to raise taxes on corporations and the richest  Americans to help pay for his ambitious $1.8 trillion "American Families Plan," which could have as big impact on the American middle-class as President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal.

"It's time for corporate America and the wealthiest 1% of Americans to pay their fair share - just pay their fair share," Biden said. Many of the countryi's corporations and rich pay zero taxes because of tax loopholes that Biden want's to tackle.

“I am so grateful to President Biden for giving voice to the pain in the Asian American community in tonight’s speech,” said Rep. Judy Chu, chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.

“Coming in the midst of a pandemic and recession, the President’s first address to a joint session of Congress is one I know many Americans are paying attention to. And so to have the President use this platform to help call attention to the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes we have seen over the past year, and what we can do to stop it, is significant," she said in a statement after the speech.

"The most important step in ending this bigotry and violence is to put an end to state-led xenophobia and urge communities to come together in support of each other, which is precisely what President Biden did tonight by calling out hate speech and calling for unity. And it shows that, after years of being largely invisible, the Asian American community’s needs and fears are being heard at the highest level." 

For this year’s speech, Chu invited Robert Peterson, the son of Yong Ae Yue, one of the eight people killed by a gunman who targeted three Asian-owned spas in Georgia last month, to be her virtual guest.

"I believe this is a time for all Americans to come together to fight bias and racial violence whenever we see it,” said Peterson. “I so appreciate President Biden addressing the hate against the AAPI community and challenging all of us to see humanity in one another. 

"With additional protections for Asian Americans through legislation, I pray that no one will ever have to deal with the horrible murder of my mother that I did simply because of who she was and where she worked."

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.