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. 

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.

China-bashing rhetoric might heat up anti-Asian sentiment in upcoming elections

Rep. Tim Ryans anti-China rhetoric is drawing criticism from the AANHPI community.

ANALYSIS 

As U.S.-China relations get more tense during the upcoming Midterm campaigns, expect anti-China sentiment to ramp up and anti-Asian hate incidents to increase.

While most of the world is still focused on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, on the other side of the world, China begins to flex its military and economic power, the US attempts to reassert its influence in Asia after the Trump administration placed nervous neighboring nations on a tightrope between the two superpowers.

With Ukraine and inflation taking most of Biden's attention, he has recently turned his attention to repair relations with Asian leaders. He met with leaders from Souteast Asia at the White House before flying to Asia to meet with the leaders of Japan and South Korea.

“Even as President Putin’s war continues,” said Secretary of State Antony Blinken, “we will remain focused on the most serious long-term challenge to the international order—and that’s posed by the People’s Republic of China.”

Relations with China will most likely be a hot topic during Congress' midterm campaigns this fall. Politicians on both sides will have to be careful about their language and tone to reassure that the foreign policy debates don't become more fuel for hate mongers to attack Americans of Asian descent.

There are many within the AANHPI leadership who believe the Trump administration's racist connotations when talking about the coronavirus helped spur the dramatic and troubling surge of anti-Asian attacks throughout the country. Police departments in major cities and the FBI released statistics showing the spike in hate incidents against AANHPI in the last two years.

When the Trump administration took over the foreign policy reins, he launched a trade war with China. As domestic issues took his attention away from Asia, aside from phone calls from strongman leaders in Beijing and North Korea, he allowed the trade war to fester, ignoring China's incursion into the Philippines Sea and continued coddling of North Korea's Kim Jong-un.

As a result of the trade war with China, the Department of Justice launched its China Initiative targetting scientists, students, and business of Chinese descent, further poisoning the general stereotype of the "sneaky" Asians.

When the coronavirus struck US shores, Trump's derisive use of the terms "China virus," "Wuhan virus" or the "Kung Flu" in reference to COVID-19 gave permission for the inner racists to emerge from societal reins among non-Asian Americans.

The anti-China, (and in general, the anti-Asian) attacks have taken a decidedly partisan nature, with most Republican picking up the language and attitude of the previous administration while Democrats denounced the racist rhetoric adopted by Trump's supporters in Congress.

(There are exceptions, of course. Most notably, Rep. Tim Ryan, an Ohio Democrat, has jumped on the anti-China bandwagon in his reelection campaign ads.)

The most dangerous situation continues to be China's claims in the Philippines Sea, which western maps continue to refer to as the South China Sea. China has bullied its way to the Spratley Islands near the Philippiines, which have long been fishing grounds for Filipino fisherfolk. Perhaps more importantly, the Spratleys lies smack dab in the middle of one of Asia's busiest waterways with goods of Japan, South Korea, the US, and all the Southeast Asian countries using the trade route.

WHITE HOUSE

President Biden met with leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations last month.

Not only have Chinese fishing trawlers been fishing the Spratleys, but the Chinese government has aggressively militarized the islands by building airports and listening posts and daring the Philippines to do something about it. The Chinese Navy has enforced the PRC's claims by warning shots against the Filipino  fisherfolk and the Philippine's outgunned Coast Guard.

The US has sent destroyers and entire carrier fleets to the waterway to assert the waterway remains open to all trade and there have been some close encounters between the US and Chinese vessels.

Six years ago, an international tribunal in a landmark ruling dismissed Beijing’s claim to much of the South China Sea. The Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague said on 12 July 2016 that there was no evidence that China had exercised exclusive control historically over the key waterway.

China simply ignored the ruling and continued to militarize the islands. Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte's questionable strategy after the ruling was based on the belief that good relations with China would bring in economic benefits and that confronting Beijing will lead to repercussions.

While Duterte has successfully avoided a direct confrontation with China, the expected economic benefits have - thus far - failed to materialize.

The Spratleys dispute is only one flashpoint of contention between the US and China. Despite the racist results of the China Initiative, even Chiniese Americans admit that China has an aggressive espionage strategy that tries to lure Chinese in the US not only with outright promises of economic benefits, but with appeals to their favorable sentiment towards their "motherland" and not-so-subtle hints about their relatives remaining in China.

China also appears to be ignoring the protection of rights pertaining to intellectual property, research and technical secrets, the basis for launching the so-called China initiative, which went askew when federal investigators, college campuses and businesses went down the rabbit hole of racial profiling.

Rep. Ryan's ads blame China for the US economic woes which plays favorably to the blue-collar workers of Ohio but creates an us vs. them climate that will undoubtedly result in attacks against all Asians. The tactic worked for Trump and Ryan mining that racist trope for all its worth.

Asian American lawmakers warned the House Judiciary Committee a year ago that the nation had reached a “crisis point” resulting in a sharp hike in violence targeting the Asian community.

It was the first congressional hearing on this issue held in over three decades came about weeks after a mass shooting in Atlanta that killed six women of Asian descent. It was not long before the committee split along party lines.

“You can say racist, stupid stuff if you want, but I’m asking you to please stop using racist terms like ‘Kung flu’ or ‘Wuhan virus’ or other ethnic identifiers in describing this virus,” committee member Rep. Ted Lieu, D-CA,, told Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas during a House Judiciary Committee hearing last year. 

“I am not a virus," Lieu continued. "And when you say things like that, it hurts the Asian-American community. Whatever political points you think you’re scoring by using ethnic identifiers in describing this virus, you’re harming Americans who happen to be of Asian descent.”

Roy's response was chilling; referring to the white tradition of lynching. “There’s old sayings in Texas about, you know, ‘find all the rope in Texas and get a tall oak tree.’ You know, we take justice very seriously, and we ought to do that — round up all the bad guys,” Roy said. “My concern about this hearing is it seems to want to venture into the policing of rhetoric.”

Rep. Grace Meng, D-NY, one of the drivers behind the anti-hate legislation signed by Biden, responded to Roy's remarks

“Your president, and your party, and your colleagues can talk about issues with any other country that you want, but you don’t have to do it by putting a bull’s-eye on the back of Asian-Americans across this country, on our grandparents, on our kids,” she said.

“This hearing was to address the hurt and pain of our community, to find solutions,” she added, “and we will not let you take our voice away from us.”

As Rep. Ryan has demonstrated, it is easy for Democrats to fall into that trap of blaming China for US economic failures. In the controversial campaign ad, he blames China for stealing jobs from the people of Ohio.

"China. It's definitely China. One word, China. It is us versus China," Ryan says in the ad. "China's winning. Workers are losing."

"There's a strong relationship between US-China relations and the treatment of Asians in the US domestically," Asian American Studies Professor at San Francisco State University, Dr. Russell M. Jeung, tells Insider. "That's a historic pattern that we need to decouple. So we've been saying that it's fair to criticize Chinese policies, but don't attack the people or the culture, or you know, the ethnicity, which is what Tim Ryan is doing. He's making these blanket statements that, therefore, have this sort of deleterious impact on us."

Words matter. Anti-China rhetoric fuels anti-Asian hate.

John C. Yang, the president of Asian Americans Advancing Justice, testified  to the House Judiciary Committee that “the health and economic fears caused by Covid-19 have led people to look for someone to blame.”

“The use of racist terms, the focus on a society or culture as the ‘cause’ for the Covid-19 pandemic, and policies that demonize immigrants all contribute to an atmosphere where racism and xenophobia is legitimized,” he said.

Elizabeth Grossman of the AAPI Victory Alliance cautioned politicians of both parties to be more mindful of their message and how it is being received.

"You have to understand that this is a scary time for Asian Americans and the country in particular," she told Insider. "I think stepping up and taking responsibility and making sure that you're using rhetoric that will not harm people or will do the least harm is really, really important."

Meng said it's important to acknowledge "challenges in the U.S.-China relationship" but when rheated campaign hetoric puts a "target on our backs ... Asians in the United States end up paying the price: We are scapegoated simply because of our skin.'"

The good news for Democrats is that Ryan easily won his party’s nomination for an open Senate seat in Ohio's May 3 primary.

The bad news is that his strong anti-China position worked. You can be sure that the racist scapegoating message will be taken up by other politicians.

Chinese Americans -- and because of misinformation and xenophobia -- we extend our warning to all Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islander -- brace yourself for what's to come.

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

DOJ to retry Chinese professor; acquittal sought

Supporters of Anming Hu protest government plan for a retrial.

Federal prosecutors announced July 30 that they intend to retry former University of Tennessee professor Anming Hu, just weeks after jurors deadlocked in the first trial over claims that Hu hid ties to China.

A judge had ordered the U.S. government to provide an update indicating whether it would retry Hu by July 30. Hu was initially charged in February 2020 with federal counts of wire fraud and an FBI agent reportedly admitted to baselessly accusing the former professor of espionage during the trial.

“We are deeply disappointed by the federal government’s decision to retry Professor Hu,” said OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates’ National President Linda Ng. “The original trial laid bare the misguided and systemic efforts to strip Asian Americans and Asian immigrants of their civil liberties and shows the entrenched anti-Asian sentiment rampant among some members of law enforcement. And more importantly, it incurred a high emotional and financial toll on Hu and his family.”

“The federal government must understand how harmful this initiative is to both the targeted professors and the greater Asian American community,” said OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates’ Deputy Executive Director Thu Nguyen. “Not only is the rhetoric around the ‘China Initiative’ perpetuating anti-Asian sentiments, stereotypes, and hate incidents, it destroys the careers of those targeted.”

After the government made its announcement, defense attorney Philip Lomonaco filed a renewed motion for judgment of acquittal, which was originally filed on June 11, 2021. The motion for acquittal was made because "the evidence was insufficient to sustain a conviction. There is no evidence that Professor Hu willfully intended to deceive NASA... Without the intent to deceive there can be no wire fraud conviction. Without the convictions for wire fraud, the remaining counts would fail as well... In the alternative, Defendant would rely on previous briefings to the Court regarding the lack of intent to harm NASA as being a defense to wire fraud as well."

Nearly 100 members of Congress, led by Rep. Ted Lieu, sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland expressing concerns over potential misconduct in the Hu case and urged for an investigation into the U.S. Department of Justice’s “wrongful targeting of individuals of Asian descent.”

“What the federal government has done today is to confirm an utter disregard for justice and our democracy. This trial has exposed the deeply problematic investigations, surveillance, and prosecutions of Asian Americans and Asian immigrants," the Advancing Justice | AAJC said in a statement.

University of Tennessee Professor Anming Hu 

Reps. Jamie Raskin, D-MD, and Judy Chu, D-CA, convened a virtual “roundtable” in  June to discuss the implications of the China Initiative for Chinese American researchers. 

While the lawmakers conceded the need to combat foreign espionage, they cited the number of cases the DOJ dropped because of lack of evidence.

During the roundtable, Chu, chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, argued that the China said, “Whereas most investigations start with a crime and then find a suspect, this initiative starts with a suspect and then searches for a crime,” adding, “Just family ties to China or even professionally encouraged research and collaboration is enough to trigger an investigation,” according to an article published by the American Institute of Physics.

Raskin apointed out it has been common for cases against Chinese researchers to fall apart, spotlighting a few prominent instances, such as the case leveled against Los Alamos National Lab scientist Wen Ho Lee in the late 1990s. 

In addition, the AIP article said Raskin criticized DOJ’s recent focus on nondisclosure of ties to China, asserting that federal requirements are an “inconsistent jumble of ever-changing, ever-mutating guidance, making it difficult for scientists to avoid getting caught up in the FBI’s web.”

The DOJ asserts that it does not premise investigations on ethnic background and that lying about sources of support is a crime against the integrity of research. 

Criticism from members of Congress and community advocates such as OCA adds to a growing protest among community groups, researchers, and some university leaders that enforcement actions have been overzealous and are causing serious harms.

More than 200 researchers rallied around MIT nanotechnologist Gang Chen after he was indicted in January on charges related to nondisclosure of funding and affiliations. 

Despite the growing chorus of critics, the Biden administration has not stated their position on the China Initiative. There is some hope among Democratic lawmakers  that the DOJ would create an amnesty program as an alternative to prosecution.

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

ABC

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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."

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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.

Congressional leaders call for action against attacks on Asian Americans

Members of Congress held a virtual press conference denouncing anti-Asian violence.

The outcry against the continuing acts of violence directed at Asian Americans has reached the U.S. capitol.

Friday, members of the Congressional Tri-Caucus – composed of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) – held a press conference with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and House Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries to condemn the recent spike in anti-Asian hate crimes and violence in recent weeks.

“It is a profound and unacceptable injustice that the AAPI community faces not only the coronavirus pandemic and economic crisis right now, but also the growing threat of bigoted attacks against their community," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. "This epidemic of violence is a challenge to the conscience of our country, which our Democratic Congress is committed to combating, confronting and ending.”

Since March last year when Stop AAPI Hate began accepting reports of hate acts against Asians, there have been about 3,000 incidents reported.

The recent unprovoked attacks against AAPI elderly, some of which were videotaped by security cameras, struck an emotional chord with the Asian American community. Respecting and honoring seniors is part of most Asian cultures.

Members of Congress and White House Domestic Policy Council Director Susan Rice issued the following statements:

“Attacks on Asian Americans have become an almost daily tragedy in our country. My heart breaks for the thousands of Asian American families that have been terrorized by this xenophobic violence since the start of the pandemic. But I am also encouraged by the support from other communities of color, Congressional leadership, and the Biden Administration,” said Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27), CAPAC Chair. 

“This terrible violence is the deliberate result of a party that put xenophobia and blame shifting ahead of the health and safety of fellow Americans, and that is why it means so much to have a new President and elected leaders at all levels of government who are willing to condemn attacks against the Asian American community and push back on racist slurs like ‘Kung flu’ and ‘China virus’ that have put lives in danger," continued Chu.

“Hate has no place in America, but rates of harassment, bullying and violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have risen dramatically in the past year. President Biden condemns and denounces anti-Asian xenophobia,” said Ambassador Susan Rice, Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council. 

Biden has made racial equity a cornerstone of his administration. Days after taking office the President signed a Presidential Memorandum on combating anti-Asian xenophobia, which directed departments and agencies within the federal government to take steps to combat anti-Asian bias, and partner with AAPI communities to prevent hate crimes and harassment. 

"As part of the Administration’s whole of government approach to advancing equity, we are focused on improving federal data disaggregation, removing language access barriers, and ensuring equal opportunities for AAPI communities,” said Rice.

The press conference was held on the Day Remembrance to recount the injustice towards Japanese Americans when they were incarcerated during WWII.

"As we shed light on the rise in hate crimes against the AAPI community, we dedicate this day to the nearly 120,000 innocent people who were wrongfully interned by our government solely because of the color of their skin, the shape of their eyes, and their Japanese heritage. What the AAPI community is experiencing today compared to what Japanese Americans experienced almost 80 years ago may be different, but the root cause of it is the same: scapegoating and mass blame,” said Rep. Mark Takano (CA-41), CAPAC Second Vice Chair. 

“Hate and discrimination against the AAPI community has been a long-standing problem, but it has been made far worse by the pandemic and because powerful leaders, like Trump and Republicans who enabled him, spread fear, misinformation, and racist rhetoric to advance their political agenda and cover up their incompetency in response to this virus, said the California representative.

“My heart goes out to the families of Vicha Ratanapakdee, the 61-year old Filipino man whose face was slashed with a knife in New York City, and any family or individual who has been impacted by the sickening and disturbing violence we’re seeing against Asian Americans,” said Rep. Ted Lieu (CA-33), CAPAC Whip. 

“These racist acts of violence have been fueled by the hateful rhetoric of the previous administration, who in an attempt to scapegoat, wrongfully blamed an entire community for spreading the coronavirus," said Lieu. 

"When the leaders of our country use terms such as ‘Kung-Flu’ – there are real world consequences. Asian American families are afraid to send their children to school and families are worried about their elderly parents or grandparents leaving their homes. This is not right. We will not stand for this senseless violence nor any form of discrimination or harassment against Asian Americans.”

“It is incredibly tragic that, as we just celebrated the Lunar New Year, we are still seeing a surge in Anti-AAPI hate crimes and violence,” said Rep. Marilyn Strickland (WA-10). “Whenever there is a crisis in America, there is a history of wanting to blame someone, and in this case, it is the AAPI-community. 

"Because of the honor and respect our culture has for elders, watching them become the victims of this violence is even more painful and horrifying," said the first-term member of Congress. "In addition to the physical violence, we must also condemn the verbal abuse we have seen. We need action now, and we want to see consequences so that this behavior does not continue."

House Resolution 103 names members of Congress who supported racist insurrectionists of 1/6

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For the first time in history, the Confederate flag entered the U.S. Capitol Building on 1/6.

As the Senate hears the arguments for the conviction on Donald Trump and the role he played in trying to destroy American democracy, members of Congress want to remind the nation of the racist nature of the 1/6 insurrection.

"There must be no illusions about the overt role white nationalism and bigotry played in the January 6th insurrection that cost five lives and threatened many others,” said  Rep. Judy Chu, chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, who introduced House Resolution 103.

The complete title of HR 103 is: "Condemning the bigotry that was displayed and voiced during the January 6th siege of the United States Capitol, the prominent role played by White supremacists and domestic terrorists in planning and leading the siege, and the elected officials who encouraged them."

Leaders of the Congressional Tri-Caucus – composed of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), and Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) – introduced a resolution, HR 103, on Feb. 9 condemning the bigotry and white nationalism that fueled the Jan. 6 siege on the US Capitol, and denouncing Republicans who encouraged the attack, organized and carried out by self-declared white supremacists.

"The FBI has told us that this was organized by numerous known white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and other domestic extremists," said the California member of Congress. "And the insurrectionists’ embrace of racism and violence was plainly visible with symbols of hate on display, like the swastika, Confederate battle flag, and more."

The  resolution also calls out individual Congressmembers for their apparent support of the racist seditionists.

"Whereas even after the siege, Senator Josh Hawley, Congressman Mo Brooks, Congressman Paul Gosar, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Congresswoman Lauren Boebert continued to support the seditionists who perpetrated this heinous and treasonous act," reads the resolution, adding that other Republican members of Congress called the seditionists "patriots," and voted to not certify Biden's landslide victory.

Chu continuted: "No Member of Congress should be proudly associating with, let alone encouraging, domestic terror groups that violently threaten people of color and religious minorities. It’s time we take white nationalist domestic extremism seriously, and that starts with calling out the way some leaders in government have empowered these groups." 

“The failed insurrection is a grim reminder that while we have made tremendous progress, America still must reckon with the fact that communities of color are still suffering the personal, professional, and societal impacts of systemic racism," added CBC Chair Rep. Joyce Beatty of Ohio. 

“This betrayal of our Constitution is a consequence of tolerating and enabling racism in violent rhetoric, dehumanizing and demonizing immigrants and others, and fearful conspiracy theories," said CHC Chair Rep. Raul Ruiz, M.D. of California.

The FBI has called domestic terrorist groups like the Proud Boys, Oathkeepers, Bugaloo Boys and such the greatest danger to the United States. Groups like the American Civil Liberties Union and the Southern Poverty Law Center cite the white nationlists for their racist actions in their annual reports of hate crimes and incidents.

In the reports, the past year has seen a spike in anti-AAPI acts, attacks and crimes in the past year since the pandemic took grip in the US. The racist nature of the rhetoric spewing forth from the Trump administration in blaming China for the cause of the pandemic have spurred the rise in anti-Asian sentiment, the reports agree.

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Rep. Ted Lieu is one of the impeachment managers arguing for Donald Trump's conviction 

Members of these white supremacist groups are among the 200 arrested, thus far, for their role in organizing and encouraging the takeover of the Capitol while Congress was certifying the electoral vote results of the Presidential election won by President Biden.

The House of Representatives has impeached Trump for inciting the insurrectionists and the Senate is in the midst of hearing House members' arguments for conviction.

Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu, a House impeachment manager, said on Wednesday that former President Trump encouraged the racist seditionists to take over the Capitol when he “ran out of nonviolent options to maintain power.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: To read the entire House Resolution 103, click here.