WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES SEPTEMBER 24, 2020 11
House passes resolution condemning anti-Asian sentiment
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
CMOHAMEDSCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
QNS
The House of Representatives
on Thursday, Sept. 17 passed
a resolution sponsored by
Queens Congresswoman Grace Meng
denouncing anti-Asian sentiment
that has occurred since the outbreak
of COVID-19.
The measure, which Meng introduced
in March, passed by a vote of
243 to 164.
“The House needed to take a strong
and public stand against this appalling
intolerance, discrimination,
and violence that has taken place all
across the country during this public
health crisis, and today it did just
that,” Meng said.
Since the beginning of the COVID-
19 pandemic, Asian Americans have
been forced to endure demeaning
and disgusting acts of bigotry and
hate, consisting of everything from
verbal assaults to physical attacks,
Meng said. When the fi rst cases of
COVID-19 were reported in the U.S.,
Meng had advised the public about
not singling out or stereotyping the
Asian American community.
The Congresswoman said the
rise in Anti-Asian rhetoric and the
blaming of Asian Americans for
the spread of COVID-19 has been
“shameful and reckless,” calling out
President Donald Trump and House
Republican Minority Leader Kevin
McCarthy and others for using terms
like “Chinese virus,” “Wuhan virus,”
and “Kung-fl u.”
As a result, the language has
stoked people’s fears of COVID-19,
scapegoated Asian Americans, and
fanned the fl ames of hate increasing
threats and attacks against those of
Asian descent, Meng said.
The 2020 Asian American Voter
Survey released Tuesday, Sept.
15 found that 51 percent of Asian
Americans are concerned about experiencing
hate crimes, harassment and
discrimination because of COVID-19,
and 79 percent say there is a lot or
some discrimination against Asian
people in society.
Meng’s resolution has 157 cosponsors
and has been endorsed by over
500 organizations and entities from
across the country.
The resolution includes:
• Calls on all public officials to
condemn and denounce any and all
anti-Asian sentiment in any form;
• Recognizes that the health and
safety of all Americans, no matter
their background, must be of utmost
priority;
• Condemns all manifestations of
expressions of racism, xenophobia,
discrimination, anti-Asian sentiment,
scapegoating, and ethnic or religious
intolerance;
• Calls on Federal law enforcement
offi cials, working with State and local
offi cials:
• To expeditiously investigate and
document all credible reports of hate
crimes and incidents and threats
against the Asian American community
in the United States;
• To collect data to document the
rise of incidences of hate crimes due
to COVID-19;
• To hold the perpetrators of those
crimes, incidents, or threats accountable
and bring such perpetrators to
justice;
• Recommits United States leadership
in building more inclusive, diverse,
and tolerant societies:
• To prioritize language access and
inclusivity in communication practices;
and
• To combat misinformation and discrimination
that put Asian Americans
at risk.
A Senate version of Meng’s resolution
is pending in the Senate. It was
introduced in May by Senators Kamala
Harris (D-CA), Tammy Duckworth
(D-IL), and Mazie Hirono (D-HI). The
resolutions in each chamber are independent
of each other and do not need
the signature of President Trump.
Courtesy of Meng’s o ce
EVERYONE counts
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