Sec. 30313. Sense of congress condemning anti-asian racism and discrimination
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/bill/117/hr/4521/pcs/section-30313·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Congress makes the following findings: Since the onset of the COVID–19 pandemic, crimes and discrimination against Asians and those of Asian descent have risen dramatically worldwide. In May 2020, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the pandemic continues to unleash a tsunami of hate and xenophobia, scapegoating and scare-mongering and urged governments to act now to strengthen the immunity of our societies against the virus of hate . Over 2 million Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are working on the front lines of the COVID–19 pandemic in healthcare, law enforcement, first responders, transportation, supermarkets, and other service industries.
AAPI workers also make up a large share—between 6 percent and 12 percent based on sector—of the bio medical field. The United States Census Bureau notes that Americans of Asian descent made up 7.2 percent of the population according to the 2020 decennial census, and that Asian Americans are the fastest-growing racial group in the United States, projected to represent 14 percent of the United States population by 2065. Since January 2020, there has been a dramatic increase in reports of hate crimes and incidents against those of Asian descent.
According to reports, there are over 10,000 reported cases of anti-Asian American hate incidents and discrimination related to COVID–19 between March 19, 2020 and September 30, 2021. Local police departments are reporting an exponential increase in anti-Asian hate incidents and crimes. The New York Police Department reported a 343 percent spike in anti-Asian crime in 2021 from 2020, and the San Francisco Police Department reported anti-AAPI hate crimes increased by 567 percent from 2020 to 2021.
Multiple incidents of anti-Asian violence occurred since March 2020, including a woman wearing a mask who was kicked and punched at a New York City subway station, two children and two adults were stabbed at a wholesale grocery store in Midland, Texas, a couple was assaulted and robbed by a group of attackers in Philadelphia, and a 16-year-old boy was sent to the hospital after being attacked by bullies in Los Angeles, California. Anti-Asian discrimination and hate since the start of the COVID–19 outbreak has continued throughout the pandemic.
Since the start of 2021, there has been a surge in anti-Asian attacks targeting predominately elderly Asian Americans. On January 30, 2021, an 84-year-old Thai man, Vicha Ratanapakdee, died from injuries sustained from an unprovoked assault while on his routine morning walk in San Francisco, California. In January 2021, a series of attacks occurred in Oakland’s Chinatown targeting Asian American seniors, the victims included a 91-year-old man, a 60-year-old man, and a 55-year-old woman, who were all violently shoved to the ground in three separate incidents.
In February 2021, victims of anti-Asian violence included a 61-year-old Filipino man who was attacked and slashed across his face on a New York City subway, a Filipino woman in her 80s who was punched in an unprovoked attack while riding a trolley in San Diego, and a 52-year-old Asian woman who was attacked and forcefully shoved while waiting in line outside of a bakery in Flushing, New York. In December 2021, a 61-year-old Chinese man, Yao Pan Ma, died from injuries sustained from an unprovoked assault in April of 2021 in New York City.
Anti-Asian racism has also resulted in Asian American businesses being targeted for vandalism. There are approximately 2 million Asian American-owned businesses that generate over $700 billion in annual revenue and employ millions of workers. More than 1,900,000 Asian American and Pacific Islander older adults, particularly those older adults who are recent immigrants or have limited English proficiency, may face even greater challenges in dealing with the COVID–19 pandemic, including discrimination, economic insecurity, and language isolation.
The World Health Organization
(WHO)and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC)recognize that naming COVID–19 by its geographic location or linking it to a specific ethnicity perpetuates stigma. In 2015, the WHO issued guidance calling on media outlets, scientists, and national authorities to avoid naming infectious diseases for locations to avoid stigmatizing groups of people. On February 27, 2020, the Secretary of Health and Human Services stated, ethnicity is not what causes the novel coronavirus and that it is inappropriate and inaccurate to call COVID–19 the Chinese virus . On February 28, 2020, Dr. Mitch Wolfe, the Chief Medical Officer of the CDC, said, Stigma is the enemy of public health . On March 10, 2020, Dr. Robert Redfield, the Director of the CDC, testified that use of the term Chinese coronavirus is wrong and inappropriate. On January 26, 2021, President Biden issued a Presidential Memorandum Condemning and Combating Racism, Xenophobia, and Intolerance Against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States . It is the sense of Congress as follows: The use of anti-Asian terminology and rhetoric related to COVID–19, such as the Chinese Virus , Wuhan Virus , and Kung-flu , has perpetuated anti-Asian stigma. The use of anti-Asian rhetoric has resulted in Asian Americans being harassed, assaulted, and scapegoated for the COVID–19 pandemic. The reprehensible attacks on people of Asian descent and the concerning increase in anti-Asian sentiment and racism in the United States and around the world have no place in a peaceful, civilized, and tolerant world. The United States is a diverse country with a proud tradition of immigration, and the strength and vibrancy of the United States is enhanced by the diverse ethnic backgrounds and tolerance of its citizens, including Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. The United States Government should encourage foreign governments to use the official and scientific names for the COVID–19 pandemic, as recommended by the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The United States Government and other governments around the world must actively oppose racism and intolerance, and use all available and appropriate tools to combat the spread of anti-Asian racism and discrimination.