WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, there has been an increase in the number of hate crimes against Asian Americans.
“The Asian American community has reached a crisis point that cannot be ignored,” Congresswoman Judy Chu (D-Calif.) said.
Chu and members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus are denouncing the increasing numbers of anti-Asian hate crimes across the country.
“What started as dirty looks and verbal assault has escalated to physical attacks and violence against innocent Asian Americans,” Chu said.
Since March, one organization collected almost 3,000 reports of anti-Asian hate throughout the country.
Some of these hates crimes were caught on tape, including a moment when an Asian American woman was attacked in Queens, New York; Congresswoman Grace Meng’s district.
“The recent spike in violence against Asian Americans, especially against the elderly, resulting in even death, is especially horrifying,” Meng said.
New Jersey Congressman Andy Kim says the videos have left a personal impression on him and his colleagues.
“The 91-year-old man being pushed, his body literally airborne… I saw in that image someone that could’ve been my father or my grandfather,” Kim said.
Meng introduced a resolution that passed in the House in September, condemning all forms of anti-Asian bigotry. She says the issue needs more attention and action.
“These acts of violence against them are unacceptable and the perpetrators of these crimes must be punished,” Meng said.
Lawmakers agree, addressing these hate crimes will take effort from all levels of government.