Rep. Judy Chu: Anti-China rhetoric can lead to ‘harm and even murder of Asian Americans’
What we learned is that the rhetoric used around economic competition with Asian countries can result in the harm and even murder of Asian Americans here at home. Already, Asian Americans have been suffering three years of anti-Asian hate due to Trump calling COVID-19 “China virus” and “kung flu,” but now, the rhetoric and tension about the U.S.-China relationship comes on top of that, potentially escalating that violence. Today, the focus has shifted to extremists engaging in racial profiling of Chinese Americans due to this economic competition.
As a result, Chinese American scientists and researchers have been terrorized with accusations and their lives ruined. And most recently, numerous Chinese Americans, and even I, have been accused by extremist right-wing Republican congressmen, in particular this one from Texas, of being a spy for China.
I’m beyond confident that the legacy of the Vincent Chin Institute will be extensive. We cannot let history repeat itself. The strongest way for us to combat this is by standing together. It is when we lock arms and unequivocally say ‘end the xenophobic rhetoric that puts lives in danger.
