Vice President Kamala Harris condemned the U.S. as racist, xenophobic, and sexist in remarks at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, where she and President Joe Biden traveled Friday to show solidarity with the Asian American community.
“Racism is real in America and it has always been. Xenophobia is real in America and always has been. Sexism, too,” Harris said.
Eight people were murdered this week at three massage parlors in Atlanta. Six of the victims were Asian.
Though police said that there was no evidence of a racial motive, advocates have claimed that the event is only the latest in a wave of anti-Asian-American hate crimes.
Democrats have also blamed former President Donald Trump, who took a tough stance against China and often referred to the coronavirus as the “China virus” (though he also praised and defended Asian-Americans.)
In her remarks, Harris hinted that Trump was to blame for attacks on Asian Americans: “For the last year, we’ve had people in positions of incredible power scapegoating Asian Americans, people with the biggest pulpits, spreading this kind of hate.”
When she was running for president, Harris touted herself as the first future Asian American president. Her mother is Indian-American.
President Biden called on Congress to pass the “COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act,” which would punish any crime motivated by “the actual or perceived relationship to the spread of COVID–19 of any person” due to the “race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability of any person.” Biden also told Americans that “we have to change our hearts.” The bill was proposed last year by Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY), but failed to advance in the House.
Biden went on to talk about the country’s progress in the coronavirus pandemic, and to attack Republican efforts at election reform, saying that Georgia’s voters “helped save our democracy” in 2020. Republicans have cited voting irregularities in the state in 2020 as reason to tighten rules against potential fraud — which Democrats call an attack on voting rights.
Story cited here.
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