Congress Must Protect Asian Americans from Xenophobic Violence

Fighting Hate & Bias News, Human Rights News 03.18,21

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Janessa Sambola-Harris, [email protected]

 

WASHINGTON — Wade Henderson, interim president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement after Tuesday’s horrific attacks against Asian women in Atlanta, and ahead of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties hearing on “Discrimination and Violence Against Asian Americans”: 

“We are witnessing an alarming increase of violent attacks against Asian Americans since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. This hearing is an important step in acknowledging and addressing the impact of hateful rhetoric, violence, and vitriol that have been directed at Asian Americans. The civil and human rights community condemns these xenophobic attacks and urges Congress to pass the Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act to prevent hate crimes, improve data reporting, and expand community-centered responses to better support communities targeted for hate. Hate has no place in our country, and we cannot allow this bigotry to continue unaddressed.” 

The hearing comes as many Asian Americans are facing a heightened sense of fear following horrific, deadly shootings in the Atlanta area on Tuesday evening, where six of the victims were Asian women. This attack follows an alarming 150 percent increase in violence and harassment against Asians and Asian Americans, with women reporting incidents at twice the rate as men, since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.   

Henderson previously testified in front of the House Judiciary Committee urging them to pass the Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act and to mandate hate crime data collection. You can find his testimony here. 

For more information about The Leadership Conference’s work in fighting hate and bias, please visit www.whitesupremacykills.org. 

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 220 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org. 

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