SENATE RESOLUTION 580--CONDEMNING ALL FORMS OF ANTI-ASIAN SENTIMENT AS RELATED TO COVID-19; Congressional Record Vol. 166, No. 91
(Senate - May 14, 2020)
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[Page S2457]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SENATE RESOLUTION 580--CONDEMNING ALL FORMS OF ANTI-ASIAN SENTIMENT AS
RELATED TO COVID-19
Ms. HARRIS (for herself, Ms. Duckworth, Ms. Hirono, Ms. Cantwell, Mr.
Markey, Ms. Smith, Mr. Durbin, Ms. Cortez Masto, Ms. Klobuchar, Mrs.
Murray, Mr. Warner, Mr. Cardin, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Carper, Ms. Rosen,
Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Brown, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Coons, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr.
Whitehouse, Mr. Kaine, Ms. Warren, Mr. Schatz, Mr. Casey, and Mr.
Booker) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary:
S. Res. 580
Whereas 23,000,000 Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
account for 7 percent of the population in the United States;
Whereas over 2,000,000 Asian Americans and Pacific
Islanders are working on the front lines of the COVID-19
pandemic in health care, law enforcement, first response, and
transportation, as well as in service industries that involve
keeping supermarkets operational;
Whereas the use of anti-Asian terminology and rhetoric
related to COVID-19, such as the ``Chinese Virus'', ``Wuhan
Virus'', and ``Kung-flu'', have perpetuated anti-Asian
stigma;
Whereas, since January 2020, there has been a dramatic
increase in reports of hate crimes and incidents against
those of Asian descent;
Whereas, according to a recent study, there were over 400
cases of anti-Asian discrimination related to COVID-19
between February 9, 2020, and March 7, 2020;
Whereas the increased use of anti-Asian rhetoric has
resulted in Asian Americans being harassed, assaulted, and
scapegoated for the COVID-19 pandemic;
Whereas, in incidents of anti-Asian violence occurring in
March 2020, a woman wearing a mask was kicked and punched at
a New York City subway station, 2 children and 2 adults were
stabbed at a wholesale grocery 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;
Whereas the increased use of anti-Asian rhetoric has also
resulted in Asian American businesses being targeted for
vandalism;
Whereas there are approximately 2,000,000 Asian American-
owned businesses that generate over $700,000,000,000 in
annual revenue and employ millions of workers;
Whereas 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;
Whereas 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 COVID-
19 to a specific ethnicity perpetuates stigma;
Whereas, 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;
Whereas, 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'';
Whereas, on February 28, 2020, Dr. Mitch Wolfe, the Chief
Medical Officer of the CDC, said, ``stigma is the enemy of
public health'';
Whereas, on March 10, 2020, Dr. Robert Redfield, the
Director of the CDC, testified that use of the term ``Chinese
coronavirus'' is wrong and inappropriate; and
Whereas the Secretary-General of the United Nations called
for international solidarity and an end to any ill-founded
discrimination against the outbreak's victims: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) calls on all public officials to condemn and denounce
anti-Asian sentiment in any form;
(2) recognizes that the health and safety of all Americans,
no matter their background, must be the utmost priority;
(3) condemns all manifestations or expressions of racism,
xenophobia, discrimination, anti-Asian sentiment,
scapegoating, and ethnic or religious intolerance;
(4) calls on Federal law enforcement officials, working
with State and local officials--
(A) to expeditiously investigate and document all credible
reports of hate crimes, incidents, and threats against the
Asian American and Pacific Islander community in the United
States;
(B) to collect data to document the rise of incidents of
hate crimes relating to COVID-19; and
(C) to hold the perpetrators of those crimes, incidents, or
threats accountable and bring such perpetrators to justice,
including through investigation and prosecution; and
(5) recommits the United States to serving as a world
leader in building more inclusive, diverse, and tolerant
societies--
(A) by prioritizing language access and inclusivity in
communication practices; and
(B) by combating misinformation and discrimination that put
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders at risk.
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