Summary

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution condemning anti-Asian discrimination related to the COVID-19 pandemic, with a significant majority of Republicans voting against it, reflecting a divide on addressing racism.

Abstract

On September 17, 2020, the House passed a resolution to condemn the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes and discrimination amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The resolution, sponsored by Representative Grace Meng (D-NY), aimed to denounce the wrongful association of Asian Americans with the pandemic's origin. While all Democrats voted in favor, the majority of Republicans, 164, voted against the measure, suggesting a reluctance to acknowledge or combat the racism faced by Asian Americans. The resolution's passage was a symbolic stand against the surge in racist incidents, which have been exacerbated by rhetoric linking the coronavirus to China. Some Republicans, including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, dismissed the resolution as a "waste of time," while others, like Representative Judy Chu, criticized their GOP colleagues for downplaying the issue and potentially inciting violence through their language.

Opinions

Kevin McCarthy, the Republican House Minority Leader, considered the resolution a distraction and a waste of time, arguing that calling the virus "Wuhan virus" or "China virus" is not equivalent to contributing to violence against Asian Americans.
Representative Grace Meng emphasized the importance of the House taking a strong stance against the intolerance and violence experienced by the Asian American community during the pandemic.
Democratic Congressman Mark Takano accused President Trump of fueling racism and inspiring violent attacks on Asian Americans

Is It A Waste Of Time To Consider Racism Against Asian Americans?

It was a simple resolution to condemn hate

164 Republicans showed their true colors

The House of Representatives passed a measure on September 17, 2020, condemning anti-Asian discrimination amid the COVID-19 pandemic. It was merely a symbolic resolution sponsored by Grace Meng (D-NY). She hoped it would demonstrate that it is wrong to discriminate against Asian Americans due to the pandemic.

The resolution passed with a 243–164 vote. All Democrats voted for it. All Republicans except fourteen voted against the measure. It seems a clear indication that those Republicans do not care about racism being exhibited to their fellow Americans or they are afraid to do anything against Trump. The fourteen who voted in favor can expect to receive Trump’s wrath.

Racism against people of Asian background has escalated since the COVID-19 pandemic began. People throughout the country are being targeted with racist rants and hate crimes because they are being blamed for the coronavirus coming to the United States.

As an American who is of Asian descent, I know people who have been victims of the racist rants and hate crimes against Asian Americans since Donald Trump started making his comments about the coronavirus and China.

Although Trump says that he is only against the government of China and not Asian Americans, most people do not distinguish between American citizens and immigrants or different Asian ethnicities. There should be no racism against any of them. The sad reality is that Asian Americans are continually looked at as “perpetual foreigners” simply because of their physical characteristics. The remarks from Trump and others seem to have brought out racism against people of any Asian heritage.

Kevin McCarthy says it is a waste of time

The Republican House Minority Leader, Kevin McCarthy of California, rejected the resolution as a “waste of time” and a distraction from the stimulus deadlock. He said, “At the heart of this resolution is the absurd notion that referring to the virus as a Wuhan virus or the China virus is the same as contributing to violence against Asian Americans, which I will tell you no one on this side of the aisle supports.”

The resolution was the first which addressed the issue of anti-Asian discrimination related to the pandemic. Representative Meng said in a statement following the vote: “The House needed to take a strong and public stand against this appalling intolerance, discrimination, and violence that has taken place all across the country during this public health crisis, and today, it did just that.”

Democratic Congressman, Mark Takano of California, called the Republicans “disgraceful” and accused Trump of “fueling racism and inspiring violent attacks on Asian Americans and Asian immigrants.”

Representative Judy Chu (D-CA) is the first Chinese American woman ever elected to Congress. She condemned her GOP colleagues for voting against the resolution. She said in a statement, “Not only have Republicans refused to drop their racist language, they have refused to acknowledge the problem at all. I was so dismayed to see my Republican colleagues, one after the other, come to the floor today and tell the Asian American community that their suffering does not matter, and that they are indifferent to the consequences of the hate they are spreading.”

Chu said Republicans voted against the resolution because they didn’t want to upset Trump. “It is more important to Republicans that they spare Donald Trump any responsibility for the spread of the coronavirus than it is that they spare even one family from the pain of being victims of a hate crime,” Chu said.

Nancy Pelosi commented

“Sadly this bigotry is being fueled by some in Washington, and you would think, I thought this would be almost unanimous consent to condemn violence against Asian Americans. Even from the White House itself, which uses dangerous, false and offensive terms to describe the coronavirus,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, said.

Yes, you would have thought this resolution would have passed unanimously. It was simply a measure to denouce racism and let a community know that they mattered.

Daniel Dae Kim, an Asian American actor tweeted:

I just read this bill. All it basically says is that Anti-Asian sentiment, racism and discrimination is wrong. It asks for nothing more than that. Yet 164 members of Congress (all Republican) voted against it. #vote

It should be a sign to Asian Americans and everyone that some people care about their fellow citizens and racism. The measure was symbolic to show that people cared. Some obviously do not.

[Sources: Newsweek, USA Today, Nicholas Wu, Twitter]