Congresswoman Cori Bush Stands in Solidarity with the Asian-American Community at House Judiciary Committee Hearing
WASHINGTON, DC – In a House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties hearing on Discrimination and Violence Against Asian Americans, Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01) focused on the ways in which white supremacist rhetoric has led to a rise in violence against Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, and ways in which the federal government must support communal efforts to address the root cause of hate.
The Congresswoman’s questioning came two days after 6 Asian and Asian American women tragically lost their lives as a result of racist sentiments, racist rhetoric, and racist policies, and during a year where hate crimes targeting Asian Americans have spiked by 150% in major US Cities.
A full transcript of her questioning and exchange with the witnesses is available below.
Transcript: Congresswoman Cori Bush at Subcommittee Hearing on "Discrimination and Violence Against Asian Americans" (March 18, 2021)
CONGRESSWOMAN CORI: St. Louis and I again thank you, Chairman, for convening this hearing.
I want to extend my deepest condolences to the AAPI community, many of whom have lost loved ones, been victims of white supremacist hate crimes or in some way have been victimized by the horrific incidents of this past year. My heart is with you.
There are more than, and it’s been said before over and over again, 3,000 hate crimes reported over the last year as a result of anti-Asian American racism. That 3,000 number, you know, it’s horrific and I don’t want to just gloss over it. You know, it’s 3,000 incidents.
The rise of hate crimes against Asian Americans is inherently tied to anti-Asian American rhetoric, some of which has come out of this very chamber. Rhetoric, which we have been told even on this hearing today that words don’t matter, that we shouldn’t be worried about words. But especially when people from a place of privilege speak about that what can directly lead to physical harm. You have to own that. You have to own that it causes harm. It causes harm to people, especially people of color. And so to call it out as if it does not matter, it does, because we’re talking about lives at stake. This is a refusal of responsibility and I’m going to call it out. And this is not a partisan thing.
Last week, we held a hearing about member conduct and the need to engage from a place of respect. How we conduct ourselves as leaders - what we say and who we engage with - that has a direct impact on what happens in our streets. It is our words and it’s why our words and our actions as leaders are so important.
Leading from a place of hate only fuels hateful and violent acts across our country.
Leading with love starts with what we say, the words we use and the meaning behind them. Words can build up communities or break them down. What we’ve witnessed over the last four years is hateful, white supremacist rhetoric. While I cannot speak on behalf of the AAPI community, I do want to say that I stand in solidarity with you. So, organize, galvanize, and get justice. Fight against white supremacy with us.
Two nights ago, 6 Asian women who tragically lost their lives as a result of racist sentiments, racist rhetoric, and racist policies. It’s not lost on me that we lost women. Working women. In fact, a majority of anti-Asian hate crimes are committed against Asian women. And you all have said that over and over again today. But as a Black woman, I want to speak to that point.
So, Professor Lee, are there reports or experiences that have particularly impacted you on an emotional level, have you had increased fear for your own safety? I want to bring the humanity into this a little bit more.
PROFESSOR ERIKA LEE: Thank you so much for asking. Thank you for those powerful words, powerful words of solidarity. And I think all of our communities really appreciate it. I am an educator. I’m also a researcher and writer, but my real day job is to get in the classroom, or in this case, during the pandemic, just here through Zoom. And my students are traumatized. Our communities are traumatized. What this brings up is lifetimes, histories, family histories of trauma. Trauma that, perhaps, some of our families thought was over and done with because, as Mr. Yang pointed out, the popular media image is that Asian-Americans have made it and everything is okay. What the pandemic has revealed is the stark truth that Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders remain victims of the similar types of white supremacy that has infected our country for so long. So, we have people who are afraid to go about their neighborhoods, to do their daily businesses, but we also have an outpouring of new resilience, I believe. A wake-up call, as Daniel Dae Kim mentioned. A reminder that we have been here before, that we have acted out, we have organized, we have sought justice in solidarity with others and we will continue to do so.
CONGRESSWOMAN CORI: Thank you. Mr. Yang, in addition to potential legislation, are there community actions being successfully taken to combat this anti-Asian American violence and harassment? How best can the government support these efforts, the federal government?
MR. JOHN C. YANG: Thank you very much for that question. Thank you for the solidarity. Absolutely, the federal government can do more in terms of appropriations to make sure that these community organizations have the resources that they need. Whether it is through grants through the Office of Justice Programs at DOJ, ensuring that there is language access, ensuring that there is multi-lingual capacities, there’s budget items for that. Those are some of the small pieces that the federal government can do. Certainly, the COVID-19 hate crimes bill from Representative Meng and Senator Hirono is another piece to that, along with the Jabara-Heyer no hate act. I apologize but I do need to go to one prior statement that Representative Garcia made about statements by senators. One report that we received on our website tracking hate. This person reported: “My dad and I were stopped at a red light when my dad noticed a man on the sidewalk. That man came up to me, called me a “B”, a female so I’m not going to use the word, a few times and then threatened to kick our teeth in. He did this while calling us disgusting mother f****s and telling us we need to stop eating bats and bringing disease over here.” So, yes, words matter. Words of our leaders matter. Thank you.
CONGRESSWOMAN CORI: Yes, thank you. And Mr. Chair, I ask consent to enter into the record a document from the Asian American Table that details the kinds of programming that are crucial in this moment.
CHAIRMAN COHEN: Without objection, Ms. Bush.
CONGRESSWOMAN CORI: Thank you and I yield back.
To watch and download the Congresswoman’s full exchange, click here.
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Congresswoman Cori Bush represents Missouri’s First Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives. She serves on the House Judiciary Committee and the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. She is also a Deputy Whip of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and a proud member of the Congressional Black Caucus. She is a registered nurse, single mother, and an ordained pastor. Following the murder of Michael Brown Jr. by a now-terminated Ferguson police officer, she became a civil rights activist and community organizer fighting for justice for Black lives on the streets of Missouri and across the country.